PERFORMING & VISUAL ARTS

Theatre

SFHS theatre productions awed the audience once again this year with the fall play, The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, and annual Christmas Carol production.

Visual Art

1 SFHS artists Sarah Kuchler, Caroline King, and Bella Zielinski took a trip to Robert Lee Fritz Studios in Lombard for a hot glass class with Mrs. Tia Holinger.

2 Yearbook editors Monica Szlaek and Ella Champagne review the 2022 yearbook, which received The National Yearbook Program of Excellence award from Jostens.

3 Peter Williams created an outstanding Semester II final drawing that pictured a school on the moon.

4 Nikki Kelsay '16 had three pieces shown at Side Street Gallery in Elgin and Mrs. Tia Holinger (who helped instill Nikki's love for art when she was a student here) came to see her and her work.

5 Art students celebrated #InternationalDotDay, a global celebration of creativity and art. Thank you students (and Mrs. Holinger and Mrs. Doane!) for bringing this day to life at SFHS.

Upcoming Performing & Visual Arts Events:

Don’t miss these spectacular exhibitions and performances!

Art Showcase: April 13

Jazz Showcase and Dance: April 14

Band Concert: April 26

Choir Concert: April 30

Night of One-Acts: May 5

Rock Show: May 12

Spartans march in the Wheaton Memorial Day Parade: May 29

Summer Musical: June 23-25

Stay tuned for the fall issue of Focus, where we’ll feature photos from the Spring 2023 musical, Footloose (performed March 16-19, 2023).

BAND & CHOIR

SFHS RECORD: 11 ILMEA SELECTIONS

We are so proud of our ILMEA AllDistrict musicians - there were a record 11 selections this year from SFHS! In November, the jazz band performed in the ILMEA Jazz Festival and choir, band, and orchestra selections performed at the ILMEA Senior Festival.

Jazz Band

Robert Barnhisel, Cale Easter, AJ Jania, Tim Kasprzak, Matt Marsico, Shannon Walgren

Choir

Carter Riggs, Gaby Rodriguez, Ella Schroeder

Band

Tim Kasprzak

Orchestra

Matthew Lemke

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT BRINGS OUT TALENT, CHEER

The annual Christmas Concert, which is free and open to the community, featured outstanding performances filled with Christmas cheer from the SFHS bands, choir, and orchestra.

ALL-STATE MUSICIANS SHANNON & CARTER

Shannon Walgren and Carter Riggs were both named All-State musicians and performed in the Illinois Music Education Conference in January.

IHSA

SOLO & ENSEMBLE

The SFHS Music Department (choir, band, and orchestra combined) placed first in the IHSA Solo & Ensemble Competition on Saturday, March 4! SFHS entered more than 140 events at the competition overall.

For the fourth year in a row, the SFHS Choir placed first in the vocal competition - additionally, orchestra placed fourth and band placed fifth in their respective competitions!

Rock Band Performs At Ihsa Basketball Finals

The SFHS Music Ensemble (Rock Band) was selected to perform at the 2023 IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals on March 11.

College Advice Shared at Inaugural Alumni Panel

In January, current SFHS juniors and seniors enjoyed hearing from SFHS alums

Tommy Bratthauar ’22, Michael Brdecka ’20, Mirabella French ’20, and Gabby Hernandez ’21, in our inaugural Spartan Alumni Panel. The alums graciously volunteered their time to answer questions and share about their college experience with their fellow Spartans.

Questions ranged from how to write the best admissions essay to what clubs the students are involved in at their respective schools.“It’s important to be honest with yourself about what you want out of college,” Mirabella said. Michael added that he began his college career at Loyola Chicago then pivoted to the University of Iowa after learning that he liked visiting the city, but living in it was a different story. Tommy advised the students to use their teachers as resources when writing their college essays and Gabby encouraged them to remember to stay genuine and talk about what differentiates them from others.

We are grateful to these four fantastic alums and plan to make this event an annual resource for our students.

Thank you!

Tommy Bratthauar ’22

St. Norbert College: Business Administration

Michael Brdecka ’20

University of Iowa: Political Science

Mirabella French ’20

University of Loyola Chicago: Marketing with Broadcast Journalism

Gabby Hernandez ’21 Duke University: Computer Science and Statistics

Emily England ’20: Studying Materials Engineering at MSU

Emily recently received the Goldwater Scholarship and a grant to study in Madrid

Emily England ’20, now in her third year at Michigan State University (MSU) studying Materials Engineering, was recently selected as one of four MSU students for the Goldwater Scholarship. The prestigious scholarship is awarded to students pursuing a research career in natural science, mathematics, or engineering, and have a GPA of at least 3.0.

Emily was also the recipient of a grant to do research in Madrid, Spain, in fall 2021 thanks to a recommendation from one of her professors. Emily said it was a “coming of age experience.”

“I was so far from home but I was able to thrive and find my way around,” she said. “It made me realize I’m more capable than I thought I could be. If I can spend six weeks away in a foreign country, I realized I could step out of myself. It was surreal.”

In Madrid, she worked with biomaterials and modifications that would make them more compatible with the body.

“Biomaterials is a great area of research,” she said. “If you think about a hip replacement, you want it to be compatible with the body’s environment. If the artificial hip is made of a material that isn’t just compatible but can even interact favorably and help heal the body or promote bone growth, it can make the body even healthier.”

Emily always thrived in math and science but it was during her sophomore year of high school that she was introduced to material science.

“It got me thinking how everything is made of something,” she said. “Materials are all around us, from the plastic in your water bottle to seals on bridges. But they also compose us. The enamel on our teeth is a ceramic and the skin on our body is a polymer. So I think of how we can use our knowledge of materials and how we manufacture them toward health care.”

Emily said the academic rigor at SFHS prepared her for college and helped make her a more well-rounded student. She was also an active spARTan and painted one of the murals near the school’s atrium with Vicki

Lambert ‘20, who she said is still one of her best friends.

“We worked on it for three months together, and I’m really proud to know that people walk past it and see it every day,” she said.

Looking ahead, Emily said she wants to attend graduate school and then go into industry-based research. Emily’s siblings, Kate ’17 and Tom ’21, also attended SFHS.

Kathie Carroll ’64 Nash Joins SFHS Students in Service

Alum shares how SFHS cultivated faith, career in hospice

Kathie Carroll ’64 Nash was reacquainted with SFHS this winter as she joined students at a Faith & Fellowship service opportunity. She even wore her 1964 alumni sweatshirt to show her continued Spartan pride. “I felt an incredible energy from the students,” Kathie said. “It was so much fun to be with them and see teenagers come together when something is needed. They just glowed.”

At the event, hosted in partnership with Saint Catherine of Siena-Saint Lucy Church and St. Giles Church in

Kathie’s Memories of SFHS

My sisters and I still sing the songs we sang with Mother Regina. My love of music was born in high school. I grew in self-esteem, understood I had some brains, and grew in socializing while holding on to my faith. My faith grew so much more than I imagined it could – with those years being the seeds that would lead to the flower.

Oak Park, students decorated and enjoyed Christmas treats with residents of mental health rehabilitation facilities.

John Schuller, SFHS Religion Teacher, said more than 50 students served through various events at the centers during the first semester, thanks to the help of Faith & Fellowship Coordinator, Connie Rakitan.

During this event, Kathie said they laughed and sang, and that the students truly understood the dynamics and meaning of the service activity. “To hear student-led prayer was beautiful. It was heart-filled prayer,” she said.

In addition to her sweatshirt, she brought along her 1964 yearbook to show the students. “The kids loved seeing the old hairstyles and uniforms, and we mapped out how different the building looked,” she said. Kathie, now 76, said it was during her time at SFHS that she knew she wanted to give back to the world. “There was an altruism that was seeded in my family, but it blossomed at St. Francis,” she said.

Reflections of SFHS Faith & Fellowship Students

Rick Philip, Order of Friars Minor and a Field Ed student at the Catholic Theological Union Field Ed student wrote in the St. Catherine- St. Lucy and St. Giles bulletin: Recently I was gifted with the opportunity to experience Scripture in real-time … The students from St. Francis High School in Wheaton – the ‘Spartans’ – prepared, served, and cleaned up turkey dinner for us in the Rectory dining room at St. CatherineSt. Lucy. With it, they brought the light of service to our hearts. They were a fresh reminder of what it means to be Christian, and these Spartans brought us an abundant example of what it means to be grateful.

Faith & Fellowship Catechists, Partners, and Parishioners shared: passed away at age 35 from were unable to say go on to major in Sociology at Mundelein College in Chicago. But after a stint of teaching third grade and taking a career pause to raise her two sons, Kathie then decided to go back to school to become a nurse. was the beginning of a 35-year career. “I was drawn to it and had a vision of what it could be,” she said. she said – and it stuck

These energetic teens were incredibly eager to help… We all left with a hopeful heart inspired by their kind spirits. They worked hard. The Holy Spirit continues to renew the face of the earth with this group of students.

Kathie grew up in a family of nine siblings. Her mother passed away at age 35 from cancer when Kathie was a teenager. Tragically, her three youngest siblings were unable to say goodbye to their mother because, at that time, hospitals only allowed visitors over the age of 12. “I remember thinking ‘this is so wrong,’” she said – and it stuck with her years later. In the 1964 yearbook, she lists her “Ambition” as “Social Worker,” and she did

“I began reading books about the grieving process and doctors started putting dying patients on my floor because I was comfortable with them. I would take my charts to their bedside and sit with them,” she remembered.

When her brother-in-law was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she and her sister (also a nurse) essentially provided hospice care for him, and it reminded her of the contrast with her mother’s experience. Inspired, she began working at Bellwood Community Nursing Service which was one of the earliest hospice programs in Illinois. It

As the program grew, and developed a more formalized process, Kathie was selected to go to a major Chicago hospital to replicate the program there –the same hospital where her mother died. “It felt like a circle,” she said. “It felt good to help families like we weren’t helped at that time.”

Kathie remembers her mother for her devout faith and said her family prioritized Catholic education – even as a large family without much discretionary money.

“I enjoyed the religion classes and prayer time, and I think if I had gone to public school, I wouldn’t have experienced the spiritual and social justice dimension that came to be a big part of my life.”

Alumni Employment and Life Event Updates

13 Alumni Basketball

Seeing our alumni basketball players at our January Basketball Alumni Nights was a slam dunk. Thanks for joining us!

14 Harper In D.C.

SFHS

Performing & Visual Arts Alumni Updates

7

Sports and Faculty Alumni Updates

12 Alumni Volleyball

In September, four alumni volleyball teams came back to SFHS, the state champions of 2012, 2002, 1997, and 1992. To add to the festivities, Coach Lisa Ston was recognized for 150 career wins!

2022 Reunions

1961 – 61st Reunion

The Class of ‘61 gathered on October 14 for an off-year reunion at Reserve 22.Dan Verbeck ’61 and Kathy Stenquist ’61 Hartwig planned the event.

1962 – 60th Reunion

Maureen Carroll ’62 Boyle and Bobbi Bergeron ’62 Aschauer organized their reunion at Cooper’s Corner on October 1.

1967 – 65th Reunion

Seventeen members of the Class of ‘67 enjoyed each other’s company on October 1 at Ellyn's Tap.

1972 – 50th Reunion

Kathy White ’72 Olson planned the Class of ’72 reunion on September 17. Classmates gathered from near and far on a beautiful fall night under the tent at Ivy Restaurant and donated over $1,200 to SFHS.

1980 – 42nd Reunion

The Class of ‘80 gathered at Cooper’s Corner on September 17 for a delayed 40th reunion planned by Mary Russo ’80 Herrmann.

1982 – 40th Reunion

Julie Sawko ’82 Read and Anne Scanlon '82 Morton planned a fun 40th at alum John Hamel’s restaurant, Pal Joey’s, on October 1. The evening was filled with memories and laughs.

1992 – 30th Reunion

With the help of Emily McNulty '92 Garrity, Kate Michel '92 Kowalski, and Aimee Holper '92 Racky, the Class of ‘92 gathered on October 15 in the SFHS Slant Dome and donated over $400 to SFHS.

2002 – 20th Reunion

The Class of ‘02 gathered on September 17 in the SFHS Slant Dome for a reunion led by Meghann Melka ’02 Ferguson and Tim Blake ’02. They enjoyed a school tour from Peg Kopec and donated over $450 to SFHS.

2007 – 15th Reunion

The Class of ‘07 held a backyard bash and raised over $450 for the Megan E. Boken Memorial Scholarship Fund. Thanks to Megan Lynch ’07 Nagel for planning.

2012 – 10th Reunion

The Class of ‘12 celebrated their 10th in Chicago at Timothy O’Toole’s on November 5. Over 35 classmates gathered with the help of reunion planners, Sarah O’Connell ’12 and Allison Slattery ’12.

Upcoming Reunions

Class of 1965:

65 Years - October 21, 2023, at Nuova Italia, St. Charles: Contact organizer Maureen Crowley ‘65 Rogina at marogina@sbcglobal.net.

Class of 1971:

70th Birthday - October 6 and 7, 2023, at Ki's Restaurant and the Wheaton VFW: Contact organizer Bob Krzyzewski ’71 at drbobk6@gmail.com.

Class of 1973: 50 Years - more information coming soon! Contact planners Jesse Rodriguez '73 Felix and Donna Barron '73 Ballentine at jhawkfelix@gmail.com and donnalb17@ yahoo.com.

Class of 1983: 40 Years - more information coming soon! Contact planner Dennis Lord '83 at dennis.l.lord@lmco.com.

Class of 1993: 30 Years - Save the date for September 23, 2023! Contact planner Jim Lloyd '93 at jlloyd5150@gmail.com.

Class of 2003: 20 Years - Save the date for September 23, 2023! Contact planner Sharon Plucinski '03 Powers and Emily Darin '03 Miller at spowerski@gmail.com and emilyannmiller2015@gmail.com.

Calling all classes from the '3s and '8s! If you are interested in planning your reunion, please reach out to Becky Feltes '97 Fischesser at bfischesser@sfhscollegeprep. org. We are here to help!