SVdP Tiger's Mouth Fall 2019 by St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School

School Administration Carolyn Sears—Principal Scott Kloesel—Asst. Principal Jena Sen—Academic Dean

School Board Members

Inside this issue:

Building Knowledge—Classroom Learning

10-11

Building Faith

12-13

Monsignor Bill Young—Pastor Carolyn Sears—Principal Suggie Casey—President Ben Fraker—Vice President Faith Sepe—Secretary Pat Allen Rocco Cufone Chris Deutschen Michelle Duncan Matt Girotto Cathy Goolsby Michael Marino Heather Montoya Angela Seaworth

Tiger Happenings

PTO Executive Board

Stars Among Us

President Letters

Welcome

Honor Roll

6-7

Summer Recap

8-9

Building Spirit—Tiger Sports

16-17

Building Spirit—Homecoming

18-19

Building Spirit—FunFest

Alumni Update

Annual Fund

Building Unity—Tiger Events

Elizabeth Quattrucci—President Kelly Hogan– Vice President Cecile Deutschen-Communications VP Sarah Hans—Secretary Anne Stewart—Treasurer Allison Sovany—Past President

ON THE COVER: 1st graders learn about design process firsthand in science class while trying to build a book stand that would hold a textbook for 15 seconds. Article and more pics on page 10.

2 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

MISSION STATEMENT It is the mission of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, to develop students to their fullest potential in an environment permeated with Gospel values.

A Letter from the Principal

Dear Parents, Grandparents and Friends, We’ve had an exciting first quarter of the school year and we’re pleased to share some of our highlights in this quarterly publication of the Tiger’s Mouth. As I look at these happy photos of school days, I am reminded that we are truly making memories here at St. Vincent de Paul. I hear time and again from alumni and past school families that their years at SVdP are some of their most treasured memories. First, congratulations go out to Coach Young and his football team for winning their league championship! This is a memory these young men will never forget. I know this because a few weeks ago, one of our alumni from the Class of 1958 donated his letterjacket and presented us a detailed record of SVdP’s 1957 football season when we won the city championship for the first time. See the photos on page 19. Our Volleyball, Cross Country and Cheer teams also put in the training time and enjoyed bringing home medals from their competitions this fall. Athletics, PE, and outdoor recess time are things that have often dwindled in many schools, but we have made choices to protect these programs as they teach children the value of hard work, teamwork, and the importance of play. Finally, I want to thank all who contributed to the Annual Fund this year. Because of your generosity we are able to bridge the gap between tuition and the true cost of a St. Vincent’s education which naturally keeps our tuition as affordable as possible. But I’m also very proud of the “extras” we are able to provide thanks to your charitable gifts. These extras include things like an outstanding Fine Arts program, a top-notch Athletics program with some of the best coaches anywhere, and teacher training and new curriculum for an advanced academic program. Most recently, St. Vincent’s was able to expand the Writers in the Schools program to our PreK, K and First grade students. Building strong communication skills is so important to all our students. Thank you for giving our little ones this opportunity. We simply couldn’t do our good work without your support of the Annual Fund. I am confident the next quarter of the school year will fly by with the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. It’s an exciting time for children and I pray that you are able to slow down, enjoy time together, and make memories at home as a family. Yours in Christ,

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 3

TIGER’S MOUTH—A Letter from the Presidents Letter from our School Board President As this school year begins, there is so much to be proud of -- Blue Ribbon School status, STEM certification, a dedicated group of faculty and staff members, and over 500 energetic students eager to learn and grow. Our principal, Mrs. Sears, provides leadership that benefits faculty, staff, students and parents alike, and the school enjoys unwavering support from our pastor, Monsignor Bill. That really just scratches the surface of all the great things that are going on around us at St. Vincent de Paul School. I am pleased this year to be heading the School Board as its president, a role I am reprising from when my children, who are grown, were students here. This year’s board is comprised of two other “alumni” parents sitting side-by-side with current parents, making up a diverse mix of views and perspectives. Coming back to the Board, after a lengthy hiatus, has shown me how much has changed and how much is exactly the same. Changes are clearly visible with the growth of the school and its increased resources. The facilities have improved, and better is still to come with the “Building Bright Futures” campaign. It is heartening to see this dynamic environment of growth and change. But perhaps what is more heartening is what has not changed at all. Observing the carpool line drop-off, I see happy children bound off to class. I see teachers who show love, care, concern, professionalism and dedication as they attend to student needs. I see physical, mental and spiritual growth taking place all around. This happily is exactly as I remember it from when I was a school parent here years ago. It is nice to see that the values I experienced when my children were students here are just as strong and solid as ever. What a great tradition to continue! Suggie Casey School Board President, 2019-20

Letter from our PTO President Dear Friends, Welcome Back!!! I would like to send a warm welcome to our returning families and extend a special welcome to our new families who have become a part of the St. Vincent de Paul community. The PTO has been working diligently through summer and continue to plan and host several events and services throughout the school year, led by our dedicated PTO directors. PTO will host Book Fair on November 18-22, Photos with Santa on December 20, and our Auction on February 29. These events are a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together, so we hope you can attend. The community of SVdP is blessed with dedicated parents and committed volunteers who share a strong sense of community along with our teachers and staff that are the foundation of our school. Please know we appreciate all you do and we thank you for your dedication to our children! Since 2016, I have served on a committee or held a director position for the PTO Board. I have witnessed this community come together in times of crisis as well as in support for one another. I believe parental involvement is a critical component to the success of our events and services and help make SVdP the community that it is. Thank you for your continued support of the PTO, as we cannot accomplish anything without the dedication of our parents. It is an honor to be your PTO President and I look forward to this school year and all the events to come. I encourage each and every one of you to please get involved. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at elizabethquattrucci@yahoo.com. With love, Elizabeth Quattrucci PTO President 2019-20

4 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

WELCOME Meet Kionna Kellogg This fall, Coach Kellogg joined SVdP as our Girls Athletic Director. This position was created several years ago and we are proud to have a Girls Athletic Director at SVdP as many other schools do not have a designated position to support girls athletics. You might recognize Coach Kellogg as she was the Assistant Girls Basketball Coach for the last two seasons. Coach Kellogg graduated from the University of Minnesota where she played for the Golden Gophers Women’s Basketball team. She is a multi-sport athlete and played volleyball and basketball and also ran track. Coach Kellogg stands out in a crowd with her energy, bright smile and also because she is 6’1”! Coach Kellogg adds: “I am excited and truly thankful for the opportunity to work for YOU and YOUR GIRLS. I strongly believe that being in sports provides invaluable and transferrable experiences, many of which have personally provided me with skills, life lessons/tools, challenges, friendships, and memories that are, to this day, priceless. Sports are an excellent way to grow emotionally and require responsibility and accountability to contribute to the success of a team. At SVdP, we can all function as a team; teachers, faculty, coaches, and parents, plus everyone in between, and we can all contribute to the success of our students. My hope is that as a team we can continue to provide a space for each of the young athletes to not only have fun and compete but to also grow as young women.” Welcome to SVdP, Coach Kellogg!

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 5

TIGER PRIDE Honor Roll for 4th 9-Weeks of 2018-2019 6th Grade Principal’s Honors

7th Grade Principal’s Honors

8th Grade Principal’s Honors

           

          

                 

Benji Adachi Sophia Brodie Sophia Deutschen Paulina Ferrante Alessia Fuentes Mikayla Liebl Lilly Marino Catherine McConn Hannah Polnau Matthew Read Isabella Recinos Neena Varkey

Noa Clifford Bennett Connelly Katelyn Fiegel Lauren Gentry Danielle Lynch Jack Magnus Alexia Nanquil Helena Palinkas-Sanchez Luke Ritter Lili Shore Caroline Sovany

7th Grade Honors 6th Grade Honors                    

Sabra Ahlquist John Peter Ascher Sophia Bellard Thomas Broussard Jason Butz Champ Courville Cooper Davis Ella Etlinger Bobby Fiore Maddy Johnston Ellie Keeler Gabrielle Louis Annie McCarthy Evie Meagher Gloria Morales Dominic Phan Ben Seaworth Kolbe Stewart Emma Stoett Avery Wheeler

6 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

                      

Anthony Baaklini Giovanni Ballerini Jordan Carroll Cade Church Ryan Cortez Mikey De Jesus Caroline Franco Alexa Iero Dylan Jimenez Sophia Kennedy Henry Leemann Katie Lewis Henry Maytum Tristan Newman Hayden Osborn Katie Polnau Deldon Sivakumar Luke Tholany Townsen Thomas Karolina Tkaczyk James Ulm Luke Visintine Katie Vojvodic

Blythe Bath Jack Brodie Brenna Butler Caleb Davis Caroline Dunn Anthony Equale Sophie Johnston Sergio Karam Aidan Nanquil Bella Nolla Dani Nolla Kate Pesek Alexandra Probst Bailey Raymond Elise Reinoso Ava Robson Camille Schneider Peyton Tan

8th Grade Honors             

Jaydon Carroll Isabella Drone Dax Garza Wyatt Hansen Elise Johnson Ella Joseph Morgan Meynier Michael O’Brien Gonzalo Pereda David Press Diego Rodriguez Andrew Roy Jack Sheppard

TIGER PRIDE Honor Roll for 1st 9-Weeks of 2019-2020 6th Grade Principal’s Honors

7th Grade Principal’s Honors

8th Grade Principal’s Honors

              

         

                 

Will Andrews Lara Chemaly William Condron Rachel Curry Lucas Gutierrez Alex Hughes Oliver Karam Khang Le Lee Catherine Monistere Mark Ordonez Lauren Rebello Treasa Rice Teddy Shore Bella Stewart Hayden Summers

6th Grade Honors                    

Jeff Angelo Alesna Margaret Duncan Carter Dunn Gabriel Eldin Marin Fowler Gisella Gonzalez Giuliana Gonzalez Jack Guitreau Claire Johnson Jiya Jose Lilly Keeler Chloe Kennedy Patrick Leif Dominic Marino Tess Pacetti David Ramirez Natalie Schwartzenburg Will Simpson Charlotte Steely Benny Valdes

Benji Adachi Sophia Brodie Sophia Deutschen Ella Etlinger Paulina Ferrante Mikayla Liebl Catherine McConn Hannah Polnau Kolbe Stewart Neena Varkey

7th Grade Honors                    

John Peter Ascher Sophia Bellard Sophie Bireley Thomas Broussard Jason Butz Oscar Castro Cooper Davis Alessia Fuentes Maddy Johnston Ellie Keeler Lucia Kovalik Gabi Louis Lilly Marino Annie McCarthy Evie Meagher Gloria Morales Roberto Pacini Matthew Read Isabella Recinos Emma Stoett

Andrew Buettgen Noa Clifford Mikey De Jesus Katelyn Fiegel Lauren Gentry Sophia Kennedy Henry Leeman Katie Lewis Jack Magnus Henry Maytum Andrea Nguyen Hayden Osborn Helena Palinkas Sanches Luke Ritter Lili Shore Deldon Sivakumar Caroline Sovany Luke Visintine

8th Grade Honors                        

Anthony Baaklini Giovanni Ballerini Jordan Carroll Cade Church Oxford Colley Bennett Connelly Ryan Cortez Caroline Franco Alexa Iero Dani Lynch Caragh McGrath Alexia Nanquil Tristan Newman Leany Pino Sanchez Katie Polnau Burke Ramirez Aidan Still Luke Tholany Townsen Thomas Karolina Tkaczyk Isabel Trombley James Ulm Katie Vojvodic Jake Wakil

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 7

SUMMER RECAP

7th graders John A., Layne G., Morgan J., Matthew R., and Avery W., volunteered at the SVdP Vacation Bible School June 10 – 14. From fun activities and games, to art, to learning about Jesus, this is a fun week helping out the younger students.

SVdP siblings Rodney and Townsen placed in multiple events at the 2019 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships held in Greensboro, NC at North Carolina A&T’s Aggie Stadium July 29 through August 3. The national championship event brought thousands of qualifying athletes ages 9 to 18 from across the nation to compete in the final Meet of the season, and Rodney and Townsen made their performances count, highlighted by a #1 in the nation finish by Rodney in the Long Jump, and a #5 in the nation finish by Townsen in the Triple Jump, plus many other amazing placements.

Even in summer we are... still learning, giving of time,

And SVdP middle school students lead effort to assist the homeless in Houston. Jacob F., Preston F., Roman V., Gabe M., PJ M., Patrick L., and Andrew R. spear-headed an effort to assist the homeless in Houston. Known as Team Saints, these students were inspired by the work of SEARCH Homeless Services, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide hope, create opportunities, and transform lives. Great job, Team Saints! The Team Saints donation to SEARCH Homeless Services webpage: https://give.everydayhero.com/us/the-saints

8 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

8th graders Jack M. and Knox V. made the West University All Star Baseball team at the beginning of summer, and have helped lead the West U Little League All Stars to win after win! What an exciting ride they had after winning the District tournament against Katy, then going on to State to win against the Poth, TX team. Next stop was Regionals, where they beat the Texas West team from Brownsville, TX to clinch the title of Intermediate Texas State champions! The heartbreaker was the Championship game losing against New Mexico, but it was a great ride full of highs and lows. We are very proud of these boys.

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 5th grader Alexander M. participated in the Houston Museum of Natural Science 50thAnniversary of Apollo 11 celebration! Alexander was invited to participate by virtue of his grandfather who worked for NASA for 40 years, including a stint in Mission Control for Apollo 16 and 17! As a participant, Alex was an “astronaut” in simulated missions with a team of other grandchildren of Apollo-era Mission Control staffers and NASA alumni. The teams had to sort through a number of simulated emergencies, and their missions were live-streamed on the museum’s Facebook page. What a great experience! Here is the link to the video that was livestreamed: https://www.facebook.com/ Natural.Science/videos/390904084899150/

achieving!!! 7th grader Sophia B. had a busy summer of service for others! She assisted her father in organizing, creating, and then delivering a PowerPoint presentation to Anesthesia Technicians at MD Anderson. Sophia assisted by reading and explaining many parts of the program which covered various techniques and technology in regard to anesthesia. Sophia has done this with her dad the past several years. Also, Sophia provided a voluntary dog sitting service this past summer! Finally, while in Bosnia with her parents, Sophia volunteered to help at Sunday Mass services. Well done, Sophia!

Brothers Gabe M. (8th grade) and PJ (6th grade), both put in 15 hours each at Scout Twilight Camp as Junior Staffers in June. They assisted the campers with BB guns, engineering, leatherwork, and art projects.

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 9

BUILDING KNOWLEDGE 1st Grade Science—Design and Build 1st graders learned about the design process firsthand. The objectives for the students were to design and build a book stand that will hold a textbook for at least 15 seconds. Students were divided into small groups for the lesson. Each group went through the following steps: 1. Brainstorm ideas, plan, and design; 2. Build your design; 3. Test your design – How well does it work? Find a way to improve your design; and 4. Think of a way to redesign your project, and communicate your results. The only materials the students used were: One 8 ½ X 11 sheet of copy paper, tape, glue, and scissors.

Work of Art w dent, Andre

u by Pre-K st S.

1st graders

created ba ck scratche

10 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

5th Grade Literature—Character Analysis The students in Mrs. Thorpe’s 5th grade literature classes read the novel: Resistance, by Jennifer A. Nielsen. The book is about a Jewish teenager, Chaya Linder, living in Nazi occupied Poland. After reading the book, the class brainstormed possible character traits to best describe Chaya. A list of traits were decided upon by the students. Each student then chose one of these specific traits of Chaya to write about, followed by their searching for evidence in the text to best describe why they were describing Chaya in that particular way.

MS Science—Learning about Measurements Mr. Muckelroy’s middle school science classes have direct experience learning how to measure with accuracy items’ length, mass, and volume. Check out Giovanni and Henry’s video report on the SVdP Facebook page! https:// www.facebook.com/

Wire Art by MS St udents. On disp lay in the cafeteria.

This Is Where the Band Begins

Beginner Band met their instruments on Tues., Sept. 3 and made their first sounds! Mr. Fortune worked with the woodwinds, Mr. K. Smith worked with the brass, and Mr. Smith worked with the percussion. Great start for our newest band members!

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 11

BUILDING FAITH Religion Classes Creating Placemats Mrs. Kana’s 2nd and 3rd graders are making placemats for the women’s prison ministry through the St. Vincent de Paul women's ACTS group. The theme for the women is "He is not God of the dead but of the living, for to Him all are alive” Luke 20:38. The 4th and 5thgraders are making their placemats for the men's prison retreat through the SVdP men's ACTS group. Their theme is "The greatest gift we can give to God is the acceptance of His mercy" St. Therese of Lisieux. This is an important ministry. Please keep them in your prayers.

Father David is Everywhere Father David can be found all over St. Vincent de Paul. Here we find him visiting Pre-K on their first day of school and helping 5th graders during Alter Server trainng. He also devotes an entire day to fielding questions in middle school religion classes.We are so blessed to have him here at SVdP.

A “Thank You” to our 5th Grade Flag Caretakers Did you know that our fifth grade students care for our flags each morning and afternoon? Students volunteer to arrive early to raise the flags in the morning and take down and properly fold them each afternoon. Fifth grader, Alexander M., noticed our American flag was badly tattered and he properly retired the flag by burning it and burying the ashes at his Boy Scout campout on October 5th.

12 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

NEW THIS YEAR—SVdP Incorporates Liturgical Feast Days into School Calendar Saint Pope John Paul II’s Feast Day Saint Pope John Paul II’s feast day was on Tuesday, October 22. On this day students and faculty wore white shirts/blouses. This is to symbolize the pope who also wears white. Pictured here, you see 4th grade participating in the day.

Saint Vincent de Paul’s Feast Day This year, we celebrated the feast day of St. Vincent de Paul on September 27th with an All-School Mass and a collection of personal care items for our local CCSC. Students brought in items like soap, toothpaste, and deodorant and we were able to make a special delivery. This was a wonderful way to model St. Vincent de Paul’s dedication and service to the poor and most vulnerable in our community.

8th Grade Retreat On October 9th and 10th, our 8th-grade class was given the opportunity for an overnight retreat at the Holy Name Retreat Center in Houston’s Bunker Hill area. The 54 students returned from the retreat to enjoy dinner with their parents and were given an opportunity to share their experiences on the retreat. This is a unique opportunity we offer our students and many times it ends up being one of their favorite memories from their 8th-grade year.

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 13

TIGER HAPPENINGS Over the summer, we were able to purchase new desks and chairs for our Middle School students. Thank you to our PTO for this purchase!

New Desks for Middle School

Our old desks had the chair attached to the desk so they were difficult to reconfigure when group work was required. Our new desks and chairs are polygons that can be reconfigured into small groups. The students and teachers love the flexibility the desks bring to the classroom. Fortunately, we were able to donate over 100 of our old desks to three inner -city Catholic Schools in Houston.

SVdP Students Won National Elementary Chess Team Trophy The 2019 National Elementary Championship was held May 10-12, 2019 at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee. There were total 2303 players divided into 14 sections. SVdP students, Jeff-Angelo A (6th grade), Rachel C (6th grade), and Nathanial C (4th grade) competed in K-5 U900 section with 374 players from all over the nation. SVdP elementary students placed 23rd out of 58 teams, and earned a National Chess Team Trophy. Jeff-Angelo A earned 5th Place Individual Trophy. Congratulations! Go Tigers!!

2019 Houston Catholic School Chess Tournament On October 5, 2019, five SVdP students went to compete at Catholic School Championship Chess Tournament at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School and were awarded 4th Place Team in the Elementary-Middle School Section. Picture from left to right: Nathanial C, Jeff-Angelo A, Alex V, Joseph M, Principal Sears, and Rachel C. Each students also won individual trophies!!

14 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Tigerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mouth Fall 2019

STARS AMOUNG US All Aboard the Polar Express Train St. Vincent de Paul 6thgraders, Hazel E. and Natalie C. were involved with Galveston Railroad Museum/ Polar Express launch. They were polite, attentive, and incredibly helpful to all the press teams involved and they had a great time! Great job Hazel and Natalie! The photos included are screen shots from the FOX Houston coverage.

Will You Accept The Challenge?! Unplugged! Presented by A.D. Players at the George Theater and featuring SVdP 4 thgrader Audrey S. in the roll of “Coach Watkins!” St. Vincent de Paul 4th grader, Audrey S., will be playing the part of Coach Watkins in the A.D. Players at the George Theater presentation of Unplugged! Unplugged is about the addicted-to-technology citizens of the most wired town in America. The citizens have been challenged to unplug from all devices for 30 days in return for $30 million! Can they do it? Find out by watching Audrey and company at the George Theater! Audrey and the cast have been rehearsing for this performance each Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm – 9pm, and on Saturdays from 5pm – 9pm. A great deal of work has gone and is currently going into the production, but to Audrey it is worth it because “it allows us to express our talents!” For tickets, please follow this link: https:// www.adplayers.org/unplugged ALSO, Audrey wants to challenge all of our SVdP friends to unplug from devices and all social media for ONE day so we can meet new people, enjoy the day without any distractions, and have an awesome time with our families! Can WE do it? Let’s see! LOCATION: The George Theater is located at 5420 Westheimer Rd right in the heart of the Galleria, nestled between Westheimer Way and Yorktown Street. There is an ample parking lot that can be accessed from Westheimer Way. With 165 parking spaces to choose from, it is easy to find a parking space. However, if for whatever reason the parking lot is full, you can find overflow parking across the street at 5444 Westheimer Rd.

O C TO B E R 2 5 - 2 7 , 2 0 1 9

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 15

BUILDING SPIRIT Yahoo Race at Rice University Congratulations to all of the SVdP Cross Country runners who participated in the Yahoo Race on Friday, September 13 at Rice University. Our runners completed the winding 3000 Meter course on a hot and sultry Houston evening. Great job, SVdP Cross Country and special thanks to Coach Jones!

Did You Know The SVdP XC Team completed it’s season last Thursday Oct 17th Finishing 3rd in the GHCAA XC Championships in both Girls & Boys division. This was the largest XC team SVdP has ever fielded and we captured more medals this year than ever. The future is bright here at SVdP in XC!

XC Medals Come Home to SVdP Congratulations to the SVdP Girls and Boys who competed at the Bellaire Invitational Cross Country Meet held on Saturday, Sept. 7th at the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy, which has been noted as one of the most difficult cross-country courses in Houston. Over 100 girls competed in the middle school girls’ portion of the meet, with the SVdP Girls placing 1st overall in the 7th grade division. The boys also competed on the same course with well over 100 competing as middle schoolers, with SVdP boys bringing home medals in the 7th & 8th grade divisions.

16 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

TIGER SPORTS

St. John XXIII College Prep Mentors SVdP Volleyball The St. John XXIII College Preparatory Volleyball team and their coach Preston Smith visited St. Vincent Thursday before their match against St. John’s High School. The Lady Lions ran drills and played with the SVdP Lady Tigers. They also had a question and answer session about high school and volleyball. Following the practice session with our Lady Tigers, the Lady Lions defeated St. John’s High School in their match! It was a great day for both teams!

Football Team Wins GCFL Championship

On Saturday, October 19, the St. Vincent de Paul Tiger football team claimed the Gulf Coast Football League (GCFL) championship by defeating Cypress Christian 6-0 at Concordia Lutheran High School Crusader Stadium in Tomball. It was a tough battle throughout the contest with defense being the name of the game for both teams, including an SVdP goal line stand in the 4th quarter. Following that stand, the Tiger offense took over on their own 1 yard line with 3:47 left in the game. Not to be denied, SVdP went on an 8 play, 99 yard drive that culminated in the winning touchdown with 11 seconds left on the clock. Great job, Tiger Football on an incredible undefeated division championship season!

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 17

BUILDING SPIRIT Homecoming is an annual event that our entire SVdP community looks forward to, from the pep rally, the presentation of the 8th graders to the football game. Homecoming this year was held on October 3rd.

18 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Tigerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mouth Fall 2019

HOMECOMING

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 19

BUILDING SPIRIT Making Memories at FunFest On October 19th and 20th, our school and parish community came together for an unforgettable FunFest weekend! Thank you to Elecia Wheeler and Annette Alonzo and many, many volunteers who made this such a great weekend. Bingo Night in the gym was only made better by the big screen showing the Astros beating the Yankees in the League Championship series! And FunFest turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day filled with confetti eggs, hair spray paint, hundreds of cakes at the cake walk, gelato at Coach Jones’ booth, barbeque served by the Dads Club, bounce houses, rides, and the Texans game on the big screen under a tent. The children had a ball and made memories to last a lifetime. Our alumni and parish families still talk about the tradition of FunFest and what they remember as children. Mike Hansen remembered cars parked in the muddy field across the street (where Vanderbilt Square/ Randall’s stands now) and having to help get cars out of the mud at the end of the day. And our Class of ’79, who celebrated their 40th reunion at FunFest this year, remembered they used to buy tickets to smash an old car with a baseball bat!!

20 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

ALUMNI HIGHLIGHTS

Welcome Back Class of 1979 We welcomed back the Class of 1979 for their 40th reunion at FunFest on October 20th. They had a great time sharing memories of their days at St. Vincent’s and loved touring the campus. Did you know the Intermediate building used to have 6th, 7th and 8th grade in it? There was no computer lab, no fence around the campus, no MJFC and no Middle School building. There was a stage in the gym, a library in the computer lab, and ice cream was only 10 cents in the cafeteria! Thanks for coming back home Class of ’79!

A Piece of the SVdP Past

Thank you to Class of ’58 alumni, Ronald Neihaus, for donating his 1957 letterjacket! SVdP won the City Championship in football for the first time in its 14 year history back in 1957 and all the lettermen received a letter jacket. The coach was Harlan Warden, Jr. and his assistant was Charlie Stranger. Some of the players were Mike Barber (QB), Alex Ramirez (halfback), Norman Garidel (fullback), George Beach, Tony Koby, Mike Reddy, Andy Denny, Joe Wellborn (linemen), Jim Delaney (left end), Ron Niehaus (right end), Pat Tamborello, Dave Fallon and Danny O’Dell. Thank you to Ron Niehaus for his generosity and his excellent record-keeping!

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 21

ANNUAL REPORT Thank you, Annual Fund donors! Did you know 100% of our faculty and staff gave a charitable gift to the school’s Annual Fund this year? It’s a trend that we repeat year after year at St. Vincent de Paul, but the meaning is never lost. It’s a powerful statement about the dedication of our faculty and staff and it also sets an example for our parents to follow their lead. Thank you to all parents who stepped up to make a tax-deductible gift to the school’s Annual Fund during the month of September. We dedicate five-weeks to this effort because it is the most important fundraising effort of the year and the cornerstone of our advancement program.

Where does my money go when I give to the Annual Fund? This is the most asked question and it’s a great one. The short answer is that the Annual Fund is part of our budget, just like tuition. That means it first supports teachers’ salaries and benefits, supplies, and facilities, but unlike tuition, your gift is tax-deductible. The Annual Fund also enables St. Vincent’s to offer outstanding educational opportunities typically found at schools with much higher tuition rates while also remaining as affordable as possible. Most recently, the Annual Fund helped provide:         

WITS Author, Ms. Bailey, teaches an interactive lesson to Kindergarteners.

Full-time HPD officers on campus and traffic police in the mornings and afternoons NEW THIS YEAR - Additional police officers at afterschool sporting events The Writers in the Schools (WITS) program with visiting authors to lead writing lessons NEW THIS YEAR – Expansion of this program to PK, K and 1st grade New Math curriculum for grades 5-8 An August retention bonus for returning teachers An overnight spiritual retreat for 8th grade students Repair and replacement of instruments for the band Athletic field maintenance and transportation for sports teams

It’s not too late! Even though we ask parents for a gift in September, we open it up to our extended community of supporters the rest of the school year and accept gifts through June 30, 2020. The entire list of donors will be recognized in our 2019-2020 Annual Report and leadership donors giving $1,500 or more will be invited to a reception this spring. Questions? Please contact our Director of Advancement, Elisabeth Yoder (eyoder@svdp-edu.org).

22 — Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019

TIGER EVENTS Power of One Each fall, our PTO and school counselor, Mrs. Hight, present the Power of One Week to all students. The positive behavior program included: the Alley Theater performance for PK-5th grade "Oskar versus Thingamabob”, a presentation by the Crime Stoppers “Be NICE” program, a session about Christian Meditation, and a lesson in PE on Health and Mindfulness. The message is that each one of us has the power to change our own behavior as well as influence others in making good choices. Thank you to our PTO – especially Kristen Leach and Jennifer Shanahan – for partnering with the school on this important program.

Highlight your business to the SVdP community! Be a Corporate Sponsor of Auction 2020! saintvincentschool.org/auction-andgala

Questions? Contact : Lindsay Mericli at lindsay.mericli@gmail.com for sponsor info Allyson Plummer at allysonplummer123@gmail.com for general info.

Tiger’s Mouth Fall 2019 — 23

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 6802 Buffalo Speedway Houston, Texas 77025-1499 Phone: 713-666-2345 Fax: 713-883-3562

IMPORTANT DATES/EVENTS: Nov 17 Open House 2:30 PM Nov 20 Progress Reports Nov 22 Grandparents Day/Early Rel Nov 25-29 Thanksgiving Break Dec 20 Christmas Program/Early Rel Dec 23-Jan 3 Christmas Break Jan 15 New Student Appl. Deadline Jan 17 Report Cards Jan 20 NO SCHOOL– MLK Day Feb 10 Re-Enrollment Begins Feb 12 Progress Reports Feb 14 Conferences/No School Feb 15 Steps for Students Feb 17 NO SCHOOL—In-Service Feb 25-28 8th Grade DC Trip

5th grader, Alfonso F. had one more math problem to finish before Mass started.

Feb 26 Ash Wednesday Mass

www.saintvincentschool.org

https://www.facebook.com/svdpschoolhouston