VOLUME VOLUME19 19ISSUE ISSUE44
SPRING2016 2016 SPRING
From the principal Dear Parents, It is hard to believe that we are in the final weeks of the school year. However, we have many things that will keep us busy right up to the end of school. The new Superintendent of Catholic Schools changed the schedule for Standardized Testing this year. Those tests will be administered within the next few weeks. All students in grades K-8 are required to participate in the testing which is designed to measure student progress as well as evaluate the effectiveness of our curriculum. Please encourage your children to do their very best. A good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast help tremendously in this effort. We had a large pool of new family applicants for the 2016-2017 school year. St. Vincent de Paul continues to attract good families who are very supportive of the school throughout their many years here.
We had an excellent acceptance rate for our 8th graders in to high school. We will be meeting with the admission director from St. Agnes Academy to introduce our middle school teachers, review our curriculum and better insure that we are indeed preparing out students for acceptance in the high school of their choice. Our new fine arts building is ready for occupancy. We have been working with the city on the final fire inspection. By the time you read this we will be in the new space and fully operating. It is a beautiful project which will contribute to the strengthening of our already strong music and art programs.
are deeply grateful for your support. I encourage all of you to remain in touch with your child’s teach as we wrap up this school year. If a problem arises the first step is to address it with the teacher. If the problem is not resolved then reach out to the administration. The objective is to resolve situations at the lowest level. I wish an enjoyable spring! Yours in Christ, Carolyn Sears M.Ed.
Thank you to the PTO for hosting such a fabulous Auction Gala. Funds raised will be dedicated to the school endowment, Adopt-AStudent program and other special projects which will enrich your children’s education. A lot of hard work went in to this event and we
PTO Executive Board President: Kelly Hogan Vice President: Esmer Vale Communications VP: Rachel Parten Secretary: Cecile Deutschen Treasurer: Gentine Meagher Past President: Teresa Bogatto
Hospitality: Graciana Linardi and Janelle Reinoso Party Packs: Tracy Butz and Megan Leif Performing Arts: Rachel Bush Public Relations: Lucy Anderson Room Parent Coordinator: Jennifer Raymond Sports Parent Coordinators: Mary Callaghan, Andrea Vessels, Margaret Vinson Style Show: Gloria Mattiuzzi-Alvarez, Tina Swartz and PTO Directors Milú Vera Auction & Gala: Erin Ayers, Wendy Johnston and Tiger Bucks: Phuong Liebl Shannon Ramirez Tiger Market: Vivian Scott and Faith Sepe Auction Elect: Christina Lynch and Allison Sovany Tiger's Mouth: Lynn Crow Back to School: Tiffany Moreno and Jill Pollard Used Uniforms: Lori Etlinger and Debbie Fraker Book Fair: Yolanda O'Malley and Laura Rocha Yearbook: Kymberly Venker and Rebecca OliverBreakfast with Santa: Olguita Santiago-Rodriguez and Bromenshenkel Patricia Sayegh Career Fair: Beatriz Ballerini and Jennifer Visitine Enrichment: Elizabeth Keeler PAGE 2
From the PTO President Dear Parents,
credible 2016-17 PTO Board.
We did it! With your generosity, and the work of the “Havana Nights 2016” Gala and Auction committee, we were able to meet and exceed our fundraising goals for this school year. Erin Ayers, Wendy Johnston and Shannon Ramirez, their Auction committee, and numerous parent and faculty volunteers contributed to an outstanding gala. The festive evening included many well-dressed guests, a beautiful tribute to our honorees, great food, finds and fun. A great time was had by all!
Congratulations to Cecile Deutschen (VP/President-Elect), Laura Rocha (Communications VP), and Jan Reinoso (Secretary), who will be joining Esmer Vale (incoming President), Gentine Meagher (Treasurer) and me (soon-tobe Past President) on the Executive Board for the 2016-17 school year. Please see the 2016-17 PTO Board listing in this edition of the Tiger’s Mouth, and join me in congratulating the incoming members. There are many opportunities to get involved and I want to extend my thanks to everyone who has expressed a desire to serve.
The PTO uses funds raised to assist the school in covering a portion of the operating expenses, in addition to funding retention bonuses and Christmas bonuses for the faculty and staff. With these needs met, we are now in the fortunate position to partner with Mrs. Sears and our school board to designate the remaining unallocated funds towards strategic school enhancements. More information to come…
It’s hard to believe how quickly this year is wrapping up! I wish you a wonderful last quarter of the school year. In gratitude, Kelly Hogan PTO President 2015-2016
Since our last issue, our PTO Past President and Nominating Committee Advisor, Teresa Bogatto, has been hard at work guiding our nominating committee through the nominations process. Thank you to Stephanie Bourg, Karen Haysley, Monica Smith, Carrie Schwartzenburg, Dani Bass, and Elisabeth Yoder for working tirelessly to slate an in-
School Board News Congratulations on completing the 3rd quarter of the 2015 -2016 school year. We hope everyone had a wonderful Spring Break and is reenergized to finish the school year. The FACTS tuition management program will be implemented for the 2016-2017 school year. The program will make tuition and fee payments easier for families. Parents can expect a smooth and less manual process for paying tuition and fees. While vetting FACTS, we received unanimous praise from local schools which already use the system. If you have any questions please contact Tiffany Johnson at all4gators@gmail.com, Theresa Loh, or Pat Rutz. The School Board Committees have been busy focusing on the following efforts: The Advancement Committee announced the 20152016 Annual Fund has received $400K in gifts and pledges and 91% family participation to date. The committee is looking to expand our donor base beyond parents of our school. We continue to extend our gratitude for everyone’s support of this vital funding program. The Student Affairs Committee continues to utilize Beta Club members as greeters at 9:00 am and 11:00 am Sunday Masses. The Parent-Student Handbook is currently undergoing revisions for the upcoming school year. The handbook will be an online only version for the 2016-2017 school year.
The Finance Committee completed its budget for the 2016-2017 school year. The increase in tuition has been kept to a minimum due to the success of the Annual Fund, prudent fiscal management, and PTO support of projects.
The School Board is committed to being as transparent as possible and is publishing its monthly meeting reports and presentations on Edline as well. The School Board meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday at 7:30am. The meetings are open to those who request attendance in advance (except occasional confidential discussions). If you would like to address the School Board with an issue, please contact Joe Louis at joetlouis@gmail.com. Executive Committee Joe Louis – President and Finance/Technology/ Advancement Committees Tiffany Johnson – VP/President Elect and Finance Chair Jennifer Rosenfeld – Secretary and Finance Committee Committee Assignments Tom Bickham – Technology Chair Frank Hogan – Advancement Chair Katherine Macey – Student Affairs/Communications Chair Ray Simpson – Extracurricular Chair Dan Berggren – Technology and Finance Committees Heather Montoya – Finance and Advancement Committees Kelly Hogan – PTO President and Advancement Committee
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PTO BOARD 2016-17 Congratulations to next year’s PTO Board. Thank you for your service. PTO Executive Board President: Esmer Vale Vice President/President-Elect: Cecile Deutschen Communications Vice President: Laura Rocha Secretary: Jan Reinoso Treasurer: Gentine Meagher Past President: Kelly Hogan
PTO Directors Auction: Christina Lynch and Allison Sovany Back to School: Claire Hughes and Tara Monistere Book Fair: Rachel Bush and Elizabeth Quattrucci
Breakfast with Santa: Shannon Sweeney Cabrini Festival: Carmen Fitzpatrick Enrichment: Elizabeth Keeler Hospitality: Mary Fitzgerald and Mireille Marino Party Packs: Debbie Fraker and Yadira Parker Performing Arts: Olguita Santiago-Rodriguez Public Relations: Lucy Anderson Room Parent Coordinator: Claire Saks-Iverson Sports Representative: Mary Roy Style Show: Diane Bevers, Michelle Bickham, and Anna Osborn Tiger Bucks: Chad Mason Tiger Market: Vivian Scott and Faith Sepe Used Uniforms: Jennifer Luke and Pamela Randle Yearbook: Kimberly Buettgen and Rebecca OliverBromenshenkel
ANNUAL FUND NEWS Thank you to the following parents for applying for matching gifts to double or triple their Annual Fund contributions. In 2015-2016, the following companies have contributed close to $60,000, a 20% increase from the previous school year, to the school’s Annual Fund. Every dollar to the Annual Fund goes directly back to support our students this school year. Rob Asher, Shell Rafael Bacigalupo, Occidental Petroleum David Besselman, Chevron Mary Bonura, Chevron Daniel Broussard, Chevron Christine Carbo Marziotti, Phillips 66 Susanne Cenatiempo, Alliance Bernstein Cindy Church, Chevron Anna Courville, Occidental Petroleum Kirk Culotta, Novartis Kathy Davis, AIG Winn Davis, CDK Alvaro De Lucas, UBS Financial Services Michael Doyle, GE
Kathy Elmore, Arthur J. Gallagher and Co. Ted Etlinger, AIG Josh and Julie Flowers, Chevron Tiffany Johnson, Chevron Antonio Kawage, Shell Karen Kramer, NOV Cam Le, Shell Josemaria Linardi, Shell Nour Londono-Salmen, Shell Jeff McCurry, Merrill Lynch Greg & Rebecca -Bromenshenkel, Shell Ben Raymond, Medtronic Pam Randle, Shell Mike Robson, Baker Hughes Peggy Santry, Shell Carrie Schwartzenburg, Raspberry Rose Michelle Stewart, EOG Resources John Sullivan, Shell Andres Swartz, BOA Jeanette Tran, Cardinal Health Jennifer Visintine, Schneider Electric Steve Visintine, Chevron Colleen Walsh, SAP Tessa Ward, Pfizer
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AUCTION
AND
GALA 2016, HAVANA NIGHTS
Thank you to our fantastic SVdP community for making the 2016 Auction such a success! It was a fantastic "Night In White" and we're thrilled to announce we surpassed our fundraising goals. Preliminary numbers indicate we raised $225,000 for the school and $27,700 for "Paddles Up for Tiger Tech". The school has already
ordered six new ActivPanels with the Paddles Up funds. They will be in classrooms and ready for students to use right away. And a special thank you goes to our amazing Auction Chairs, Erin Ayers, Wendy Johnston, and Shannon Ramirez!
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STYLE SHOW
AND
"The Places You'll Go" is the theme for the 8th Grade Style Show and Luncheon, to be held Sunday, May 1st at the Houston Hilton Post Oak Hotel. Join us as we bid a very special farewell to our Class of 2016, and as we honor Mr. Stephe Shaw, teacher extraordinaire, with the "2016 Legacy of Excellence Award". This award is presented to a person who has given tirelessly to the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Community. Mr. Shaw began teaching at SVdP as a fifth grade teacher, he then took on the challenge of Destination Imagination making it a success for several years. After almost a decade, Mr. Shaw continues to provide outstanding support to our parents, students and teachers. He truly touches everyone in our school community. This special event is not one to miss. Mimosas and silent auction begin at 11:00am. The Fashion Show starts promptly at 12:00pm and features eighth grade students, their siblings and Mr. Shaw modeling fabulous fashions from Dillard’s. A seated lunch follows at 1:00pm. The event will end with an awards ceremony at 2:00pm. Whether you have an eighth grader or younger children who have looked up to the Class of 2016 as teammates, Big Buddies, or friends, please consider attending. Invitations have been distributed, so hurry and make your reservations now. Underwriting levels begin at $1,200 and individual tickets are also available. $75/adults and $45/child. Please contact Gloria Mattiuzi-Alvarez, Tina Swartz or Milu Meouchi-Vera with any questions.
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LUNCHEON
PRINCIPAL’S HONORS AND HONORS 8th Grade Principal’s Honors Alisha Collaco Sarah Cunningham William Dickason Nathaniel Fernandes Mimi Reidy Claire Sullivan Sarah Sullivan 8th Grade Honors Chloe Alff Peyton Butler Robert Condron Jacob Fiegel Hollis Gasper William Hearne Lily Iero Yara Karam Alex Lopez Dominique Nanquil Allison Polnau Sophia Quintanilla Jack Ramirez Caimen Schneider Andrew Tayar Maria Tellez Anjali Tholany Justin Varkey Annika Vinson
7th Grade Principal’s Honors Blair Bath Bryce Bogatto Emily Clark Elise Cunningham Jillian Hermoso Sara Price Sophia Rebello Savannah Ward 7th Grade Honors Taggart Atwood Isabella Ballerini Robert Bambace Michael Bevers Mark Brito Tyler Carbo Dylan Fitzgibbon Maddie Kaelin Lexie Oliver Brianne Raymond Eve Rosenfeld Nicole Rosenfeld Ryan Santry Peyton Sobiesk Caroline Tanner Abigail Tran
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6th Grade Principal’s Honors Katie Berggren Luisa Sofia Iero Leonardo Morales Teresa Nieto 6th Grade Honors Alex Buettgen Amanda Butz Katherine Colley Caterina Cruces Isabelle Louis Erin Lynch Annie McConn Sofia O’Malley Sam Read Gabriela Rodriguez Luke Schwartzenburg Elizabeth Swarts Tosha Tkaczyk Shawn Varkey Caleb Vinson Lexi Visintine
8TH GRADE TRIP
TO
WASHINGTON, D.C. Braving wind, rain and near-freezing temperatures, the Class of 2016 covered ample ground in our nation's capitol. The annual 8th grade field trip provided a fantastic and unforgettable learning opportunity for the students, including visits to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the White House, the Capitol Building, Mount Vernon, the National Archives, the American History Museum, the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the National Gallery of Art, the Newseum, the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Martin Luther King Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the FDR Memorial, and the World War II Memorial. They also visited Arlington National Cemetery, where four students had the honor of laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Amidst all the touring, the students also found time for some recreation, including ice skating at Pentagon Row Skate Plaza and dinner at the Hard Rock CafĂŠ.
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DESTINATION IMAGINATION The St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School Destination Imagination teams made a strong showing at the Gulf Coast Regional Competition at Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas on February 27. The middle school team won first place in the category "In Plain Sight." The intermediate school team won third place in the "Get a Clue" category and the primary school team put on a great performance in the Rising Stars category "Change in Direction." The Destination Imagination program is a fun, hands-on system of learning that fosters creativity, courage and curiosity through open-ended academic challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), fine arts and service learning. Students present the results of their challenges at regional competitions and the winners advance to a statewide competition in April. All three teams have been preparing for the competition since September.
SEVENTH
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EIGTH GRADE MOCK TRIAL
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SPORTS GIRLS BASKETBALL On February 6, the St. Vincent de Paul girl's JV basketball won first place and the 6th grade team won at the St. Mary's tournament. Kiki Bass and Katie Berggren were awarded Coach's Award and Jane Culwell was named tournament Most Valuable Player.
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School and Parish participated in the 11th Annual Steps for Students 5K Run/ Walk on Saturday morning. Over 12,545 students, parents, religious and faculty ran or walked the downtown Houston course with 266 members of the SVdP community participating. Captain and Co-Chair Mr. Claus Sorensen and Co-Chair Mr. Raffaele Sepe helped raise over $12,000 in support of Catholic education at over thirteen inner-city schools, including support for SVdP's sister school, St. Peter the Apostle.
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GUAYAQUIL MISSION GALA For many years now the St. Vincent de Paul parish and school community have supported a Mission in Guayaquil Ecuador. The other St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School is not as fortunate as we are in regard to educational resources, healthcare and nutrition. We have provided school supplies, books, uniforms and athletic equipment to the children there for many years. However, the need is great. The Guayaquil school also helps in assisting families to become more self-sufficient within their own community. Many things that we take for granted are simply not available to the children and their families. Thanks to the generosity of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word the community now has a sewage system and running water which
has improved the quality of life tremendously. On April 23, 2016 the annual Guayaquil Mission Gala will be held here at St. Vincent de Paul. SVdP seventh grade students have helped serve at the dinner for many years. It is one of our most important service projects. Please consider attending and sponsoring a table. If you cannot, no gift is too small. Sponsorship information is now posted to Edline. If you have questions regarding donations to the silent auction, gift cards or can offer to help with the setup for the dinner you can contact sea-elcarmen.org, Claire Lynch at clynch17@sbcglobal.net or Paulina McGrath at paulina.mcgrath@gmail.com. Thank you on behalf of the children at the Guayaquil Mission.
IMPORTANT YEARBOOK NEWS If you purchased a yearbook dedication the deadline to submit the content has been extended to April 15, 2016. For your convenience, we have an online form which will allow you to easily submit your information online, including instructions on how to send digital photo(s). This form will provide the necessary details for your dedication. The form can be found at https://svdpyearbook.wufoo.com/ forms/m5tkxiq1olobim/ or http://www.saintvincentschool.org/tigers-roar-yearbook.
form with your personal message to be used in your dedication. The photo will be added once we receive them from the photographer. Please indicate that you are using the professional photographer’s photo by checking a box on the online yearbook dedication information form. If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca OliverBromenshenkel or Kymberly Venker at svdpyearbookstaff@gmail.com.
If you purchased a dedication for your second grader who will celebrate First Communion and would like to use the professional photographer’s photo, you still must submit a
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