Ministrāre Magazine - Spring 2019

H O LY S P I R I T P R E PA R AT O R Y S C H O O L M A G A Z I N E

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SPRING 2019

ministrāre

SAVE THE

DATE IN FAITH AND SERVICE 6 Reinvigorating the Rosary 8 Good Shepherds 10 A Fond Farewell 13 New Campus Ministers 14 ‘Into the Deep’ 16 Serving Sierra Leone 19 Embracing the Season of Giving through Service

ACADEMICS 21 STEAM Journey 24 Mrs. Jimenez Explores

Faith and Astronomy 26 Spring Break Sojourn 30 “A True Middle School”

conte

T A B L E

O F

ACCOLADES 32 Swim Wins Second State Title 32 Middle School Soccer Wins 2nd GISA Invitational 32 Varsity Girls Earn 1st State Title 33 Chess Defends State Title for Third Year 33 Literary Students Take 1st at State 33 Mathletes Win Inaugural Competition 33 Art Students Win Dogwood Throwdown

Saturday, February 8, 2020 Cherokee Town Club

ON THE FIELD

ALUMNI

34 Fund Run Raises $14,000+

44 Alumni Profile: Joseph Seta

36 Academic Soccer Sweeps End-of-Season Tournaments

46 Alumni Profile: Mercedes Lewis

37 From Cougar to Bulldog

50 Alumni Profile:

Agrippina Earns Fulbright Assistantship 51 Alumni Profile:

NYC FC sign Juan Pablo Torres

HAT TOSS

52 Class Notes

38 A Lifetime at Holy Spirit Prep

54 Alumni Soccer Game and Picnic

40 Our 20 Under 20 Honorees

55 Giving to Holy Spirit Prep

42 CeDaniel Dreams Big

ents

As I write this letter, our Upper School students are finishing their final exams, our seniors are on their capstone trip to Rome, and we are wrapping up the last month of the school year – May, the month of Mary. As we increase our devotion to our Blessed Mother, we know that we cannot help but be drawn closer to the heart of her son, Jesus. We open this issue of Ministrâre with a feature on all the ways we devote ourselves to Mary, particularly in our devotion to Mary as the Pilgrim Queen.

This past December, my own family volunteered to participate in this new devotion, which accompanies rosaries said on campus. At the end of a Lower School rosary, my family received a statue of Mary the Pilgrim Queen, which we placed in a central place in our home. Meghan and I committed to praying together with our children, Cora, Evan, and Landon, in front of the image each day, discussing our day and the prayer intentions we had in our hearts. It was one of the most powerful times of prayer we have shared together as a family.

I look forward to seeing this devotion grow in the years ahead.

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We are always seeking to strengthen the Catholic identity of our school, drawing our students closer to Christ and celebrating the traditions of our Catholic faith. In this issue, you can read about a team of Preschool teachers training in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a powerful program of spiritual formation and education for our youngest students that seeks to draw them into friendship with Christ through a carefully-crafted, Montessori-inspired exploration of Scripture stories and the artifacts of our Catholic faith.

In this issue, we celebrate the ways our faculty live out our Catholic mission through service and through study. Dr. Archie Deen, our Upper School social sciences teacher, has long been an educational advocate for his native Sierra Leone. In this issue, we feature his efforts to advance the professional capacity of Sierra Leone’s educators through an organization he founded called Teach for Development Sierra Leone. We also mark the ways our own students have sought to support his work.

A MESSAGE FROM THE

Head of School

We note the recent scholarship of Upper School science teacher Karen Jimenez, who was invited by the Vatican Observatory to explore the intersection of faith and science in a workshop hosted at their facilities.

Our Catholic identity is foundational to who we are as a school. It informs every aspect of our programs, and I believe we integrate it with distinction. Over the years, we have made friends at other Catholic schools across the country, educators who share our devotion to grounding education in Catholic moral formation and who are personally committed to striving for personal sanctity. In this issue, you can read about how we have, together with these schools, founded a collaborative of schools we’re calling Duc in Altum, a vehicle for sharing wisdom and resources on how to execute this worthy mission.

I am also proud of our recent graduates, who exemplify our mission as a Catholic school. This year, we had the largest graduating class in the school’s history – fifty-three

graduates – and the largest segment of “lifers,” students who have been enrolled at Holy Spirit Prep since Preschool or Kindergarten. Seventeen graduates have benefited from the complete runway of formation, starting in our Preschool through our Lower School and into our Upper School. They are already thriving entrepreneurs and award-winning artists, state champion swimmers and chess players – and they join a remarkable roster of alumni you can read about in this issue who are living out our mission across the world, in the sciences and arts, in education and athletics. They are the best witness that our mission is indeed a worthy one, bearing fruit in the world for the glory of the Church.

God bless you,

Kyle M. Pietrantonio

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Reinvigorating the Rosary: INCREASING OUR DEVOTION TO OUR LADY

“My brother’s sick,” one boy says. Another hand pops up, “For my mom.” A flicker of hands pop up and students offer their petitions for a class Rosary: an end to abortion, friends fighting cancer, for students traveling on a class trip. It’s a common sight at the Lower School, where Marian devotion has flourished in recent years.

Every morning, students pray Hail Marys together during morning prayer. For years now, they have ended Masses with a series of Hail Marys. Last year, the Lower School added a monthly school Rosary to the calendar, led by 6th grade, now 7th grade students. Class rosaries were added during October, the month of the Rosary, and May, the month of Mary. “The class rosaries are great because everyone has a role,” Lower School Principal Mr. Schultz said. “The students can lead the Rosary and add their own petitions in a comfortable environment.”

Now, other Rosary devotions are emerging at the Lower School, notably, the Marian procession. This devotion comes from the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, where they host a procession every night. The 19thcentury tradition is in honor of the apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette Soubirous in a grotto on the banks of the Gave de Pau river. The image of Our Lady told Bernadette to “come here in procession” and build a chapel at the grotto, where the sanctuary now stands.

Last May, students and faculty processed around the Lower School parking lot, carrying a statue of Mary and praying the Rosary. We invited our families to participate in this devotion the following October on a Friday night. “We went around the building with the statue of Mary while holding blessed candles and ended in the chapel, which was close to

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full of parents and students,” recalled Mr. Schultz.

Rosary devotions have spread to our Upper School and Preschool, too. Some families brought the image of Our Lady into their homes, a special devotion to Mary called Pilgrim Queen of the Family.

Families who sign up committed to placing the image of Our Lady in a central place in their home, and regularly praying a Rosary together in front of it. The Pilgrim Queen prayer kit comes with a Rosary and a booklet explaining how to pray the Rosary, which were blessed at the Basilica of Guadalupe.

The Pilgrim Queen has been transferred between families at Lower School Rosaries and at Upper School Connections Rosaries. Every two weeks at the Preschool, students led

by Mrs. Clara sing “Immaculate Mary” while the traveling image of Our Lady passes to a new family, creating a community of faith and continuous prayer.

Sharing the Rosary has become increasingly important to administrators, students, and parents organizers like Araceli Sanroman. “There are two parts of the Rosary that make it important for our students,” explained Mr. Schultz.

“One part is the idea of petitions and the importance of praying for others. The other is in the meditations and thinking about the meaning within the mysteries while reciting them. The Rosary itself is no more than 20 minutes.

It’s not hard, it’s a realistic prayer. That’s why I love it.”

PILGRIM QUEEN TESTIMONIES

from

Our Families “Gathering around her statue and praying to Mother Mary as a family each day or night was a very moving and memorable spiritual experience as having the mother of Our Lord in front of us brought peace, calm, and spiritual deepening to us all. Having our child at Holy Spirit Prep has been very rewarding from an educational standpoint, but more importantly, from having Jesus in every aspect of John’s quality education.”

-The Olivas “When we tried to pray the rosary as a family, I was discouraged. The kids were not as reverent as I wanted them to be. They were playing with the rosaries. They were giggling or poking one another. It seemed impossible, but again, we persevered. We took away the physical rosaries and taught them to use their fingers to keep track – I am sure that is why God gave us ten fingers! Every rosary was not perfect, but from time to time, we would be graced with a truly peaceful and transcendent experience as a family all cuddled together in prayer.”

“Receiving the Pilgrim Queen in our home has meant to open our hearts more to Christ, since she is the best messenger of Christ’s love and the strongest bridge to heaven. Going to Heaven in the end, is saying yes to God’s love, and the best role model is Mary. We placed Our Heavenly Mother at a place where we can all see her and talk to her heart to heart, where we can enjoy the sweet and loving company of our Guest of Honor.

Just knowing that the Rosary is a prayer very blessed by God—because through Mary we meditate on the mysteries in Jesus’ life and help our hearts be closer to his—is an amazing motivation! For among God’s promises to those who pray the Rosary are to sanctify them with graces, virtues, mercy, and love from Jesus. What an amazing gift for everyone we love to pray together and to pray for them” -Araceli Sanroman

-Dede Casal

Holy Spirit Preparatory School |

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Good Shepherds

PRESCHOOL ADOPTS NEW FAITH CURRICULUM This semester, the Preschool announced a new religion curriculum scheduled to launch this fall. Four teachers are currently training in the Montessori methods of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a program of religious formation for our youngest students. Established in 1954

by Catholic disciples of the Montessori movement, Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi, the program has been adopted by over 1250 organizations in 37 different countries.

THE ATRIUM Catechesis of the Good Shepherd centers around “the atrium,” a classroom designated exclusively for CGS presentations. “You get a wonderful feeling walking into the atrium. It’s a quiet environment made with natural, handmade materials. They’re wood, natural fabrics - not bright colors or toys,” said Georgia. Stations around the room present

“Were not teachers in this – students are experiencing a truth, and Christ is the teacher,” said Pre-K4 teacher Samantha DeChiazza. “We just present it.”

Pre-K4 teacher Karen Lewis added, “We reflect with the child. We ask a lot of reflective questions, and the child comes to answers on their own. We sit and meditate on these ideas with the children.”

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Jesus and the Lamb / Katherine F. Brown

“I am so excited about this program.

It’s just so simple,” said Pre-K2 teacher Georgia Tate. “It is a method of teaching children how to love God and how to enjoy God.” The foundational principle of the program is that even the youngest children have a unique relationship with God, and that the relationship’s growth can be assisted by an adult (but is directed by the Holy Spirit). The Catechesis provides space for teachers to present truths and practices of the faith, and for students to experience and reflect on those. “The program deliberately does not use the word ‘teaching,’ because you’re bringing students to an experience of faith. They prefer the term ‘presentations,’” said Georgia.

biblical stories or model parts of the Mass using tactile, child-sized materials. At one station, students receive the Gospel of Matthew’s parable of the pearl of great price and are able to re-enact the story with a model pearl, merchant doll, and toy house. Another station is set up as an altar, complete with chalices and ciborii and cruets, child-sized so students can handle each and learn their place in Mass.

At another station, students learn about liturgical colors by dressing a model in a cassock. Yet another station shows the physical geography of Bethlehem, a three-dimensional map of mountains, deserts, and water.

In the center of each atrium, a station models the parable of the Good Shepherd with model sheep, shepherd and sheep-pen. “It’s the main idea of CGS,” said Karen. “How special every sheep is to the shepherd. How Christ the good shepherd meets your needs, and every sheep is cared for.”

The atrium changes with the liturgical calendar, so what students encounter in the atrium, they also see in Mass on Sunday. “The feeling of the atrium is very quiet, peaceful,” said Karen. “Students know when they come in that it’s a place of quiet. It’s not for running around, not a gym class,” said Samantha.

The teachers see an immediate need for the Catechesis.

“We see this in Mass with our students,” said Samantha.

“A student asks why his kneeler is so low and he can’t see.

Why is the priest doing this or that? During Mass, though, you want them to be quiet.” The atrium gives students space outside of Mass to learn about it, model it, and to ask their questions.

TRAINING The teachers are currently attending monthly trainings in the Catechesis, partly classwork and partly time in an atrium.

“We experience the atrium for ourselves,” Georgia said.

“We always start with prayer,” Samantha describes. “Our presenters model how stations are presented to children. We take the place of children; we actually get down on the floor.”

The presentations help teachers understand what children think and how they respond when they experience stations.

The teachers then document those presentations in journals called “albums.” Some of the classwork is simply learning how the Montessori method works.

“The core of this for each child is their relationship with the person of Christ, and how to make it accessible to them,” said Karen. “A child’s play isn’t play, its work. How do we turn that into something that deepens their faith? How do we go to their level and create an experience that impacts the child?”

In the center of each atrium, a station models the parable of the Good Shepherd with model sheep, shepherd and sheep-pen. “It’s the main idea of CGS,” said Karen.

“How special every sheep is to the shepherd. How Christ the good shepherd meets your needs, and every sheep is cared for.”

Holy Spirit Preparatory School |

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A Fond Farewell

MS. VAN DE VOORDE MOVES TO MADRID

With grateful hearts, we said goodbye to campus minister Ms. Beth Van de Voorde this past December as she began a new assignment in Madrid, Spain.

In the week leading up to her departure, we held a farewell open house for families and friends to celebrate Beth. Many people in our community brought photos and hand-written notes of their favorite memories with Beth to put in a scrapbook for her to bring along on her travels.

Beth has not only been a blessing to our students, but also to our faculty and staff. Usually at Christmas time, Beth gives each teacher and staff member a card, each bearing a different saint, virtue, and quote on the back.

“I’ve been doing it nearly every year that I was at Holy Spirit Prep,” remembered Beth. On her last day on campus, she wanted to do something special for the people she had been working with for almost a decade.

Known to our students as Ms. Van de Voorde, Beth organized and chaperoned countless grade-level retreats and summer mission trips, domestic and abroad. She served as an advisor for faith formation clubs and apostolates. She guided students and their families through the Sacraments of First Communion, First Penance, and Confirmation.

At the same time, Beth managed to earn her Master’s in theological studies from Holy Spirit College in 2014, so that she could better serve our students. In 2017, she was recognized at the annual Archbishop’s Education Banquet for her service in Catholic education.

With stack of cards in hand, Beth went around to the Lower and Upper School on her last days of school to say her goodbyes. The front of each card was the same, a picture of baby Jesus’ feet in Mary’s hand, drawn by Beth. She let each faculty member chose one card from the fanned-out pile. “I am always amazed how, in some way, it ends up being [the perfect card],” said Beth. Even though she is no longer on campus, you can still see Beth’s impact when you peek into teachers’ rooms and see the little card hanging in the corner of bulletin boards.

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“I hope you know that even when your consecrated women are sent to a new mission, we don’t stop praying for you.”

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New Campus Ministers HOLY SPIRIT PREP WELCOMED TWO NEW REGNUM CHRISTI MINISTERS TO CAMPUS THIS YEAR

ELIZABETH STROMBERG Lower School The second of ten children, Elizabeth hails from Baltimore and comes most recently from Guadalajara, Mexico, where she was a Lower School campus minister at the Alpes Cumbres Guadalajara since 2012.

Before her Mexico assignment, Elizabeth worked in youth ministry in Rhode Island and Vermont, dedicating herself to youth formation and diocesan formation in liturgy and the Eucharist.

YVONNE FONTAINE Upper School Originally from Alberta, Canada, Yvonne has served in Regnum Christi youth programs—mission trips, retreats, and various apostolates—in Dallas, Austin, Denver, Australia, and most recently, Detroit.

She has also been mentor to both middle and high school students at private, independent Catholic schools: The Highlands School in Irving, Texas, and Everest Collegiate in Oxford, Michigan.

Yvonne, Elizabeth, and Beth made their vows of consecration together, on September 3, 2006.

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‘Into the Deep’: HOLY SPIRIT PREP, LIKE-MINDED SCHOOLS FOUND COLLABORATIVE FOR CATHOLIC MISSION

It was 2016 when Fr. Paul Kostka and his priestly order, the Servants of Christ Jesus, organized the first Formation Summit, a conference for Catholic high school administrators, teachers, and campus ministers on the moral formation of high school students. Kyle Pietrantonio and Rich Meyer, respective headmasters of Holy Spirit Prep and JSerra Catholic High in California, were already acquainted when Kyle encouraged Rich to send a team to the second Formation Summit, hosted at Holy Spirit Prep. There, the teams from schools across the country found in each other like-minded educators: devoted first to grounding education in Catholic moral formation and personally committed to striving for personal sanctity.

Academy in Lenexa, KS, and Bishop Machebeuf in Denver, CO. “We asked ourselves,” said Meyer, “how can we use power of our schools to have a national voice in Catholic education?”

The group, motivated by a desire to share their vision of what Catholic education should look like, ultimately formed the Duc in Altum Schools Collaborative, referencing Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Novo Millennio Ineunte, in which he meditated on Christ’s words, Duc in altum (“Go out into the deep”), with reference to the New Evangelization.

They defined their core shared beliefs as Catholic educators, including:

A question was on the minds of those educators: how is a school like ours relevant? In an age of secularization and declining Catholic school enrollment, what should a Catholic school look like? “People come to Summit so they can be validated in the idea that we can go all in on Catholic mission and our school will still work and still attract students,” Rich Meyer said.

• A deep and abiding love for the Catholic Church and all her teachings,

Kyle and Rich finally met at the third Formation Summit, where they also met with the headmasters of St. James

• Sharing relevant data in order to establish performance benchmarks,

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• Supporting the New Evangelization of the Catholic Church in the United States, • Maintaining that the ongoing spiritual formation of students, parents, faculty, and staff alike is at the heart of the work of Catholic schools,

Their mission?

“To share the collective wisdom and resources of its like-minded, faith-filled school members for the betterment of each institution, the growth and support of passionately Catholic education atlarge, and the transformation of the culture of our society.”

“We have to do admissions and marketing well, we have to have infrastructure that reflects the dignity of our campus, we have to have good teachers – but you can say that about charter schools,” Meyer said. “For Catholic schools, what matters is formation – maybe even more than education – that striving for personal sanctity.”

With the foundation of the DIA Schools Collaborative, the team has sought out opportunities to share their vision and their wisdom, starting with the Formation Summit itself. In 2019, DIA will organize the Formation Summit as its primary sponsor.

Pietrantonio said. “A need throughout the year for networking and sharing, for strategic planning.” This spring, the collaborative hosted their inaugural webinar, with Meyer and Todd Flanders of Providence Academy in Plymouth, MN, moderating a panel on how to attract and hire missionfit teachers. “We’re trying to get a pulse on folks attending the Summit on what they want,” Pietrantonio said.

“How do we provide counseling and support to those Summit attendees?”

The collaborative has already been successful in its own internal sharing of data and resources. “There’s been tremendous sharing between schools so far,” Pietrantonio said. He cited, as one example, shared data on admissions funnels at each school.

“We looked at how many admissions inquiries were yielding how many applications. How long does the

admissions process take at schools like ours? We’ve already made some tweaks to our own admissions process based on that sharing.”

“A lot of our own internal feedback has been super helpful,” Meyer said.

“We’re taking a look at our student handbook language, and how that language intersects with our core Catholic principles. We’re different from even typical Catholic schools.

It always comes back to traditional Catholic principles.”

The next Formation Summit is scheduled for October 23-25, 2019, at Providence Academy in Plymouth, Minnesota. For more information about DIA, please visit diaschools.org. For more information about the Summit, visit hsformation.org.

“Our main outreach is through the Formation Summit,” Kyle Pietrantonio said. “We’re putting a lot of energy around the questions of ‘what does that look like going forward? How do we grow it?’” But the Summit is not their only avenue for outreach. “We see there’s an appetite [among educators for the content of the Summit],”

“For Catholic schools, what matters is formation… that striving for personal sanctity.”

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Serving Sierra Leone: DR. DEEN’S MISSION TO REBUILD A NATION

Sixty years ago, one of the preeminent educational systems in the world was centered on the west coast of Africa, in the nation of Sierra Leone. Its chief university, the University of Sierra Leone, was dubbed the “Athens of West Africa.” In the intervening years since the nation gained independence from Great Britain, though, education fell on hard times: government neglect, an erosion of standards, and declining enrollment. Then, from 1991 to 2002, civil war devastated the West African nation of Sierra Leone.

Dr. Archie Deen, the Upper School’s social sciences teacher and a native of Sierra Leone, lived in London at the time of the Sierra Leone civil war and monitored the unfolding conflict with horror. “I was an active campaigner for peace in Sierra Leone and for awareness of the war,” Dr. Deen said,

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showing a reply from the Queen to a letter campaign he led. “I wrote letters to 10 Downing Street [official residence of the British prime minister] and raised funds for war relief for children.” Through the “Walk for Sierra Leone,” a twelve-mile walk through Central London, Archie and his supporters were able to raise thousands of pounds for Catholic Relief Services and the Sisters of Charity, both working in Sierra Leone.

In the intervening years since the end of the war and the reestablishment of a democratic government, Sierra Leone has wrestled to rebuild itself. Children conscripted as soldiers into rebel armies struggle with psychological trauma. The country faces high unemployment, especially among young people. Fifty-three percent of its citizens live in poverty.

Medical care is not readily accessible to most Sierra Leoneans, particularly in rural areas, which also suffer from limited access to safe drinking water.

Dr. Deen believes that teachers can reclaim their nation’s educational prestige and lead the country forward.

In 2017, Dr. Deen and his colleagues founded Teach for Development Sierra Leone (TfDSL), a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the professional development and welfare of teachers in primary and secondary schools in Sierra Leone. “We believe that the most potent resource of Sierra Leone, her children, can become the engine of social, political, and economic transformation,” said Dr. Deen, “if the teachers of our schools, are themselves highly knowledgeable, skilled and motivated.”

The infrastructure of education, though, was another victim of the civil war. The war resulted in the destruction of 1,270 primary schools, and in 2001, 67% of all school-age children were out of school. The republic’s literacy rate stands at 48.1%; among women, the rate drops to just 37%. New disasters continue to hamper development: a massive Ebola outbreak in 2014 closed all schools for months. “The teachers of Sierra Leone are deep in the trenches of the economic, social, and political challenges of the country,” Dr. Deen wrote for a study on the state of teaching in Sierra Leone. “The teachers, in service to the nation of Sierra Leone, confront the social and economic realities of living and working in a developing economy.”

The teaching profession in Sierra Leone is poorly resourced. There are, nonetheless, committed men and women dedicated to teaching the country’s young population – even under the most unfavorable of conditions. A teacher in Sierra Leone’s capital reported an annual salary of just under $2,000 - from which he provides for his wife and three children, pays rent, provides meals and pays his children’s tuition, healthcare and transportation.

Teach for Development Sierra Leone seeks to equip these underresourced teachers with professional knowledge and financial resources. In 2017, Dr. Deen and TfD held their first Teacher Institute

Dr. Deen and his colleagues founded Teach for Development Sierra Leone (TfDSL), a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the professional development and welfare of teachers in primary and secondary schools in Sierra Leone.

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at the Annie Walsh Memorial School, Freetown. At this Institute, forty primary and secondary school teachers were reskilled in mathematics, science, and English. They were introduced to pedagogical and cognitive theories and strategies of differentiation, critical thinking and problemsolving, and encouraged to adopt a more student-centered approach to teaching and learning. Teachers are awarded a stipend at the end of the program, “but even more critically,” Dr. Deen says, “they revisit and extend their knowledge in the core subjects, form new alliances with fellow teachers in Freetown, and begin to plan their lessons for the coming school year.”

Teach for Development repeated their workshop in July 2018. More than doubling their enrollment, ninety teachers were retrained, and training in CPR and First Aid was added to the curriculum. UNICEF Sierra Leone presented a session on gender violence against girls and women. In 2019, the program looks to expand to two locations and three separate workshops to retrain 250 teachers.

Holy Spirit Prep supports the work of Teach for Development. In fall 2018, with Dr. Deen as adviser, a group of students formed the Cantius Society, after St. John Cantius, a patron saint of teachers. The student organization fundraises for Teach for Development. “Bake sales, selling Chick-Fil-A milkshakes at lunch – all the proceeds go directly to TfD’s summer programs, for food for the teachers, books they need,” said Sophia John, student co-president of the Cantius Society. “Having good teachers in your early years is so important. Children need those role models – and not having resources shouldn’t hinder those who want to teach.” William Arnold, who joined Cantius in its nascent stages as co-president, said “Education is the foundation of society. The more you can maximize it, the better. You can build up teachers; you can really help them grow.”

And that growth, Dr. Deen hopes, will shape the future of a nation.

Dr. Deen supports the reconstruction of Sierra Leone in other ways. An alumnus of Christ the King College (a secondary Catholic school outside Freetown) Dr. Deen is actively involved in fundraising efforts for the school’s rebuilding, staffing, and scholarship funds for students. “The school reshaped my understanding of the world, it grounded me in who I am. Those of us in the diaspora are working hard to rebuild,” Dr. Deen said.

Dr. Deen also supports programs in Atlanta, including a free SAT preparation program in Stone Mountain that draws resident families from Sierra Leone.

To support Teach for Development, contact Dr. Archie Deen at adeen@holyspiritprep.org.

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Several Lower and Upper School student organizations embraced the season of giving this past December. The 3rd grade Girl Scout troop and the House of Trent at our Lower School each held drives for toys and food, respectively.

At our Upper School, the campus ministry team hosted a festival for Catholic refugees, and St. Joseph’s Cohort had their fifth Appalachian Christmas Child, bringing Christmas gifts to children in rural Kentucky.

EMBRACING THE

Season of Giving THROUGH

Service

3RD GRADE GIRL SCOUTS COLLECT TOYS FOR SEEDS OF LOVE

This year marked the second year that Girl Scout troop #16216 hosted a Christmas toy drive. Last year, the girls collected toys for children with congenital heart defects at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This year, they decided to collect gifts for Seeds of Love, a foster resource center that provides tangible and financial support to abused and neglected children. They placed boxes in each classroom as well as in the front office of the Lower School. All boxes were overflowing, and the front office box was filled twice.

“I liked that the boxes were overflowing. It showed that people actually care for others, and they shared the spirit of Christmas,” said 3rd-grader Kaylin Colarusso.

To expand their giving, the girls also “adopted” a family for the holiday: a veteran, his wife, and three children. The two daughters and one son each got three wrapped presents along with family games and homemade cards from the troop, which includes Lindsey Baradel, Presley Kate Cunningham, Emilia Reid, Rachel Sande, Felicitee Sautre, and Cecilia Sautre.

LOWER SCHOOL HOUSE OF TRENT FEEDS THE HUNGRY

In the spirit of giving, the Lower School House of Trent hosted a food drive in December to benefit our local community through the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Through their service, they practiced one of the most important Corporal Works of Mercy: feeding the hungry.

After collecting non-perishables for two weeks, the 6th and 7th grade students hand-delivered 507 pounds of food, sorting and packing it all into boxes to be distributed to hungry families in 29 counties across metro Atlanta and north Georgia.

Reese Hillman is the sixth-grade House representative for the House of Trent, and she helped organize and promote the food drive. “The whole sixth grade going to the food bank was thoroughly enjoyable., and it was a good cause,” she said. “I think it was probably the best field trip we’ve had. I hope we can do it again.”

In a thank you letter from the Atlanta Community Food Bank, we learned that the 507 pounds collected by the House of Trent provided 423 meals directly to families in need. “Because of your tremendous efforts, our families, children and seniors do not have to choose between food and other basic necessities,” the letter read.

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MISSION FAMILY HOSTS CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL FOR REFUGEES

Several families and our campus ministry team spread Christmas cheer to a refugee community in Clarkston, Georgia this past December. Our community joined with theirs to play carnival games, celebrate Mass outdoors, and sing Christmas carols.

The Christmas festival was held at Willow Branch Apartments, a community supported by Star-C Programs.

This non-profit organization helps affordable housing locations provide wraparound services to their tenants like after-school care, wellness programs, and an onsite garden. In their own words, “Star-C has had success in stabilizing the apartment community which in turn, stabilizes the local schools through reduced transiency, taking failing schools to Title 1 Schools of Distinction.”

Mission Family heard of this community in need through Holy Spirit Prep parent Duncan Gibbs, who is on the board of Star-C Programs. The mission raised over $1,300 from bake sales and donations and fed over 150 refugees.

They were also able to provide 75 Christmas gifts to their community, courtesy of families in our community.

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SJC BRINGS CHRISTMAS TO KENTUCKY

For the fifth consecutive year, our community has provided Christmas for the kids of Whitley City in McCreary County, Kentucky. As a significant piece of the St. Joseph’s Cohort outreach to Appalachian Kentucky, Appalachian Christmas Child helps bring gifts, good cheer, and smiles to the kids of this little corner of southern Kentucky.

SJC student members collected gifts in November and December, and on December 6, they loaded all of the gifts in the Cougar minivan bound for Kentucky. Mr. Radosta and Mr. Labbé delivered the 51 gifts to the families in Whitley City. Arriving late Thursday night, they met others from Chicago and Cincinnati who also participate in this service of giving. The group of friends makes Christmas a reality for over 350 children. “Seeing the beaming faces of the kids and their parents as they wander through the toy section, eventually finding the perfect toy, makes it all worthwhile,” recalled Mr. Radosta. “When they add a colorful bag full of goodies from their ‘Secret Santa’, it truly is a magical sight!”

DISTINGUISHED GOOGLE EDUCATOR LEADS LOWER SCHOOL ON

STEAM Journey 7TH GRADERS STEAM teacher Allison Berry is a Google Certified Trainer who has distinguished her­self as a top Google educator in the metro area. She was a speaker for a Googlefor-Education training group consisting of Atlanta Public School faculty. “Google for Education Certified Trainers are passionate and driven education professionals with a desire to help others transform classrooms with technology,” according to Google. Google for Education offers a suite of services, resources, and technology, directly for implementation in class­rooms.

Ms. Berry has seen the fruits of this program in her classroom.

She is part of an online Google Group with every Googlecertified educator in North America and around the globe. “We are always sharing lesson plans that incorporate technology and the four Cs of 21st learning -- collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity,” Ms. Berry said.

“I’ve enjoyed using lessons that are already planned and improved upon in the classroom from other trainers.”

“MaKey-MaKey” Video Game Controllers Teams of students in Ms. Berry’s seventh grade classes competed against each other in the MaKey-MaKey Controller Project. Students learned about opened and closed circuits by creating working video game controllers with a small invention kit called a MaKey-MaKey. Visiting judges rated their finished projects on creativity, quality, and comfort of the controller. Betsy Trenado Bautista and Sarah Pineda made up one of the winning teams. After trying a standard rectangular design, Betsy didn’t like how their controller looked. “I drew a random shape on a piece of pink paper, and it looked like a fat peppa pig, so that’s what we called our controller,” Betsy said laughing. “We wanted it to pop!” added Sarah.

Adding red foam handles, the girls considered the comfort of the user as well as the overall style of the controller. They finished it off with gold push pins for buttons and a strip of aluminum foil as a conductor. “We had to try different tools and pick the right one to succeed,” explained Betsy. “I want to be a doctor, and doctors kind of do the same thing with the tools they use.”

Before attending Holy Spirit Prep, neither Betsy nor Sarah had the opportunity to experience STEAM. “We had it at my old school, but I didn’t get to sign up for it,” remembered Betsy. “I’m glad at I get to do it here,” Sarah added.

“It makes learning fun.”

6TH GRADERS

5TH GRADERS

Study and Build Pipelines

Land on the Moon

Sixth grade students studied pipelines and were challenged to create their own using two cups and straws.

With only gravity acting upon the pipeline, the students had to figure out how to transport liquid from one cup to the other without leaking. Adding to the challenge, they had to account for environment and animal habitats, avoiding those areas and creating turns in their pipelines.

The 5th grade students started out this year learning about the first human landing on the moon. They studied the design of Apollo 11, and students tried to mimic its shock absorbency in their own lunar lander designs.

Using a NASA-designed STEAM challenge, students built a structure that can be dropped 20 feet while holding 2 marshmallows inside an un covered cup.

Our students were lucky to have the opportunity to hear from a real oil pipeliner, 6th grade parent Mr. Sande. He spoke to the class about his knowledge of the oil industry and the engineering involved in building pipelines. Mr. Sande explained how oil travels, and students were able to research pipelines in Atlanta to see if they live or travel close to one (one pipeline runs underneath the southern edge of the Lower School campus).

Students dropped their structures off the side of the Intermediate Building. An important part of the Engineering Design process includes “improvements” to the design, so students captured videos of their lunar landers falling and impacting the ground and reviewed them together in class. They discussed the flight of the lunar landers and how the drop, drag, and shock absorbency all affected the marshmallows in the cup. They use this knowledge to make improvements to their designs.

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4TH GRADERS

PRE-K4—3RD GRADERS

Outsmart Earthquakes

Storybook STEAM

In December, our 4th graders were learning about earthquakes when they actually experienced one here in Atlanta. After students came to school buzzing about their earthquake experiences, their timely project in STEAM was to create an earthquake-proof structure.

Using only pipe cleaners or straws, the students had to build a structure sturdy enough to withstand the rumble of a shake table.

For our younger grades, students learn and experiment through children’s literature brought to life. “I often start classes with a short story that has an interesting character or challenge that the character is facing,” Ms. Berry explained. “I use this story to create the challenge for my students.”

The project was not only a hands-on learning experience to study earthquakes, but also a challenging geometry task. Students learn how to make cubes by measuring and cutting the pipe cleaners or straws equally. “[Making cubes] is always a rewarding challenge for this age group,” Ms. Berry explained. “My students also love to use the shake tables to see if their structures can really be put to the test of a powerful earthquake.”

In 1st grade STEAM, students built a boat to hold a pigeon and his friends after reading The Pigeon Needs a Bath. This project experiments with the buoyancy of different materials and how much weight those materials can withstand.

Students in 2nd grade read The Three Billy Goats Gruff and are challenged to build a bridge across a river strong enough to hold the three goat characters from the story.

This building task is tough for our 2nd graders, but they work in teams to build bridges using only tissues and popsicle sticks.

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Mrs. Jimenez Explores Faith and Astronomy AT VATICAN FOUNDATION WORKSHOP

“The fact that we have a Universe that can be understood points to a God who wants to be understood and who wants us to understand Him, who is Love.”

-Fr. Gabor paraphrased by Fr. James Kurzynski Upper School science teacher Karen Jimenez attended the 2019 Faith and Astronomy Workshop sponsored by the Vatican Observatory Foundation this past January.

The four-day workshop in Tucson, Arizona, is “designed to bring those in Catholic parishes and schools an up-to-date overview of the universe: from the Big Bang working, to the search for life in the universe, to our exploration of the planets… as seen through the eyes of the Jesuit priests and

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brothers who work at the Vatican’s own astronomical observatory.”

“Rather than seeing science as the enemy, we see it as a call to pilgrimage,” said Mrs. Jimenez.

“We were not there to get quick soundbite answers to the age-old questions. In fact, the workshop did not aim to provide answers at all; we were there to delve more deeply into the questions.”

Mrs. Jimenez has always been fascinated with science and faith, her two favorite subjects. She loved to discuss these topics in her youth groups and in college, trying to tackle the great questions of origin. More recently, she has attended

workshops concerning science and faith at the local Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center for the past three years. One of those workshops was led by the President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J., who Mrs. Jimenez described as a cross between “nerdy scientist and peaceful Jesuit.” His talk encouraged her to apply for his Faith and Astronomy Workshop.

“Brother Guy hosted the Vatican Observatory workshop, which included presentations by Jesuit astronomers, parish priests, and university professors, and included behind-the-scenes tours of the labs producing the mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope, the headquarters of the OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu, and Biosphere 2” (photo below). Mrs. Jimenez said, “Listening to all the different astronomers present in their areas of expertise, one thing that struck me was how open they were to discovery.

They did not embark on the mission to the asteroid Bennu with expectations of what kind of rock they would find.

Rather, they were giddy with excitement not knowing what they would discover. In the true spirit of scientific exploration, their eyes were wide with wonder, ready to add any little piece of data to their current data set so they might color a little bit clearer picture.

Each day concluded with Mass, one of which was celebrated by Bishop Edward Weisenburger, with a large window overlooking the saguaro cacti of the Sonoran Desert behind the altar. “The picture that they were painting—a deeper understanding of the Universe—also gives insight to the God who created it,” Mrs. Jimenez said. “Each time we look more deeply at the beauty of the Universe and the planet we call home, we are entering more profoundly into unity with our Father.”

What does this mean for educators of science or theology? What does it mean for our students? “We must continue asking questions, continue searching,” said Mrs. Jimenez. “It is in the asking that authentic understanding and encounters with God take place.

We need to be willing to embark on that journey with “It is in the asking that others, with fellow educators, and especially with our authentic understanding students, to encourage the relationship with God.”

and encounters with God take place. We need to be willing to embark on that journey with others, with fellow educators, and especially with our

students, to encourage the relationship with God.”

A related passion for Mrs. Jimenez, she expects to clarify and establish the place for evolution in Catholic education through writing a handbook on the topic. “The handbook is in its infancy phase,” explained Mrs. Jimenez. “I’m still just brainstorming and writing as ideas come to me, but I want tackle topics that are often misunderstood and set some basic premises.”

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PARIS DAY 1 Overnight flight from Atlanta to Paris.

Touring the impressionist Musée D’orsay.

Vigil Mass and dinner at the Madeleine.

DAY 2 Bus tour of Paris: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame.

Boat tour on the Seine.

Catacombs/Gourmet lunch.

DAY 3 Touring the Louvre.

Shopping on the Champs-Élysées.

Cooking class. Touring Montmartre.

BARCELONA DAY 4 A flight from Paris to Barcelona.

Lunch at St. Caterina Market.

A bike tour of the city.

Walking tour of historic Barcelona.

DAY 5 Ash Wednesday Mass at Barcelona Cathedral.

Bus tour of Barcelona: Parc Guell, Sagrada Familia.

Touring the Roman ruins /Picasso Museum.

Spring Break SOJOURN

This spring break, a surprisingly large group of students forsook beach trips and ski slopes and Fortnite marathons for something different. Three faculty chaperones escorted twenty-six Upper-Schoolers on a whirlwind eight-day tour of Paris, Barcelona, and Madrid. Hours after the final school bell chimed, the cohort boarded an international, overnight flight from Atlanta to Paris.

“It was a culture shock at first,” said first-time international traveler Ariel Watson, a 12th-grader. “I’m so used to American customs.” It was the small things that surprised her in Paris. “Tiny hotel elevators, uneven stairs in old buildings. It was interesting to see the history of every building we stepped into. Everything in America seems kind of brand new.”

Over three days in Paris, the group walked the city touring monuments, museums, and (by demand) shopped on the Champs-Élysées, Paris’ boulevard famous for its theaters, cafes, and high-end shops.

A tapas dinner.

“We tried to fit in a ton of sightseeing,” said senior Olivia Ford. “It was pretty cool, but at the end

MADRID DAY 6 A high-speed train ride to Madrid.

Bus tour of Madrid: Plaza de Toros.

A guided tour of Museo del Prado.

Amazing paella dinner.

A walking tour of Madrid.

DAY 7 Touring the Museo Reina Sofia.

Exploring Retiro Park.

Reunion with Beth Van de Voorde, and alumna Stephanie Perez.

Touring the Royal Palace/shopping.

DAY 8 A flight from Madrid to Atlanta.

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8

DAYS

3

CITIES

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STUDENTS

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of the day, I needed sleep!” Olivia, though, found herself lingering when they visited the Musée D’Orsay or the Picasso museum. “My parents always took their time in museums, and I hated it. I always wanted to go through as fast as I could,” Olivia said. “This trip - I guess because I’m older - I understood what they were trying to do. I didn’t think I’d ever be like that.”

Their travels quickly helped them confront cultural differences, “like the stereotype that French people hate Americans,” Ariel recounted. “They were so nice. My first day in Paris, my phone charger didn’t work and my phone was dead. The first chance I had, I sprinted to a Samsung store. The sales lady gave me an extra cord for free! While my phone charged, our tour guide gave me her phone so I could call my mom, and overseas charges are expensive!”

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The tour’s itinerary in Spain was similar: bus tours, monuments, museums, and any shopping chaperones would squeeze in. Each city had a unique activity to offer: in Paris, a cooking class; in Barcelona, a bike ride through the city; in Madrid, a lunch-time excursion through the city’s gorgeous city park, Retiro Park. That was where students were able to reunite with two old friends now living in Madrid, campus minister Beth Van de Voorde, and class of 2016 alumna Stephanie Perez.

Perhaps one of the most challenging parts of their trip was the language barrier. “I didn’t know any French or Spanish,” Olivia said. “But I tried. A lot of people didn’t understand me. My parents raised me to try their language first; that’s the politest way to interact.”

The students found the waiters, shopkeepers, and tour guides acco-

mmo­­­dating to what was for some students their first language immersion experience. “It’s very nerve-wracking,” said Ariel. “especially when they look at you confused. When I got a conversation going successfully, though, I thought ‘look at you, you genius!’”

A few students got a little too experimental. ”I passed a Greek restaurant in Barcelona and tried speaking ancient Greek to them,” said junior Jack Bohling.

A first-year Greek student. “But they did not understand it.”

Students embraced one part of the trip with particular gusto. “I loved the food,” said Ariel, reminiscing about Paris. “Cheese, bread: I could eat that every day.” It was the same in Spain. “I didn’t want to eat food you can get in the United States,” said Aiden Dirr, the sole 9th-grader on the trip. “The first

place we went to eat in Barcelona, I got Iberian ham. Our tour guide told me I got the premium kind.” Aiden was adventurous, with a little peer pressure: ”Regina and Sean were trying octopus tentacle. At first, I said, “I’m not going to try that,” but I did, and it was actually really good.”

And what tips do these now-seasoned world travelers have for the next students that tour the Continent? “Don’t lose your passport,” Olivia said. “If you’re a girl, don’t overpack. Make sure you have a jacket that has hidden pockets.

Expect no sleep, but lots of fun.”

“Be open to trying new food. I tried so much food,” Ariel said. “Anything but octopus, in my book.”

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In October 2017, Lower School Principal

go on to excel in high school because

Mr. Schultz emailed families with a big

they are so well prepared.”

announcement: in 2018-19, the 7th grade

While parents were supportive of the move and curious about the logistics of the transition, student reactions were, if only initially, mixed. “When I heard about it last year, I was disappointed,” said 7th-

class would be located on the Lower School campus for the first time since 2004. “It is clear that the K-8 model gives more opportunities for middle school students to grow and mature in a familiar environment. The longer a student stays in those learning environments, the stronger that student becomes in all areas of education,” Mr. Schultz wrote.

“The middle school students are actual leaders to the younger students, and that authentic leadership experience makes a great impression on them. They

grader Vincent Casal. who was eager to transition to the Upper School. “I was thinking [his older brother] Watson would take me to school.” His classmate, Brooke, on the other hand, was relieved.

“To be honest, I’m scared of that campus [the Upper School]! Everyone here thinks it’s a big deal to be with seniors. I feel like I’m a baby compared to those people!”

“A True Middle School” SEVENTH GRADE RETURNS TO THE LOWER SCHOOL

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The middle school instructional team wanted to make sure the 7th grade experience was a special one in its inaugural year. How to make it a different experience for students, rather than, say, “6th grade 2.0”? “It came down to increased independence and increased trust,” said social studies teacher John Angelle. “Particularly in the classroom, you want them to have more independence, to take control of their learning.”

That independence and trust manifested itself in a few ways: • A 7th-grade-only outdoor patio, where students can eat lunch and spend recess.

• A new 7th-grade lounge in the IB building, with couches and vending machine • No more single-file lines: students can move from class to class independently • Students are also entrusted to move between classes without a teacher escort For that new level of independence and trust to work, students had to abide by a new set of

responsibilities and rules. “We introduced a new positive behavior system at the beginning of this school year,” said IB coordinator Theresa Sequeira.

“We laid out all the rules at the beginning of the year, and the consequences [for breaking them].

For the most part, they handled that really well.”

Because the 7th-graders are more developmentally ready, the Lower School is also seeing new activities. “We took a field trip to Huntsville[s’ U.S. Space and Rocket Center]. That was a huge success,” said religion teacher Dana Christensen.

They are also seeing new kinds of service projects.

“They are more capable of going out and serving than younger students,” Ms. Christensen said.

“They’ve collected hygiene kits and delivered them to homeless men and women. They’ve volunteered at the Atlanta Community Food Bank. It’s opened more doors for them in that regard.” And the 7th-graders have their first social imminently.

“I think it’s been great,” Mr. Angelle said. “It’s more appropriate to our middle school setting,” Ms. Christensen added. “We’re definitely more of a true middle school now.”

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Accolades ATHLETICS Swim Wins Second State Title For the second year in a row, the varsity boys swim team has won the GISA AAA Swim State Championship. The team’s win closely mirrored last year’s victory, edging out 2nd place Augusta Prep by 8.5 points - a wider margin than

Middle School Soccer Wins 2nd GISA Invitational

last year’s three points - and a 13.5 point lead over thirdplace finisher, Heritage. “It was a nice cap to our senior year,” said Gavin Marshall. “It was hard to get up some mornings and practice in 20° weather. I am proud of the determination of my teammates.”

The middle school boys soccer team won their second consecutive GISA Invitational tournament this spring, the end-of-season tournament challenging the best middle school soccer teams in the GISA conference.

Varsity Girls Earn 1st State Title Congratulations to the Lady Cougars and Coach Paul Belcher for becoming the 2019 GISA AAA state basketball champions.

The girls stayed strong through the state tournament despite lacking some key players due to injuries. The championship game was a rematch of last year’s final, our Lady Cougars against returning champions Pinewood Christian Lady Patriots. This time, though, Holy Spirit Prep claimed the state championship title with a final score of 47-38. Annaleena Hansen and Jonnise Poole were both selected as GISA AAA All-Star players.

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ACADEMICS

ARTS

Chess Defends State Title for Third Year

Literary Students Take 1st at State

The Upper School chess team earned their 3rd consecutive team state title at the GISA State Chess Tournament, hosted at Marist School this spring. Undefeated in the tournament, 12th-grader Mason Anker also took 1st place in individual competition; 12th-grader and Head Boy Conner McKittrick took 3rd in the individual competition.

Congratulations to 11th-grader Sophia John and 10th-grader Samantha Gregory, who placed 1st in their competitions at the GISA State Literary Competition this spring. A multi-year Holy Spirit Prep spelling bee champion, Sophia outscored her opponents in Spelling. She spelled 72 out of 125 words correctly, surpassing 2nd place by 13 words. Samantha took 1st in Piano for the second year in a row. “I’m hoping to get 1st all four years of high school,” Samantha said.

The wins come after additional successes at the region GISA Literary competition hosted at Holy Spirit Prep earlier in the spring, where senior Megan Turpin took 1st in Solo; 11th-grader William Arnold won the Argumentative Essay category, and Sophia and Samantha took 1st in Spelling and Piano.

Art Students Win Dogwood Throwdown Mathletes Win Inaugural Competition Lower School mathletes competed in and won their first tournament this spring, an event hosted by Perennial Math and hosted at Shiloh Middle School in Snellville. Third and sixth grade teams won 1st place! Luke Sacco (3rd grade), Olivia Casal (5th grade), Dylan Craig (6th grade), and Tristen Lewis (6th grade) all won 1st place in individual competitions.

The competitive student team began as a Cougar Hour club called Mathletes focused on math competition.

Upper School artists took 1st place at the 2019 Dogwood Festival’s Art Throwdown, an annual contest pitting Atlanta’s high school artists against each other in a series of live art challenges. The win marks their second 1st-place finish, and five consecutive years of 1st and 2nd place finishes.

Wins include: 1st place sculpture (Virginia Lehmann, 10th grade); 1st place photo (Kaley Turpin, 10th grade); 1st place 30-minute expanded portrait (Samantha Gregory, 10th grade); 1st place Tiktok video (Ben Cumbie and Dani Ruiz, 10th grade); 2nd place Tiktok video (Allie Bertany, 10th grade and Sophia Lindholm, 9th grade); and 2nd place photo (Gilberto Lajara, 10th grade).

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Holy Spirit Prep put a new twist on its Annual Fund Run this year with the help of Boosterthon, a school fundraising organization. To teach students about philanthropy, the school hosted a fitness-based fundraiser on all three campuses during the school day. Our students raised over $14,000 supporting our Annual Fund, and they had a blast doing it.

t-shirt, and grade levels took turns racing around a specially-created track. Younger students ran, walked, skipped, and danced to upbeat music. At the Preschool, the track was relatively small, so the little ones were still able to complete a lot of laps. At the Lower School, students in Pre-K4-4th grade also ran, walked, skipped, or danced on a larger track on the soccer field. Students in 5th-7th

To kick off the event, friends from Boosterthon pumped up students with pep rallies on each campus. In the days leading up to the run, students collected pledges per lap from their friends, neighbors, and relatives. Each day, the Boosterthon team had special prizes for the classes with the most pledges-to-date, like letting Mrs. Coury’s 4th grade class duct tape “Jammin’ Jake” from Boosterthon to the playground or watching a movie with popcorn in Mrs. Kendall’s 1st grade class.

grades did the same but through clouds of color in every direction, in a special Color Run! At the Upper School, students also ran through bursts of color thrown by teachers and other students. Some teachers even participated in the run, like Mr. Cole and Ms. Geisen.

The Fund Run itself was held on Friday, October 12, on each campus. Each student wore a Fund Run

The school closed the day-long festivities with a celebration picnic on the Upper School quad, offering Kona Ice and food trucks to cool off and refuel. The celebration included a petting zoo with pigs, cows, chickens, goats, and more, as well as a face-painting station. Everyone enjoyed relaxing and connecting as a community after a day full of Fund Runs!

FUND RUN RAISES

$14,000+

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Our Top Fundraisers

LOWER SCHOOL HOMEROOMS

UPPER SCHOOL HOMEROOMS

LOWER SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS

UPPER SCHOOL FUNDRAISERS

1st Place Garcia

1st Place Kuczynski

1st Place Bennet Miller

1st Place Anna Neligan

2nd Place Coury

2nd Place Radosta

2nd Place Joaquin Miller

2nd Place Ben Mangum

3rd Place Kendall

3rd Place Hetzel

3rd Place Franklin Loftus

3rd Place Elliana Henriquez-Quallo

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Academy Soccer SWEEPS END-OF-SEASON TOURNAMENTS This fall, Lower School soccer teams saw remarkable success in the Catholic Metro Soccer League tournaments.

They made a clean sweep: all four teams competing in the tournament - U10 girls, U10 boys, U12 girls, and U12 boys - picked up 1st place! “It has been a pleasure working with these groups of kids,” said Coach Sam Walker. “We have an array of talent coming through which we are very excited about.”

Our U12 girls had a positive regular season, starting off with a defeat or two, but working hard and improving as the season progressed. Their performance qualified them for the CMSL tournament, where they rallied together to upset the predicted winner, Our Lady of Assumption Catholic School, after losing to them in the regular season 6-0. “We were very determined to win,” explained sixthgrader Grace Novascone. “The loss [against OLA] in the regular season helped us and pushed us to do better.”

The first half of the final consisted of alternating goals from both teams. OLA would score, but then so would we. The score was tied 2-2 going into the second half.

“After we scored the two goals, their defense started to break down,” remembered six-grader Grayson Ciprari.

“We just played the whole game and didn’t stop.” The girls easily put two more balls in the back of the net, and the score was 4-2 at the final whistle.

U12 boys also went undefeated in the regular season, but, tragically, a cancelled game rendered them ineligible for the season trophy. Regardless of league standings, they came in strong for the end-of-season tournament.

They continued their unbeaten streak to make a perfect season, picking up championship medals in the final. “On our team, we’re all really good friends – we’ve all played together for a few years now. Every time we play together, we get a little better,” said sixth-grader Jack Wigbels. “The thing that helps us win is our friendship and how well we work together.”

Reflecting on the season, Coach Walker said, “as these teams progress, it is about getting them ready for middle school and then varsity soccer. The new Academy style program is only 18 months old, and I am delighted at where we are in this point.”

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Rated the number one high school basketball recruit in the country by 247Sports, senior Anthony Edwards has a bright future ahead of him. This season, Anthony averaged 25.7 points per game for Holy Spirit Prep with 9.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 steals.

He was named a 2019 McDonald’s All-American player and listed 2nd in USA Today’s Chosen 25. Distinguished publications like Sports Illustrated and The Athletic picked up his story, but Anthony has kept a level head and says his life hasn’t changed much. Once he steps onto the court at Stegeman Coliseum in the fall, he may have a different opinion.

On a Monday in February, the school community gathered in the Upper School gym to hear the highly-anticipated decision of where Anthony Edwards will continue his basketball career.

Anthony was joined by several reporters and photographers from local news outlets, including Evan Daniels with CBS Sports who interviewed Anthony via live-stream on their website. To the surprise of many, Anthony chose to become a Georgia Bulldog, picking the local favorite over other high-profile schools like Kentucky and Florida.

Anthony chose the University of Georgia for many reasons, one of the most important being his family. “My sister just had my nephew, I want to see him grow, so [staying close to home] was a big factor,” explained Anthony in the interview. His announcement reflected his family values: Anthony held his nephew, Jace, and unzipped his little jacket to reveal a Georgia shirt underneath.

Anthony was also inspired by some of his favorite players, Dwayne Wade and Victor Oladipo, who were coached by Georgia Head Coach Tom Crean, as well as the atmosphere of a Georgia basketball game. “I went to a game, and I felt the fans in the gym, everybody showing love, and I felt like I was home,” Anthony said.

Hearing from some middle school basketball players, we learned how inspiring it can be to see someone from our school have this kind of success. “I would have never believed that we would have someone from Holy Spirit Prep play in the NBA,” said 7th-grader Vincent.

Another middle school player, 7th-grader Ty dreams of playing at Notre Dame, and Anthony’s success “makes it easier for someone like [him] to get recognized.”

From

Cougar to

Bulldog ANTHONY EDWARDS COMMITS TO UGA

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Each year, we recognize those students who have called Holy Spirit Prep their home since Preschool or Kindergarten. They become a part of the special, informal club called “Lifers,” and we’re so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn and grow with these remarkable students from their very first day of Preschool or Kindergarten to their graduation day. This year, we’re proud to add 17 students to our Lifers club.

First Friends These 17 students have not only spent most of their lives walking our halls, but they’ve done it together. Some met at their Kindergarten Welcome Day, like Morgan

Wright and Luke Oliver. “He was reading a book about sharks, and we bonded over it,” remembered Morgan. It’s easy to make friends when you’re five—all you need is a common interest, like sharks.

Seven of these lifers met each other on the first day of Preschool in their Pre-K2 class, including Olivia Ford and Gabe Martinez.

“My first friend at Holy Spirit Prep was Gabe,” Olivia remembered. “We became friends quickly, and so did our parents. It’s crazy because we were in the same class almost every year until 4th grade. He’s one of my oldest friends, and our families are still close.”

A Lifetime at Holy Spirit Prep LIFERS IN THE CLASS OF 2019

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Terrific Teachers One common aspect that our lifers highlighted about their experience at Holy Spirit Prep is the relationships they made with our teachers. As a small, Pre-K-12th grade school, it’s easier for our teachers and students to make connections as they grow. “Mrs. Rondeau is the only teacher that I’ve had for six years, from seventh grade to my senior year,” said Josh Oliver.

“She’s been there through all my problems and successes.”

Regina Munoz had a hard time choosing her favorite teacher, but after much consideration, she chose Dr. Archie Deen. “I remember in 8th grade I was so scared to be in his class because he had a reputation for being a tough teacher,” Regina explained.

“Over the years, I have come to know this selfless and passionate teacher, and without his honest input in my school work and life, I would not be attending Georgia Tech.”

Also struggling to choose a favorite teacher, Anna Neligan credits several of our faculty members for teaching her unique skills like how to use a 3D printer and the inner workings of the American legislature. “Ms. Faraj, Coach Harrison, and Mr. Cole helped me through my dramatic and turbulent teenage years so that I could blossom into a young adult.”

Lifers’ Life Advice “Keep the friends you have made here close, and make friend with other kids in your grade that you may not be close with because the friends you make in high school will be your friends for life.”

Mary Palmer Mason “Remember that even though Holy Spirit Prep can feel small sometimes, it’s setting you up for life and doing so in a way that will let you succeed.”

Morgan Wright “Be kind! Not just as a person but towards others, too. People will always remember how you made them feel, and with everyone who is in my life, I always remember their kind gestures.”

Regina Munoz “Be proud of your school and where you came from.”

Emma Daly

“As you get older and become more of an adult, you tend to start hating or “poking fun” at the school you attend. I want students to remember that this school has brought many blessings to them. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Dylan O’Hare “The advice I have for students would be to respect themselves and one another every day, and to respect and follow the rules and structure established by the school.

The rules and structure have formed me into an individual who knows and loves God and respects myself and others. I want to live in a world where people respect one another and strive to serve, not to be served.”

Anna Neligan

“Know you’re in the good ‘ol days before you actually leave them.”

Lily Cabrera

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Our 20 Under 20 Honorees TACKLING SELF-IMAGE AND SAVING WILDLIFE Each year, Atlanta INtown, a monthly news publication, chooses 20 students from the metro Atlanta area who have made an impact on the local community and abroad through service. This year, two of our amazing seniors were selected as 20 under 20 designees, and two sophomores were recognized as honorable mentions.

Regina Tackles Self-Image For her Girl Scout Gold Award, 12th-grader Regina Munoz chose to address problems with self-image and self-esteem in young Latina girls, an issue that she recognized in her community.

She created the program En La Amistad Nos Encontramos, or In Friendship We Stand, that offered 12 classes to middleschool-aged girls, focused on health, beauty, and professional development. Regina went to the Hispanic Services Foundation to pass out flyers and spread her program through word-ofmouth. She reached 15 girls who regularly attended her classes.

Regina recruited guest speakers to lead discussions in the classes, female experts in business, health, diet, exercise, and beauty.

Guests included a business woman, yoga instructor, dietician, and dermatologist. Her goal was to create an environment where the girls could gain more confidence and make friends while learning how to feel good about themselves. “I know that you can’t change [problems with self-image] overnight,” said Regina, “but I wanted to do something to diffuse it in the Latina community.”

“This program was personal to me, since I belong to the Latina community. I know how hard it can be, especially for young girls at schools, not having friends can be really lonely and can lead someone down the wrong path.”

Regina made a lasting impact on these girls that was unexpected.

“The girls were really shy at first, but by the end of the program, they were telling me everything!” She held a party at the end of the program where two of the girls opened up to her about their personal struggles. “A girl who had worn long sleeves in the beginning to cover her self-harm started to wear short sleeves by the end of the program. You could see her scars, but they were healing. She wasn’t self-harming anymore.”

Although the program has ended, Regina hopes to pass it down to someone at Holy Spirit Prep when she graduates. She hopes that En La Amistad Nos Encontramos will continue to provide a community for young Latina girls to grow in confidence and friendship.

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Cynthia Curates Exhibit for WWF In the summer of 2018, Cynthia Liao held an art exhibit entitled “To Seek” in her hometown, Shenzhen, in Guangdong Province in China, to support the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). With the help of her friend Christina, who lives in Boston, the two curated the exhibit with their own work, paintings and photographs with themes of nature and wildlife. By selling prints on postcards and bookmarks, Cynthia raised $1,000 for WWF. The idea for an art exhibit to support WWF stemmed from her frequent visits to the Atlanta Zoo, a place she feels is “personally important to [her] for inspiration.” She’s gone to the zoo with her art class and on her own to take pictures of the animals, to then study the photos and paint the animals. She wanted to give back to the nature and animals that are essential to her art.

Cynthia also interned in Beijing with the China Architecture Design and Research group to create a design guideline for the Beijing waterfront, taking into consideration the surrounding ecosystems and communities. She also attended a summer program at Cornell called Making a Difference through Design, a three-week program where she visited hospitals and assisted living facilities to analyze their operating systems through the lens of design thinking. In her final project, she created a design for a shower spa for those who cannot shower by themselves.

William and Christian Keep the Classics Alive 10th-graders William Schulman and Christian Rubio were recognized as honorable mentions in Atlanta INtown’s 20 Under 20 because of their Classics Club at Centro Católico, a mission of Holy Spirit Catholic Church that serves the Latino communities in Sandy Springs. The two boys dedicate an hour of their time every Sunday to facilitate the club. William has served as a leader of this club since its inception in 2015, while Christian joined a year after. The two teach about Latin and Greek language, mythology, and culture to 10-15 students age 4-15 years old.

William was a part of the Holy Spirit Prep Classics Club starting in 4th grade and fell in love with Latin and Greek mythology. “I love that I can share what I learned as a kid with other kids,” explained William. “I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that these kids wouldn’t have access to this knowledge without this club.” One of William’s favorite sessions was when he used the second half to play bingo. “It was a fun way to make sure the kids were paying attention!”

William and Christian bring candy or snacks and play games with the kids while also forming relationships. “Getting to know the kids is probably the best part of all of this,” reflected Christian.

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CeDan 42

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Every Monday since January, CeDaniel Sumpter has been meeting with nine other seniors from the Atlanta metro area. The ten strangers from different backgrounds all have something in common—they’ll be attending Bard College in the fall as a “posse.”

January was when CeDaniel got the news that he’d been selected as a Posse Scholar, the first from Holy Spirit Prep. Holy Spirit Prep’s Director of College Counseling, Ashley Meyer, knows the Posse Foundation well (she used to work there) and recommended that CeDaniel apply for the scholarship. The goal of Posse is to send small, diverse groups of students together to college, and the program has been recognized as one of the most comprehensive college success and leadership development initiatives in the country. Just 3% of the 17,000 nominees across the nation were selected for this year’s cohort.

After submitting an online application, CeDaniel went through a rigorous selection process starting with a group interview alongside 60-70 other applicants. “It was really intimidating. Spotters were walking around and taking notes the whole time.” He then chose his top three colleges from the 57 institutions of higher education associated with Posse, and surprisingly, Bard College was not his first choice. Texas A&M had been a longtime favorite since his dad went there. “It wasn’t

until I talked to [my Posse mentor] Nick that I started thinking about Bard seriously. It’s small like Holy Spirit Prep, close to NYC, and would give me the right tools to do what I want in life.”

CeDaniel has big plans. He’s interested in studying philosophy and theology - which he credits to Mr. Cole – but his goal is to be an entrepreneur with several businesses in the entertainment and fashion industry. “I made a vision board in August and planned my future businesses. One in music, one in fashion… and barber shops!”

The final step was an individual interview with two Posse representatives. Wanting to get to know CeDaniel better, the representatives asked him about Holy Spirit Prep: “The small environment helps create relationships between faculty and students,” CeDaniel explained. “Teachers really care and want you to win in life.” They also asked him how a friend might describe him: “I’m always there for people to give advice or help in any way.

I’m reliable.”

CeDaniel was apprehensive at first about meeting his posse. “We all come from different backgrounds and have different passions,” he explained. “It’s cool to see all our different personalities working together. We’re becoming more of a team, more of a family.” Although it’s not required to live with your posse, CeDaniel has become close to one member, Abraham, and the two plan to share a dorm this fall.

aniel Dreams Big POSSE MAKES IT POSSIBLE

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ALUMNI

PROFILE

Joseph Seta CLASS OF 2013

We catch up with Class of 2013 alumnus Joseph Seta, who just entered his first year at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

How did your experience at Holy Spirit Prep help form you into the person you are today?

I took a lot of challenging classes at Holy Spirit Prep because I knew I would need them in order to get into UGA. The rigor of my Holy Spirit Prep course load helped to shape my work ethic and my determination. Playing soccer and running cross country at Holy Spirit Prep taught me to push myself at practice in order to perform better at the game. No pain – no gain. I try to follow that philosophy when studying for my exams, and I find that it helps.

My favorite memories are the times I spent with my friends, especially the senior trip to Rome. I have a close group of friends from Holy Spirit Prep, and we have stayed connected by getting together at the lake during the summer, getting together during Christmas break, and sometimes during football weekends. Andrew Tyner was one of my first friends when I started school at Holy Spirit Prep in the 6th grade, and he is still one of my best friends today.

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Joseph in 4th grade

Was there a specific experience or particular teacher at Holy Spirit Prep who kindled a desire in you to go into your field of choice?

I have wanted to be a veterinarian for as long as I can remember. I toured the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in the 4th grade, and I have been focused on that goal ever since then. I knew I had a tough road ahead, but Dr. Deen encouraged me to work hard and pursue my dream. He praised me for my late afternoons in the library and made me feel like I could do anything I set my mind to do. He inspired me to believe in myself and to push myself. Mr. Moscona also had a strong positive influence on my development as a student and as a person.

I majored in Animal Science and Dairy Science at UGA. I worked milking cows at the UGA Dairy, and I was an active member of the Dairy Science Club. I also went on five study abroad trips to Costa Rica (twice), Scotland, Uruguay and France. Those trips were highlights of my undergraduate experience both academically and socially, as I gained new perspectives on issues of agriculture, learned about global sustainability, enjoyed local foods, and made new friends.

I strongly encourage college students to study abroad!

[Editor’s note: Joseph received many awards during his undergraduate studies: Dean’s List, Zell Miller Scholarship, Jim Andrews Foundation International Scholarship, Henry Trussell, Jr. Scholarship, and Presidential Scholar.]

I will always remember when I was accepted to UGA’s vet school. I went back to the College of Veterinary Medicine sign and took a picture in that same place where I stood for a picture when I was in the fourth grade. It felt good.

What are your plans for the future?

I hope to serve God and others by caring

Joseph after his acceptance to UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine

for both companion animals and farm animals in areas of Georgia where there is a shortage of veterinarians. That’s my plan for the future: to survive vet school and graduate, then go to work in an area of Georgia where they are in desperate need of a veterinarian, especially for farm animals.

Vet school is intense! My current course load includes Large Animal Anatomy, Immunology, Virology, Neuro Anatomy, Emergency Critical Care, and a few others. I chose this field because it has been my passion since I was a very young child. I guess you could say it is a calling.

What else should we know about you?

I play intramural soccer and volleyball at UGA, and I enjoy going to the gym when I have time. I have a dog named Caesar and a cat named Monty.

Joseph Seta graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in Animal Science and in Dairy Science. He currently lives in Athens, Georgia, while studying at UGA’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

Joseph, right, with classmates Daiyaan Cook and Alex Munoz in Mr. Reger’s lab

ALUMNI

PROFILE

Mercedes Lewis CLASS OF 2008 Since graduating from Holy Spirit Prep in 2008, Mercedes Lewis has earned her MFA in Choreography and Dance, and works at the University of Roehampton in London. We catch up with her about her passion for dancing and research.

was accepted into an apprenticeship with Amalgamate Dance Company in New York. I studied under Alana Marie Urda and I was taught to use dance as a purpose through choreographic works, documentaries and site-specific projects.

Tell us about your experience as an undergraduate student.

I had a pretty packed schedule, from philosophy courses to weekly dance rehearsals. I was the president of both my Philosophy and Arts in Motion Dance clubs. Not only was I constantly studying, writing papers, and spending most of my free time in the library, I was also choreographing and performing in multiple dance pieces for the annual Dance Now production at WVU. Every year a choreographer was selected under a panel of judges to present an original work at the concert, and I had the opportunity to present my work each year I attended WVU. I am proud to say that some of my influential work was created on that stage and my choreographic techniques evolved tremendously during those years.

Tell us about a recent experience that you will always remember.

A few years ago I was able to study and perform in Sorrento, Italy. While there, I studied ballet, contemporary, batsheva, choreography, and improvisation under George Staib, Gavriel Spitzer, Jennifer Salk and many more renowned choreographers and performers.

It was an incredible experience to learn and grow as a movement artist.

I also had the great opportunity to study under some of the best professors - Yoav Kaddar (who danced with and studied under Paul Taylor), General Hambrick (who danced and studied under Alvin Ailey and American Ballet Dance Theatres), Barbara Yurick, and Maureen Kaddar.

Shortly after I graduated from WVU, I

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I was also encouraged to create collaboratively, embrace my spontaneity, build foundations for lifelong connections, and to create an authentic, and unique voice.

The tools I learned through the history, customs, and cultural exchange while I was there prepared me to present my own choreographic work at The Royal Academy of the Arts KASK, in Ghent, Belgium, in February of 2018.

How do you hope to serve God and others through your field?

I recently created my own business, “Two Step,” which is a three-step movement series course geared towards senior citizens living in senior care homes, aged 65+. My research includes documenting the health benefits dance movements have on those dealing with loneliness,

Mercedes and friends at a Holy Spirit Prep vs. Pinecrest basketball game

Tell us about choreography school.

Why did you choose that field?

Teaching dance and choreography has been my passion since I was a little girl. I enjoy giving back to the community and helping people of all ages, and dance is a wonderful outlet for me to do just this!

How did your experience at Holy Spirit Prep help form you into the person you are today?

My experience at Holy Spirit Prep created a solid foundation for my values in life. My Holy Spirit Prep experience instilled within me compassion, confidence, independence, and respect for others. These traits have been relied upon time and time again in my adult life, and I am grateful that I gained so much from my time at Holy Spirit Prep. dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

Some topics that I would like to research include how dance may affect functional mobility, how experiences of dancing may affect everyday lives, and what motivates people to dance and keep dancing.

Through the use of participant observation, one-on-one interviews, workshops, questionnaires, participant diaries and film footage, I have been investigating how the dance affects people socially, within their everyday lives, and how participants engage artistically and technically with movement. I hope to serve God not only through my field, but by being a positive influence and giving back to the community daily.

What are your plans for the future?

I’ve learned over the years that any plans I may think I have are not up to me, but all in God’s hands. I am hoping to begin my PhD studies in the future, undertaking research which examines the relationships between community and elderly

Spiritually, my time at Holy Spirit Prep taught me to seek God in all things and nurtured my love for God, through retreats, religion classes and weekly Mass. dance. I am particularly interested in studying dance for people who are marginalized by society and the benefits they gain from incorporating dance movement in their everyday life. I am passionate about sharing dance with people of various age, gender, and abilities. In research and teaching, I will focus on the skills and issues connected with delivering dance in community settings.

Academically, Holy Spirit Prep taught me the values of time management, work ethic, leadership skills and created a safe environment for my happiness. The rigorous curriculum at Holy Spirit Prep prepared me not only for my Bachelor of Arts degree, but also my Masters in Fine Arts in the top school in the U.K. for choreography and dance research.

Spiritually, my time at Holy Spirit Prep taught me to seek God in all things and nurtured my love for God, through retreats, religion classes and weekly Mass. I was also able to receive Confirmation with my classmates, access the chapel in time of need, and sing in the choir during daily Mass.

Socially, I was able to make lifelong friends during my time at Holy Spirit Prep, and cultivated relationships that I will cherish for a lifetime.

Holy Spirit Prep allowed me to form precious memories of bonding

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experiences, including class trips to retreats. I’m still in touch with many of my classmates, and see them whenever I am visiting Atlanta or if they come to visit London.

Athletically, Holy Spirit Prep taught me to never give up even if you are the least experienced athlete on the team.

Although, I was not the best athlete on the basketball team, I had amazing teammates who kept encouraging me to do my best. Ms. Rombalski (now Mrs. Rondeau), my coach and art teacher, always pushed me to put forth 100% in anything I did.

Do you stay in touch with anyone from Holy Spirit Prep?

The close-knit environment Holy Spirit Prep provided allowed me to form friendships that became more like a

family. I keep in touch with many of my Holy Spirit Prep friends and some of them are my best friends today! Most of them are still living in Atlanta, so it’s always nice to see them when I come to visit. Sinead Carson attended my

Each and every teacher I encountered at Holy Spirit Prep taught me skills and practices that have enabled me to accomplish my life’s goals.

Mercedes at the House Leadership conference, Sewanee University, with Mr. Radosta

MFA graduation in London in July 2018 and we also traveled to Belfast and Dublin, Ireland. This spring, I will be the Maid of Honor in Morgan Prime’s wedding. Marilyn Buamah will be visiting me in London this July. I recently saw Nigel Deen, his wife Jordan Deen, and sister Indira Deen, while they were visiting London a few weeks ago. I also spent time with Anna Bussone, Emily Esposito, Max Jones, and Joe Maranville this past August while I was visiting Atlanta.

We just had our 10 year high school reunion this past August, and it was lovely to see, chat, and laugh with my classmates- some of whom I had not seen since graduation day in May 2008!

Was there a specific experience or particular teacher at Holy Spirit Prep who kindled a desire in you to go into your field of choice?

Each and every teacher I encountered at Holy Spirit Prep taught me skills and practices that have enabled me to accomplish my life’s goals. Some of these include discipline, strength and perseverance. They were truly invested not only in my academic career, but also molding me and my classmates into well-rounded adults.

Dr. Deen, my History teacher, expanded my passion for learning and exposed me to a deeper understanding of past events. Mr. Radosta, my English teacher, with his energetic and motivational teaching style expanded my literary appetite. Mr. Holly and Mr. Pietrantonio, my Latin teacher, helped me discover my love for learning and appreciating other cultures. Ms. Kenyon, my Math teacher, with her no nonsense

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Senior Prom, May 2008

approach taught me to be disciplined.

I can only thank Holy Spirit Prep for all the knowledge, opportunities, and intellectual conversations that were offered to us daily.

What is your favorite memory from your time at Holy Spirit Prep?

I have so many amazing memories from my time at Holy Spirit Prep, that it is hard to just pin point one: football games, spirit days, homecoming and prom dances, class trips, house competitions, playing cricket, and cookie breaks.

I remember being one of the first students to get to campus at 7:00 am for Greek class, and one of the last to leave because I was either studying or participating in Sea Cadets, basketball, track, cheerleading, Habitat for Humanity, Beta Club, or Thespian Club.

Our senior class trip to Rome was incredible and life changing!

One of the most impactful experiences, was becoming the House Captain for House of Chalcedon my senior year (Lets go Purple House!). I originally started out in House of Nicaea - I remember our House selection day like it was yesterday. The leadership, teamwork, and the House System at Holy Spirit Prep are also fond memories of mine!

What else show we know about you?

Some of my other hobbies include crocheting, traveling, hiking, and researching. I am currently working at the University of Roehampton and also teaching ballet to little girls and boys.

Mercedes Lewis earned her Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (and minor in Dance) from West Virginia University.

This past July, she earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Choreography and Dance from the University of Roehampton, London. She currently lives in London.

Nigel Deen with his wife Jordan Deen, visiting Mercedes in London

Mercedes on graduation day, receiving her MFA in Choreography and Dance

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ALUMNI PROFILE

Agrippina Earns Fulbright Assistantship Holy Spirit Preparatory School alumnus (’15) and Washington and Lee University senior Andrew Agrippina has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain. Agrippina is a business administration major and a creative writing minor, and he will depart for his nine-month assistantship in September. He will teach a variety of classes relating to American culture and English language at an elementary school in La Rioja, Spain.

“I am incredibly excited and honored by the opportunity to partake in a cultural exchange that can make a tangible impact through the Fulbright program,” said Agrippina. “I believe that language learning is critical to broadening one’s perspective and facilitating genuine cultural engagement, which is an important pursuit in our ever-globalizing world.”

At Holy Spirit Prep, Andrew was a classics student, studying Latin and Ancient Greek. When he entered college, he was “tentatively planning to fulfill my language requirement with Latin.”

However, during his sophomore year, Agrippina was inspired instead to take Spanish by a student he was tutoring. Starting at the lowest level of Spanish offered at W&L, Agrippina quickly fell in love with the language.

“As a business administration major, I would not have had the chance to pursue these studies without the liberal arts focus at W&L and guidance from my mentors,” Agrippina said.

“Professor Dick Kuettner introduced me to a volunteer teaching opportunity through Languages for Rockbridge [a W&L program through which student volunteers teach foreign languages to local public school students], and I gained firsthand experience teaching Spanish classes at a local elementary school.

Because of these experiences, I have gained confidence in my Spanish speaking and teaching skills and am thrilled by the opportunity to bring these to Spain through the Fulbright.”

After Spain, Agrippina has accepted a job at a consulting firm in Washington, D.C. “In the long term, I hope to make a positive impact on how language learning is approached in the United States, ideally working at the intersection of business and education to promote multilingualism,” said Agrippina.

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ALUMNI

PROFILE

NYC FC sign Juan Pablo Torres New York City Football Club has signed Holy spirit prep alumnus Juan Pablo Torres to a multi-year midfielder contract from Belgian First Division A club KSC Lokeren.

The 19-year old from Lilburn, Georgia, left Holy Spirit Prep in 2017 for a professional contract in Belgium, after playing youth soccer at Holy Spirit Prep and for Georgia United.

“I am extremely happy to come back home and join New York City FC,” Torres said in a press release for the team. “Signing for NYCFC is a special moment for my family and I’m looking forward to joining this ambitious Club to take the next step in my career.”

New York City Football Club established itself in 2015 as the twentieth expansion of the Major League Soccer franchise. It currently boasts the third largest fanbase in MLS. NYCFC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna said: “In

Juan Pablo we’re adding a dynamic midfielder who is extremely versatile and comes to us at an exciting time in his career. He’s had tremendous success in the U.S. youth national team setup. We want to pursue players who are highly adaptable and can play multiple positions and Juan Pablo fits this mold. He has a very high soccer IQ and understands the style and tactical approach in which we play. He’ll be an excellent cultural fit within our locker room and overall is an exciting addition here at NYCFC.” Torres has shown the ability to play across the center of the park and should add even more versatility and depth, according to Head Coach Domènec Torrent. “Juan Pablo is a young, American midfielder with an amazing opportunity to come back to his home country and play for our Club. He’ll be fighting for first-team minutes which will present an exciting challenge for him as he is entering a crucial time in his development.”

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Class Notes We want to hear from you! Job promotions, career updates, awards, engagements, weddings, births, running into a fellow alum - we want to hear about it all. Update us on all the amazing things you’re doing at alumni@holyspiritprep.org, and don’t forget to send pictures!

Class of 2007

Class of 2009

Elizabeth DiResta has accepted a

Lieutenant Erica Leinmiller, serving aboard the USS

position at the Westin Peachtree

Florida as Assistant Weapons Officer, was named a

Plaza Hotel in Atlanta.

Junior Officer of the Year for her squadron.

Patricia DiResta is a Pre-K5 teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Preschool in Atlanta, and a volunteer with the Junior League of Atlanta.

Class of 2011 Christina (Leinmiller) Alo and her husband, Chris, launched a travel website, DontForgettheAloe.com.

Class of 2008 Kelly Brennan was married to Ross Terrell in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on June 16, 2018.

Max Jones has accepted a position as an associate on the

Class of 2012

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

Ryan Proctor was named the

team of Denton’s, a global law

Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard

firm of over 9,000 attorneys.

Journal of Law and Public Policy.

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Class of 2013

Class of 2014

Chloe Castleberry graduated from

Mary Ruth Nagel has been accepted to

University of Missouri-Columbia with

New York University’s College of Dentistry,

a bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

and will attend upon completion of her

After a year at the Daily Mail’s New

Master’s in Oral Biology this May, also from

York bureau, Chloe is now a senior

New York University.

copywriter for marketing agency IMRE.

Class of 2015 Meredith Jones announces her engagement to Victor Mezacapa. The two are scheduled to wed June 2019 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Megan Radosta announces her engagement to Nathan Hirsh. The two are scheduled to wed August 2019 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Alan Zhu was accepted into the University of Chicago’s department of Computer Science for his graduate studies.

Class of 2017 Jonah Gunderson was named Georgia College’s Homecoming “Duke”. The school names four students to the Homecoming Court: a King and Queen from the junior and senior classes, and a Duke and Duchess from the freshman and sophomore classes.

Class of 2009 Reunion Save the date for a ten-year reunion of the Class of 2009 in Atlanta on Saturday, August 3! Email alumni@holyspiritprep.org to learn more!

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Alumni Soccer Game and Picnic This April, varsity boys soccer invited alumni back to campus for a friendly Saturday soccer match and picnic.

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GIVING TO

Holy Spirit Prep welcomes various ways of giving, including but not limited to: Pledges

Transferring Securities

Make a commitment now, but pay later.

Pledges can be fulfilled with one payment or paid in installments. All Annual Fund pledges are due May 31 each year.

Giving long-term appreciated stock or mutual fund shares offers two-fold tax savings.

Gifts of Cash, Checks, and Credit Card Unrestricted cash gifts are the most popular way to support the mission of Holy Spirit Prep. Gifts may be made in a single contribution or pledged and paid in installments. We accept VISA, American Express, and Mastercard. Make a larger impact by spreading your Annual Fund payments out monthly over ten months with a recurring gift from your credit card or checking account. Also, if you are giving through your employer to United Way, you can designate your gift to Holy Spirit Prep. All gifts must be paid by May 31, 2019, to support this fiscal school year.

Online Giving Donating to Holy Spirit Prep online is quick, easy, and secure at www. holyspiritprep.org/giving.

Corporate Matching Gifts Maximize every dollar of your gift by tracking advantage of a matching gift.

Many companies have programs that will match your contribution to Holy Spirit Prep.

1. You avoid paying any capital gains tax on the increase in the value of your stock.

2. You receive an income tax deduction for the full fair-market value of the stock on the date of the gift.

Georgia GOAL Scholarship The Georgia GOAL Scholarship Program, a state-sponsored Student Scholarship Organization (SSO), allows taxpayers, corporations, LLCs, partnerships, and trusts to redirect state tax dollars to Holy Spirit Prep for the purpose of financial aid.

While participation in this program is not a charitable donation, it provides critical funding for tuition assistance. For more information, please contact MaryLynn Llop, GOAL Coordinator, at 678.904.2811 or mllop@holyspiritprep.org.

Planned Giving Examples of planned giving include naming Holy Spirit Prep in your will or as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement fund. These planned gifts may also provide you and your heirs with significant income tax and/or estate tax deductions. The important thing is for all current and former families and friends who care about Holy Spirit Prep to do something tangible to secure our future.

Your commitment to Holy Spirit Prep during your lifetime will enable this school to plan now for future needs, while insuring excellent education for generations to come. Planned gifts enable Holy Spirit Prep to plan its programs, curriculum, and physical plant into the future -while keeping tuition as low as reasonably possible.

Benefactors making a planned gift become members of the Caritas Legacy Society.

Contact your financial planner or our Development Office for guidance on how to make a planned gift to Holy Spirit Prep.

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