School Administration Carolyn Sears—Principal Scott Kloesel—Asst. Principal Jena Sen—Academic Dean
School Board Members
Inside this issue:
10-11
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
8th Grade Travels
12
PTO Executive Board
Career Fair
13
3rd Nine Weeks Honor Roll
14
Competition Success
15
President’s Letters
4-5
Steps for Students
6
Auction Success
7
Eucharistic Miracle Exhibit
7
Classroom Learning PE Fun & 100 Days of School
8-9
Tiger Sports
16-17
Distance Learning Begins
18-19
Prayers for All
Elizabeth Quattrucci—President Kelly Hogan– Vice President Cecile Deutschen-Communications VP Sarah Hans—Secretary Anne Stewart—Treasurer Allison Sovany—Past President
Back Cover
ON THE COVER: Jesus, I Trust In You! Artwork by 6th grader, Jack G
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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, In these uncertain times I am constantly being reminded of the kindness and resiliency of this community. Throughout this time many families have reached out to me, the administration and teachers to extend their thanks and offers of help if needed. I am deeply grateful as we come together to face this exceptional time in our school year. The times we are experiencing are unprecedented and each day we learn something whether about ourselves or others as we each face our own adversities. I can only pray that this is shortlived and we will return to our regular routines very soon. This new normal will undoubtedly lead to changes in how we teach and how we interact with each other. From this time will come new ideas and innovations as well as an increase in learning on all sides. Even if we make mistakes they can lead to wonderful new approaches to educating our students and provide our teachers with new procedures to enhance and enrich learning. I hope everyone out there will approach this time with patience and understanding as we move through a very challenging time in the history of this school, city and country. Yours in Christ,
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A Letters from the Presidents Letter from our PTO President Dear Friends, This is my final letter to you as your PTO President and my hope is that this letter finds you well. I am excited to announce that with your generosity and hard work of our Auction chair, Allyson Plummer, along with her fabulous committee led by Sarah Hans, the PTO reached its fundraising goals for the year! Allyson and her committee planned and executed a wonderful night at Armadillo Palace. As you are aware, Auction is PTO’s biggest fundraiser and it is important that we all come together to make this event succeed, and as always, our community came together to make this happen. I thank you for that! This spring, the Career Fair chairs, Michelle Moudry and Elizabeth Keeler were busy enlisting many exciting professionals to come teach our children about the many careers available to them. Career Fair proved successful and our children were able to hear from several guest speakers, some from our very own SVDP community. Thank you, ladies, for providing our children with such an exciting and wonderful week of careers. Our Hospitality chairs, Emily Ahlquist, Maria Beretta and Xioping Wei, work tirelessly each month to organize our monthly teacher birthday celebrations throughout the year, they host the Catholic Schools Week faculty luncheon and orchestrate Teacher Appreciation Week. As a previous hospitality chair, I understand how much work goes into hosting these events and really appreciate all you do for our teachers and staff. I thank you for the hard work you put into making each of these events so special. I want to thank Allison Sovany and the nominating committee for working diligently to slate the 2020-21 PTO board. I would also like to thank everyone who expressed an interest in working with the PTO. Please know that if you are not able to chair a position, there is always a place for you in our organization by being part of the many committees we have, so please let me know if you’d like to get involved or have any questions. I would really like to thank those of you who volunteer and generously support the PTO. Please continue to come out and get involved in the many events we host. Community involvement is a critical component to the success of all of our PTO events and services. I thank you for your continued support. I find it hard to believe that this school year is coming to an end and I wish you all a blessed and wonderful last quarter. If you have any questions about PTO or would like to get involved, please email me at elizabethquattrucci@yahoo.com. With Love, Elizabeth Quattrucci PTO President 2019-20
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Letter from our School Board President What a year! It has been a busy and productive one for the School Board. Much focus has been on financial stewardship and oversight of the challenges that lie ahead with our ambitious school construction projects. Helping guide and advise school policy and operations is a daunting task by any measure and this year more so with the projects at hand. I would like to give sincere thanks and solid props to the school board members who have worked tirelessly this year.The Finance Committee worked hard toward striking a fair balance between operational costs and tuition setting and overseeing general budgetary concerns. The Tech, Facilities and Advancement Committees together coordinated actions to promote the Building Bright Futures campaign and support good outcomes for our new buildings. My very first board meeting as president in September unfortunately coincided with a medical emergency for my family. It took a simple phone call and just a few minutes of explanation for other board members to step forward and take over. The meeting went on as planned and I was able to give my complete attention to tending to my family. That response was all I needed to know that these board members would fully and completely support one another. It was a very good feeling. Since then and throughout the year, we have all worked together sorting through various issues and participating in many discussions to find consensus. Our ongoing commitment is to provide a Catholic education for our children that is both excellent and affordable. As I complete my year as School Board president, I again want to thank my board members from the bottom of my heart. It is with particular joy for me to announce that next year’s Board president will be Angela Seaworth. I can’t think of a better person for this job. Her creative and innovative ideas and approaches bode well for our future. We reflect on our accomplishments of this past year and already look forward to the 20202021 school year. I wish all of you a safe and restful summer. Suggie Casey School Board President
Congratulations to the 2020-21 PTO Board Congratulations to the 2020-21 PTO Board and thank you for your willingness to serve our community! Executive Board: President – Kelly Hogan Vice President/President-Elect – Scott Probst Communications Vice President– Sarah Hans Secretary – Jennifer Shanahan Treasurer – Anne Stewart Volunteer Coordinator – Christina Rumore Lynch
Directors/Chairs:
Auction – Allyson Plummer and Lindsey McElligott Auction Parties – Nicola Killen and Ana Smith Back to School – Cristobal Moreno Book Fair – Jennifer Kuzma and Stephanie Regan Cabrini Festival – Elaine Cufone and Kelly Brassil Enrichment – Alejandra Creixell Pacini and Paolo Gonzalez Hospitality – Xiaoping Wei, Layne Frels and Tunu Magwe Tiger Apparel/Bucks – Tina Johnson Used Uniforms – Inez Serrano, Angelina Corales and Sarah Eddelmon Yearbook - Amanda Akbari and Cathleen Fishel
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BUILDING FAITH & COMMUNITY Steps For Students Success On Feb. 12 representatives of SVdP appeared on KHOU-Channel 11’s Great Day Houston with Deborah Duncan to promote Steps for Students 5K. Ms. Duncan highlighted St. Vincent de Paul’s Coach Jones, Micah Love, and Olympic contender Coach Amere Lattin who were all very involved in the event. Principal Carolyn Sears and Superintendent Debra Haney were in the audience.
SVdP Helps Steps For Students Run Be A Huge Success! Saturday, Feb. 15 saw SVdP students, parents, and staff help make the Steps For Students Run a success. In addition, out of the approximately 1000 participants overall, three SVdP students medaled in their age groups! 4th grade - CeCe B. - 1st Place! 4th grade - Bella F. - 3rd Place! 7th grade - Sophie B. - 2nd Place!
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Thank You from the Auction Committee On behalf of the PTO, we thank all those who supported St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School at our Auction. It was a huge success! Funds raised through Auction will directly impact our children in meaningful ways. An event like this is not possible without the help of many! We want to first recognize all of the sponsors and donors for your generosity. Thank you to the faculty and staff, especially Msgr. Bill and Mrs. Sears, for your continued support. We are truly grateful for our auction committee led by Allyson Plummer, Auction 2020 Chair. Thank you for sharing your time, energy and talents. We appreciate the many parent volunteers who have planned and hosted auction parties and all those who simply said yes when we asked for help.
Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit Eucharistic Miracles Exhibit held in the Church on Friday, February 21 was enjoyed by many of SVdP students.
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BUILDING KNOWLEDGE FUN LEARNING IN MRS. ASSELIN’S SCIENCE CLASS By: Riley V. and Bella F., 4th Grade For this lab we had to find the mass, volume, and density of objects. To find the mass of an object, we put the object on a scale to measure the object’s mass in grams. To find the volume (V) of a square or rectangular object you have to measure the length (L), width (W), and height (H) of an object. Some examples of square or rectangular objects are cereal boxes, books, or tissue boxes. The formula for volume is: V = L x W x H. To find the volume of an irregular object, you must fill a graduated cylinder with water and look at the scale written in mL on the side of the cylinder to see how much water you put in. After finding that measure-
ment, you then place the irregular object (such as a rock) into the water and look at the scale again the water is displaced (Displaced is when you put something in water, the water makes room for the object and the water level rises). You then take that current measurement and subtract the previous measurement from it, thus arriving at the volume of the irregular object. To find the density of an object, you must divide the object’s mass by its volume. Thank you so much, Mrs. Asselin, for teaching us how to find the mass, volume, and density of objects. It was so much fun getting to learn more about science with this hands-on activity!
Fierce & Hungry!! Second graders present their research & dioramas, if their dinosaurs.
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Learning About Erosion in 6th Grade Earth Science By: Will A. and Hayden S., 6th grade In our Earth Science lab, we learned about how erosion occurs and where erosion happens the quickest. We also learned where sediment is deposited the most. We learned that river banks on the outside of a meander (bend in the river) are eroded the most. This is because the fast moving water has a lot of energy. Sediment is then deposited on the inside of the meander and further downstream where the water slows down, or loses energy. We watched water cut through the sand, like how a river would erode a canyon into rock. We also learned that the bends actually cause the river to move from its original coarse because of this erosion and deposition process. This was a really fun learning experience! Thank you Coach Muck for giving us the opportunity to learn while having lots of fun!
Black History Month
2nd graders gave reports on famous black Americans and how they contributed to our country.
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BUILDING KNOWLEDGE Same Ole Same Ole in P.E.? Not at SVdP! By: Sophia W. and Aisha L., 5th Grade How about some cup stacking? Today in P.E., we participated in Speed Cup Stacking. At the beginning of class, Coach Sue told us that speed stacking helped with our hand-eye coordination. She said that the first world-record cup stacking champion started stacking in 3rd grade and later became a professional basketball player because cup stacking helped with her hand-eye coordination. That was a valuable skill for basketball players. This led her to winning many basketball tournaments and eventually she was accepted to a professional basketball team. To start off, we each got 12 cups and practiced a 3-3-3 stack and 3-6-3 stack. In the 3-3-3 stack, we had to make 3 towers of 3 cups each. For 3-6-3, we made 2 stacks of 3 cups on the sides and 1 stack of 6 cups in the middle. We had little competitions, where we would compete against our classmates and try to be the first one to finish the 3-3-3 and 3-6-3. When we were done, we put both hands in the air and yelled TIGERS. After we had practice and mini-competitions, we got into 8 lines. First we did 3-6-3 stacks with regular sized cups, then moved on to the 8 sets of 3 jumbo cups. After that, if you were faster than the other competitors, you moved on to the 5 sets of 3 jumbo cups. If you were 3 of the fastest cup stackers in this round, you moved on to the row where there were only 3 sets of jumbo cups. The first person to finish and touch the last set of cups won. We did this competition 8 times, so we could have a championship game between the winners. The race was the same format and the person to win this part was the best cup stacker of the grade. I can only speak on my part, but I’m sure, just like me, everyone else loved this experience. It was very fun to race against your classmates, and at the same time, you really wanted to be the champion. You could feel the pressure on you, and you could hear the loud echoes of your classmates cheering you on. It was great to see your friends win, but it was an unforgettable experience if you won.
Primary grades celebrated the 100th day of school on Tuesday, January 28.
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March 2 was Go Texans Day! Students dressed western style and there was dancing at P.E.!
Honey Bees Celebrate Mardi Gras
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BUILDING KNOWLEDGE Learning About our Judicial System SVdP 8th Graders Participates in Mock Trial! By Lauren G, 8th Grade My name is Lauren G., and in this year’s mock trial I was a defense attorney. The mock trial and the process leading to the mock trial itself was so much fun. I learned so much about our justice system and how court works. I now understand how hard an attorney must work to succeed and I have a much greater appreciation for attorneys. It was definitely one of the most fun things I have participated in at SVdP.
8th Graders Travel to Washington, DC The St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School class of 2020 visited Washington D.C. February 25 to the 28. The students experienced firsthand museums, monuments, and memorials such as the National Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the World War 2 Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and Arlington Cemetery where the students witnessed the changing of the guard and participated in the laying of the wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. While in D.C. the students also toured the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and participated in Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, with a tour of the Basilica following Mass. In addition, the students toured the Smithsonian American History Museum, the Museum of Natural Science, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The students also had some fun in addition to the educational experiences, with one evening spent bowling and another spent ice skating. It was a great trip!
Chaperone Viewpoint: As the chaperone-parent who tagged along for this trip, it was educational, inspiring, uplifting. It’s a really wonderful group of students, and how very fortunate we are to have such a dedicated and truly caring staff at St. Vincent de Paul School. Thank you Scott Kloesel, Marion Jones, Jana Bogatto, Shelley James and David Hutcheson — for all you do. We survived!! - Jim McGrath
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Career Fair at SVdP
Speakers for Primary Grades: Margarita Golden, Entrepreneur Confectionary Home - Bakery Business Dr. Rachel Boswell and Dr. Abigail Watkins, Veterinarian Westbury Animal Hospital Dr. Patricia Riano Recinos; Dentist Bissonnet Dental
Speakers for Intermediate Grades: Juli Salvaggio, Entrepreneur Owner of Chick Fil A Elaine Cufone, Actress; Rachel Bush, Theatre Department U of H Performing Arts Eric Rowe, Radio Show Executive Producer 104 KRBE Morning Show Dr. Edgar Castro, Scientist NASA Speakers for Middle School: Jim McGrath, Senior Post-White House Spokesperson & Speechwriter for President Bush Dr. Alex Mericli, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Jenny McCarthy, President & CEO Alta Resources Deon Broomfield & Denarius Magee, Houston Texans Football Assistant Coaches Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookshop Kim Pacetti, Graphic Designer, owner of Good Project
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BUILDING SPIRIT Honor Roll—3rd Nine Weeks 8th Grade Principal’s Honors
7th Grade Principal’s Honors
6th Grade Principal’s Honors
Bennett Connelly Katelyn Fiegel Lauren Gentry Katie Lewis Jack Magnus Alexia Nanquil Andrea Nguyen Luke Ritter Lili Shore Deldon Sivakumar Caroline Sovany Luke Visintine th
Benji Adachi Sophia Brodie Sophia Deutschen Paulina Ferrante Alessia Fuentes Mikayla Liebl Catherine McConn Gloria Morales Hannah Polnau Kolbe Stewart Neena Varkey
7th Grade Honors
8 Grade Honors
Anthony Baaklini Andrew Buettgen Jordan Carroll Cade Church Noa Clifford Oxford Colley Ryan Cortez Mikey De Jesus Caroline Franco Dylan Jimenez Sophia Kennedy Henry Leeman Dani Lynch Henry Maytum Caragh McGrath Tristan Newman Hayden Osborne Helena Palinkas Sanches Julia Pinell Julia Polnau Katie Polnau Luke Tholany Townsen Thomas Karolina Tkaczyk James Ulm Knox Vacek
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Sabra Ahlquist John Peter Ascher Sophia Bellard Sophie Bireley Thomas Broussard Jason Butz Champ Courville Cooper Davis Ella Etlinger Bobby Fiore Maddy Johnston Ellie Keeler Gabi Louis Lilly Marino Annie McCarthy Evie Meagher Roberto Pacini Dominic Phan Matthew Read Isabella Recinos Emma Stoett Avery Wheeler
Jeff Angelo Alesna Will Andrews Rachel Curry Lucas Gutierrez Alex Hughes Oliver Karam Khang Le Lee Catherine Monistere Mark Ordonez Tess Pacetti Lauren Rebello Treasa Rice Teddy Shore Bella Stewart Hayden Summers
6th Grade Honors
Lara Chemaly William Condron Margaret Duncan Carter Dunn Jacob Flowers Marin Fowler Gisella Gonzalez Giuliana Gonzalez Jack Guitreau Asher Johnson Claire Johnson Jiya Jose Chloe Kennedy Dominic Marino David Ramirez Natalie Schwartzenburg Benny Valdes
TIGER PRIDE Alex V. Won 1st Place Congratulations to SVdP 4th grader, Alex V. who was chosen as one of the 12 finalists in the Galveston-Houston Archdiocesan sponsored competition: “Catholic Schools Got Talent!” Alex earned finalist standing based on his piano performance of Rapsodia Espanola by Dennis Alexander. This year’s finalists vied for the top three honors consist of singers, dancers, and instrumentalists from eight schools. This is the second annual Catholic Schools Got Talent contest, having been conceived last year by the principal and students at St. Rose of Lima to showcase the talent of our Catholic schools.
The Finalist Competition was held Saturday, February 1st, 7pm at St. Pius X High School. Alex V., won his competition and was awarded a certificate for $250 towards next year’s tuition as a prize for winning the Catholic Schools Got Talent competition.
Quiz Bowl On Saturday, February 8, the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 5-student Quiz Bowl Team took the championship at the Significa event held at St. Pius X High School's Middle School Academic Rally. There were a total of 14 teams in this tournament. The SVdP Team beat every team they faced in the preliminary rounds, the semifinals, and then beat St. Anne Houston in the finals by a score of 150-110. It was an undefeated championship run for the SVdP Quiz Bowl Team! GREAT job, and special thanks to our outstanding coaches Mrs. Jan Berry and Mr. David Hutcheson! Team members are:
Andrew B. Lauren G. Luke R. Champ C. Khang L.
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BUILDING SPIRIT Boys Varsity Basketball Wins GHCAA Championship Congratulations to the SVdP boys varsity basketball team on finishing district undefeated, culminating in a 58-43 win over St. Ambrose in the Greater Houston Catholic Athletic Association (GHCAA) Championship game. Great job!
Lady Tiger Basketball Takes 2nd in GHCAA Congratulations to the SVdP Lady Tiger varsity basketball team for taking 2nd Place in the Greater Houston Catholic Athletic Association (GHCAA). Great job on an outstanding season!
SVdP Softball Wins St. Francis Episcopal School Tournament The St. Vincent de Paul Lady Tiger Softball Team extended their overall record to 9-0 on the season after making a run through the St. Francis Episcopal School Tournament on March 8. Friday, Mar. 6 saw the Lady Tigers defeat Annunciation Orthodox School (AOS) by a score of 1-0. SVdP then followed on Sat., March 7 with a 10-0 win over Presbyterian School and a 3-1 victory over Pershing Middle School, landing them in another tough game for the championship vs. AOS, where the Lady Tigers once again prevailed, this time by a score of 6-5. SVdP players named to the All-Tournament Team were Claire J. (Shortstop), Catherine M. (Pitcher), and Townsen T. (Center field). The Most Valuable Player of the tournament was awarded to the entire St. Vincent de Paul Team! Each player signed the ball that sits in the MVP Glove Trophy! The SVdP Softball Team is coached by: Cassandra Walsh (head coach), and assistant coaches Isreal Chandler and Rodney Thomas.
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TIGER SPORTS First Track Meet of 2020 St. Vincent de Paul students took part in the first track meet of the 2020 season at Barnett Stadium on Saturday, January 29, which saw two SVdP students set records. 7th grader Sophia Bellard set a new record in the long jump, while 8th grader Townsen Thomas set a new record (breaking the one she set last year) in the hurdles. Congratulations to all students who participated in this meet! Special thanks to our outstanding coaches: Coach Jones, Coach Muckelroy, Coach Carodine, Coach O’Neill, Coach Lee, and Coach Duncan.
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BUILDING FAITH
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St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 6802 Buffalo Speedway Houston, Texas 77025-1499 Phone: 713-666-2345 Fax: 713-883-3562
IMPORTANT DATES/EVENTS: March 27 Report Cards May 22 Last Day of School May 29 Report Cards
www.saintvincentschool.org
https://www.facebook.com/svdpschoolhouston