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PRAYERGROTTOCONSTRUCTION COMPLETED U.S.Department of EducationAssistant SecretaryScott StumpandSuperintendent SusanMurphytour campus. KRQE articleandvideoavailablehere.

DEARPARENTS,GUARDIANSAND FRIENDS, THECOOLWEATHERHASARRIVEDANDTHELEAVESARECHANGING. Homecoming was a great success. Time goes by quickly, the first quarter of the year is over and we are in the second quarter.

Last summer and this first quarter have been challenging. St Pius X lost a number of teachers to higher pay in the public school sector. However, God always delivers for us and the new teachers added are strong and classes are going well.

One of the biggest challenges we have faced this year has been the use of social media. The administrators have worked through complaints of students who have used social media to make life miserable for others. Additionally, our greatest challenge was the ?threat? of violence on the campus. The administrators listened to all sides. It has been a balancing act to make the best decisions for all concerned. What made the investigation difficult were the parent emails and the frenzy of social media posts from the community.

Because of the nature of the posts, feelings of anger and hurt arose throughout. Demeaning statements were made that were unfounded.

Technology and social media have their place in our lives but the use of these tools can also be destructive. The faculty as a whole has stressed digital citizenship to our students. Students have been warned to be careful what they post. Likewise, what students read on social media is not always true.

Our country is a consumer of tweets, instagrams, text messages and the daily discussion of their credibility. Colleges check social media on prospective students. Prospective students may be denied admission or scholarships if a colleges deems their use of social media as inappropriate. Additionally, employers also review social media on prospective employees. Recently in the news there was a story of an up and coming comic who was offered a position to launch his television career until his social media history was checked. Findings of inappropriate comments on his use of social media resulted in the loss of the position which he had worked hard to attain.

Another inappropriate use of social media was the posting of an address to a party which resulted in a senior from Sandia High School being shot and killed. Ellen Degeneres was lambasted because she sat with friends of differing opinions of her at a football game. Please be mindful and responsible about what is posted. Remember, when posting your views, you are not speaking to one person but a multitude of people far beyond your knowledge.

Leaving digital footprints can come back to hurt anyone in their future endeavors.

Barbara M. Rothweiler, Ph.D. Principal

"GODALWAYSDELIVERSFORUSANDTHENEWTEACHERSADDEDARESTRONG ANDCLASSESAREGOINGWELL." St. Pius X High School has a well-structured safety protocol to keep the community safe from any harm. As administrators, we commend those students who brought a scary situation to us for investigation. The safety protocols were put into place and the emails sent to you bore the results. The campus remained safe at all times and we will continue to ensure the safety of our students, staff and faculty. I also want to thank the many parents who sent supportive messages to the administrators with their continued prayers for the school and the family involved.

May the Lord Jesus Christ keep us safe and bring justice and peace to this broken world.

Barbara M. Rothweiler, PhD

Barbara Ducaj, MA

Orlando Rodriguez, MA

Principal

Assistant Principal

Assistant Principal

The Responsibility of Digital Citizenship Technology has changed the world. It is a great way of keeping in tune with family and friends. But, technology can be a tool of destruction. Today, in our world of technology, everyone must be cautious about posting on any social media site. You are aware of the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) in the St. Pius X High School Student/Parent Handbook. The guidelines are listed for chromebook use, care and repair. Students report that they really like having their own Chromebook for class and homework use and all teachers at St. Pius X instruct students on the appropriate use of technology. As a reminder for the safety of all students, the following are excerpts from the policy: ?I will use caution with the information, images and other media that I post online.? ?I will act with integrity.? ?I will ensure that the information, images, and materials I post online will not put me at risk.? ?I will show respect to others. I will not use electronic media to antagonize, bully, harass, or stalk people.? ?I will avoid unacceptable materials and conversations.?

Last school year, St. Pius X entered the world of one-to-one technology. It is important to understand the entire policy. Please review the AUP in its entirety.

FROMTHEFACULTY ST.PIUSXACADEMICDECATHLONTAKESSEVENTHATNATIONAL FINALS! From the previous semester.

After winning the New Mexico State Championship in March, the Saint Pius X Academic Decathlon Team competed at the National Finals held this year in Bloomington, Minnesota, from April 24 to April 26. The competition prepares students in 10 subject areas including art, music, literature, history, economics, math, science, essay writing, speech, and personal interview. Teams may be composed of up to nine total students, three each from high, medium, and lower GPA categories. This year?s topic of focus was the decade of the1960?s. Art and Music featured abstract, protest, minimalist and postmodern art of the era; the Literature category consisted of the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead by Tom Stoppard and several short works including Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.; the History section encompassed major events that shaped the turbulent era that saw the passage of the Civil Rights Act and U.S. participation in the Vietnam War; the Science category covered optics and lasers; the Mathematics test featured counting techniques, statistics, sequences, and series; and the Economics category covered all major topics of macroand micro-economics and a special section relating to the Great Society programs of LBJ. The 2019 Saint Pius X Team was composed of two members who were veterans of National-level competition from last year and five rookie members. Veteran members included seniors Dominic DeBlassie and Kayla Moehn. First-time Nationals attendees were senior Sarah Brown, juniors Sam Valenzuela and Logan Hooks, and sophomores Danny Pham and Jacob Moehn. Around 650 total students from 34 U.S. States, Great Britain, and China competed.

A list of the higher individual achievements follows. There were approximately 220 competitors in each student division.

HONORS DIVISION Kayla Moehn - NATIONAL SILVER MEDAL IN ART - 6th Place in History - 8th Place in Speech Danny Pham - 9th Place in Mathematics Jacob Moehn - 10th Place in Literature SCHOLASTIC DIVISION Sam Valenzuela - 4th Place in Interview - 6th Place in Music - 8th Place in Mathematics Sarah Brown - 4th Place in Speech - 7th Place in Mathematics - 7th Place in Interview Logan Hooks - 6th Place in Science - 8th Place in Economics - 8th Place in Art

VARSITY DIVISION Dominic DeBlassie - SCHOLARSHIP WINNER - Overall Score - SCHOLARSHIP WINNER ? Most Valuable Team Member -NATIONAL SILVER MEDAL IN SCIENCE -NATIONAL SILVER MEDAL IN SPEECH -4th Place in Mathematics -4th Place in Economics -5th Place in Art -6th Place in History The Saint Pius X Academic Teams have won eighteen State Championships over the last twenty-three years of competition and have often achieved a national rank of around 4th or 5th among schools in Division III (high schools with approximately 1000 students or fewer) or Division II (schools with approximately 1000-1800 students).

The most recent major team award for Saint Pius X was in 2015, the overall 4th Place Trophy in Division III at the National Finals in Anaheim, California. This year one member of the Saint Pius X team could not attend the National Finals, so the team?s total score was lower than if it had a full complement. Despite this, Saint Pius X placed 7th in the U.S. in Division III. Adding in typical scores for the missing student would have moved Saint Pius up to 4th in the country.

SPX team members brought home three national medals: Dominic DeBlassie won National Silver Medals in Science and in Speech, and Kayla Moehn won the National Silver Medal in Art. Dominic also won two scholarships, one for his overall score and a second for being voted the Most Valuable Team Member by members of the SPX Team. Four other solid performances narrowly missed earning additional national awards. Sam Valenzuela placed fourth in the Interview event; Sarah Brown placed fourth in Speech; Dominic DeBlassie placed fourth in both Mathematics and Economics, narrowly missing bronze medals by only one question in each event.

Congratulations to every team member for a great year!

FINEARTS Tis the beginning of Fall . . . and how better to enjoy this wonderful time of year than with Fine Arts happenings . . .

DRAMA Annie Giannini Rehearsals are in full swing for the fall production of The Bacchae, a Greek tragedy by Euripides, translated by William Arrowsmith. This is the only Greek play that features Dionysus, the Greek mythological god of wine and theatre. Dionysus comes to the city of Thebes to seek revenge on its citizens for denying the fact that he is a god.

Murder and mayhem ensue, and the royal family learns a tragic lesson. Performances are in Stage One, November 8 and 9, at 7PM and November 10, at 2PM. BAND AND ORCHESTRA Keith Jordan That?s right---the band/orchestra concert is Oct. 13th at 7pm in Stage 2. Begin your evening with a stroll through the candle lit quad sipping hot chocolate and then come in and warm your body and soul with the Fall Concert music of the SPX band and orchestra under the direction of Mr. Keith Jordan. The concert is on Stage 2 and there will also be a showing of Fall Semester art projects in the foyer of St. Cecilia Hall! Don?t forget that the Booster Club will have intermission treats for everyone in the foyer of St. Cecilia Hall. (aka the Fine Arts Building) The orchestra is pleased to announce that Mr. Benicio Gutierrez was selected to the National Honor Ensemble ANHE Symphony Orchestra to be held in Orlando, Florida in November! This is a wonderful honor for Benicio and his family. 2019 graduate, Miss Amanda Stone, was selected for the national honor choir last year in Florida. We have amazingly talented students here at SPX! God has blessed us with incredible students and families!

Oct. 31st is our Halloween concert during lunches. All of our groups are excited to perform for our school and our Catholic feeder school 7th graders.

Our first football game with the pep band is September 28th, 2019 ? 1pm at Community Stadium. We play Aztec HS, and it should be an exciting game! We look forward to seeing you all there.

All-State String auditions are RAPIDLY approaching the deadline for signup is September 14th. Band auditions are almost upon us as well. Keep an eye on the calendar for future events. God Bless you and your families during this busy time of the year.

Ulban Aragon, Roman Dubois, and Ronan Braun rehearse for The Bacchae.

Benicio Gutierrez

VISUAL ART Robert Willits The visual art students have recently completed their first major project - a large still life composition. They were very successful in their finished product. Many were able to create very realistic renderings of some rather difficult objects. It appears that several of the students will have pieces worthy of exhibit and even competition. They exhibited superior focus and concentration in execution and excellent understanding of the basic art concepts involved in completing the project.

Digital Arts Previn Hudetz Our Pius students are excelling in our Digital Arts classes. Our Digital Art I, Photography, and Videography students are developing their skills through a series of challenging projects and learning each week about influential masters in the field. Our Digital Art I class is wrapping up the final work in our Photoshop unit with a Freestyle Set, using the techniques they've learned so far; painting, integrating images together, and using an array of advanced techniques to adjust the exposure, gamma settings, and hue of their pieces. We've been doing weekly sketches on a variety of subjects to develop eye-hand coordination and checking their retention of terminology and techniques with several quizzes. Our Photography class has become proficient in the function of our Canon and Nikon cameras, and have used them to complete assignments in image composition and staged photography.

Choral Program Clarissa Clark The SPX Choral Program is off to a fantastic start! The Bel Canto men joined Volcano Vista in attending the ENMU men?s choir workshop. We had a blast and ended the day in performing the pieces learned. The performance can be viewed on YouTube at youtu.be/3-TsRof1qAU. We had our first monthly choir night this past Monday 9/16 in which we had food, fun and fellowship! We are preparing for Solo and Ensemble on 10/5 and All State Auditions on 10/17.

The choir will be in concert with UNM on Friday, 10/25 in Keller Hall at 7 pm. We are looking forward to singing the National Anthem at the homecoming game and visiting with the greater SPX community!

Choir Night, an evening of team building, food, and fellowship.

MATH The Math Department would like to welcome three new teachers this year. Ms. Emily Dieterichs (SPX Class of 2015), Mr. Robert Stubbs, and Mr. Steven Peralta. Ms. Dieterichs is teaching Algebra I and Algebra II/Trig this year. She brings her background as an SPX graduate, as well as her experience as an SPX Assistant Basketball Coach and Substitute Teacher. Mr. Stubbs is teaching Geometry and Algebra II. He has had experience teaching a variety of subjects in the public-school system. Mr. Peralta is teaching Geometry, Algebra II/Trig and Statistics.

He has had experience teaching mathematics at the post-secondary level and is enjoying his work with our students. These excellent teachers are doing a wonderful job. They are proving themselves to be strong assets to both the Mathematics Department and the SPX community.

Attention Juniors and Seniors: If you plan to take the ACT here at St. Pius X on October 26, the late registration deadline is October 4. Make sure to sign up. ACT (and SAT) preparation is available to all students using Method Test Prep. The more you practice, the more confident you will be on exam day.

MODERNLANGUAGES- FRENCH "The new chapter of the Société Honoraire de Français at St. Pius X inducted three Sartans. Trinity Aragon, Benicio Gutierrez, and Charlie Woodcock, juniors, all qualified for membership. The société, also known as the French National Honor Society, recognizes high school students who maintain an excellent GPA, excel in their French classes, and devote time to community service. Traditionally, inductees recite the motto, ?l'homme qui sait deux langues en vaut deux,? which means the man who knows two languages is worth two men."

Société Honoraire de Français inductees Trinity Aragon, Benicio Gutierrez, and Charlie Woodcock.

FRENCHCONTINUED What would bring a twenty-six year teaching veteran from Pennsylvania to the Land of Enchantment? After having experienced both public and Catholic teaching environments, Saint Pius X?s new French teacher, Jacqueline Prugar, tells us that she wanted to return to an educational system that was not only grounded in a strong academic tradition, but one that has deep spiritual roots as well. Mrs. Prugar has a strong background in both French and education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in French/Secondary Education from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and a Master?s Degree in French literature from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Although she is primarily a French teacher, Mrs. Prugar is also certified to teach English, Latin, Social Studies and Spanish. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Prugar has also participated in several summer study abroad programs; one with Bryn Mawr College in Avignon, France as an undergraduate and another in which she participated for four consecutive summers with the University of Northern Iowa in Angers, France while she was a teacher. Because she considers herself a lifelong student of French, Mrs. Prugar travels to France nearly every summer either with her husband, Todd, or with students as a group leader with EF Tours. While at Saint Pius X High School, Mrs. Prugar hopes to grow interest in French by building the program and establishing a chapter of the Société Honoraire de Français which is a student organization that recognizes academic excellence in the study of French. Furthermore, Mrs. Prugar has been a member of the American Association of Teachers of French for the last thirty-three years, a member of both the Pittsburgh and Albuquerque chapter of the Alliance Française.

Although the trek from Elk County to Albuquerque was quite a challenge, Mrs. Prugar is looking forward to what lies ahead for her in the Land of Enchantment.

SCIENCE Members of the Science Department are very pleased to welcome Joann Maestas as a full-time teacher in the department this year! Many of you may already know Mrs. Maestas since she was a long-term substitute teacher for several biology classes last year. Mrs. Maestas grew up in Espanola, moved to Las Cruces for college and then to Albuquerque for graduate school.

She has a Bachelor?s degree in Agricultural Science from NMSU and a Master?s degree in Biomedical Science from UNM. She worked at UNM and Albany Molecular Research, Inc. before joining Pius. Joann and her husband Joseph have two children - Felix (4) and Mikayla (15). Her hobbies are traveling, hiking, running, and spending time with her family. When asked why she chose Pius; she said, ?I love the sense of community here. I feel that it is a place I can also grow in my faith right along with the students. The beautiful campus is a bonus too!? We are very lucky to have Mrs. Maestas teaching at St. Pius!

Joann Maestas

SCIENCECONTINUED Students in both Conceptual Physics and Principles of Chemistry are transitioning into following the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) curriculum, focusing on not only the concepts but also the pedagogical techniques of scientific inquiry. This means students will be doing more ?hands on?. The same college preparatory style of: lecture, homework, and tests will be used, but with the added ?twist? of a ?storyline?. The storyline is often a situation or case study that is introduced at the beginning of a unit, students ask questions about that, and the unit develops the answers to their questions.

Below, Chemistry students are working on the concept of density by measuring mass on a balance and volume by water displacement. This data is graphed, with the ultimate goal of identifying an unknown metal by its density. This process also involves learning to do scientific calculations properly.

In Physics, students are beginning their study of Mechanics by examining the concept of inertia.

The magic tablecloth trick involves looking at mass and weight, frictional force, supporting force and gravitational force as they all interact when the student attempts to pull the tablecloth out from under the place setting! [Do try this at home? .with a flat smooth cloth as the tablecloth and with plastic and metal dishes!

Hint, you must pull FAST and EVENLY and just a little bit down.]

SOCIALSTUDIES Terri Galles Bryan has joined the Social Studies Department after returning to her native home from California where she?s a 6th generation New Mexican. Terri offers an intertwined background having worked as a senior marketing executive for national technology corporations and as a teacher having taught from the higher education through the secondary education levels in the social sciences.

She earned her BA?s in French and History at USC; completed her MA and has nearly completed her Ph.D at UNM?s Department of History and at the Center for Western Research in U.S. History, History of the American West, and Ethnic Sociology; and, added the MA of Education at USC?s Rossier School of Education, with a post-MA advanced credential at SDSU in the secondary social sciences and second language special education instruction. She?s enthusiastic and honored to team with the staff at St. Pius X High School and to help our students ?learn how to learn?, leverage strong communications skills, and build a solid background in the social sciences to enhance a broad perspective and ability to synthesize an interdisciplinary education. Here, students will later command a competitive edge when they enter the university and pursue chosen career opportunities.

Terri Galles

SOCIALSTUDIESCONTINUED

Students have conversations around the question, "What does it mean to be a free person?" Does it mean choosing political leaders? Having access to land? Freedom to worship? It is part of a larger unit on the Haitian revolution, as the slaves of Haiti are ending the institution of slavery, they are trying to negotiate the terms of their new found freedom.

THEOLOGY/CAMPUSMINISTRY SPX Theology Department is off to a great start, with student retreats and activities already underway!

Freshmen spent a day of fun and bonding, even before the school year began in ?Frosh Camp.? Sophomore retreats allowed the sophomore class to get to know each other on a deeper level and to explore their faith together as well. Finally, Junior retreats took place at Camp Oro Quay in the beautiful east mountains, where lots of games and challenges helped them to explore their faith together while building deeper friendships.

Senior Theology classes (Social Justice), who give 3 hours of social justice-related service work to the community as part of the Social Justice class, have been busy at HopeWorks (formerly St. Martin?s Hospitality Center) and Encuentro, New Mexico, a non-profit resource center for immigrants. On a recent night at HopeWorks, 4 SPX Seniors helped prepare and serve the evening meal to almost 100 guests. That night?s meal coordinators, members of area Lutheran Churches, were so impressed by St. Pius students that they asked us to return next time they coordinate dinner! Meanwhile, SPX Seniors also attended volunteer tutor training at Encuentro, located in the Barelas neighborhood of downtown Albuquerque. There, they received training in teaching English conversation skills so that they can help students practice during ESL classes, Thursday nights from 7-8 pm.

Later in the semester, students will also have the opportunity to help host Christmas parties in early December at the YDDC, the Youth Diagnostic and Development Center, here in Albuquerque. Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe?s Pastoral Outreach Program, the annual Christmas parties are a favorite service activity of seniors, faculty, staff and parent mentors every year. If you are interested in serving as a parent chaperone with your senior student this year, please contact Alicia Eiler, Community Service Coordinator, in the St. Pius Student Activities Office, during school hours.

THEOLOGY/CAMPUSMINISTRYCONTINUED Service projects, whether for a specific class or for yearly required hours, allow our students to put their faith in action in a concrete way for real issues. Our students are challenged to grow and to expand their horizons, and, at the same time, the greater Albuquerque community benefits from our students?example, dedication and faith.

Thank you for supporting your SPX student as they serve our school and community throughout their time at St. Pius!

Seniors Lauren Maddock, Aaliyah Turrietta and Elena Resta (the boy is a volunteer from the Lutheran Church)

Prayer grotto added to St. Pius X campus

by Melissa Sais A 14-year-old idea to promote Catholic faith, prayer and unity has become reality with the recent addition of a stone prayer grotto to the St. Pius X High School campus.

Situated just north of Senior Hill, the grotto offers a serene place for prayer and reflection overlooking the city and across to the mountains. Teachers and their classes will have the opportunity to use the many benches surrounding the space for outdoor lessons or group prayer.

Expecting to complete the grotto with white marble statues, the prayer space will feature a statue of Servant of God Sr. Blandina Segale, SC, a Sister of Charity instrumental in the establishment of New Mexico schools and hospitals in the late-1870s to 1900 and whose cause for canonization was announced in 2014.

"Sr. Blandina was instrumental in bringing education to New Mexico:' said SPX Deacon Rene Greivel. "We want to honor her history in education in this part of the world. And what better way than to honor her on our campus, the woman who will, God willing, be our first New Mexico saint' Surrounding the Sr. Blandina statue to the left is a statue of St. Joseph with the child Jesus and to the right is a statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The grotto features space for prayer candles and will be illuminated at night.

Deacon Greivel first conceived the idea of the grotto when he joined the school about 14 years ago. Last spring, momentum built with offers of help from SPX Dean San Juan Mendoza and Facilities Director Dave Sullivan. Providing funding and in-kind services to construct the grotto are Darren Beckett, the Hilltop Landscape Architects and Contractors, CHI St. Joseph and Atlas Electrical Construction.

"The Hand of God has been with us throughout this process;' Deacon Greivel said. "At each point along the way, He led us to the next person who could help.?

COUNSELING INCOMING STUDENTS - Our counselors are looking forward to meeting individually with 9th grade and transfer students. 9th grade students have had a successful orientation, presented by the Counseling Department. Students do not need to wait for their counselor to call them, we invite them to come by Room 300 and we will get them signed up ASAP! We look forward to meeting 9th grade parents on Thursday November 7th during 9th grade parent night at 6:30 PM in the Fine Arts Building.

SENIORS, do not wait for your counselor to call you in. Instead, you are welcome to sign up for a visit with your counselor to assist you regarding college. The counselors are eager to assist you with college/university information. Seniors, remember to input information into your Naviance/Family Connection account. This program helps to streamline the college application process. Access your Google Classroom 2020 for updated college and scholarship information. Be sure to read your school emails at least once a week, as the Counseling Department will utilize it to communicate with you throughout the year.

TESTING INFORMATION SCHOOL-WIDE TESTING DAY AT SPX - School-wide testing day is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16, starting at 8 a.m. Testing usually lasts until 12:30pm-1:00pm at SPX. Bring a picture ID, two #2 pencils, a calculator and a snack. Get a good night's sleep, and also eat a healthy breakfast. The tests being administered are as follows: ACT Aspire for freshman and the PSAT Test for sophomores and juniors.

(Preparation materials have been administered in English classes) Students can also use Method Test Prep to help prepare for these tests. Parents: remember, testing will be completed between 12:30pm-1:00pm and the students will need to be picked up at that time. Seniors do not need to attend school on Wednesday, October 16 and are encouraged to complete any community service hours or work on college applications in lieu of testing.

STUDENTS REGISTERED TO TAKE THE ACT AT SPX ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2019 Students should sign up by September 20th @ www.actstudent.org for this ACT without a late fee. Include SPX School Code: #320032 when you register for the exam so that SPX will receive your scores. It is mandatory to be present no later than 7:30 a.m.; ACT no longer allows stand-by or walk in on testing day, but they do require an uploaded picture as a mandatory part of the registration process. Please remember to bring your admission ticket, a picture ID, two #2 pencils, a calculator, and a healthy snack for break. Get a good night?s rest and eat a good breakfast. Start working on your practice tests now in order to do your best!

Practice test booklets and exams are available on the ACT website. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact the SPX Counseling Department.

NEW COUNSELOR Frances Sandoval, a 42-year education veteran, recently joined the St. Pius family. She formerly taught English in both middle school and high school, where her favorite books to teach were ?To Kill a Mockingbird? and ?Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.? She?d eventually become a school counselor, where she has spent most of her career. Though she previously worked in the public school system, her three children and a grandchild are Pius alumni. It?s been a great transition for her, she feels blessed to counsel students. Sandoval said, ?God has always put me where He needs me,? and now that?s at Pius.

COUNSELINGCONTINUED SAT and SAT Subject Tests? THESE TESTS ARE NOT ADMINISTERED AT ST. PIUS Preparation booklets are available in the Counseling Department. Upcoming test dates are October 5th with a September 24th late registration deadline and November 2nd with an October 3rd registration deadline. Call the College Board at 866.756.7346 with questions. SPX School Code: #320032, be sure to include this code so that SPX will receive your scores. Register online @ www.collegeboard.org for either the SAT or SAT Subject Tests. Several colleges require 2-3 SAT Subject tests in addition to the SAT or ACT. If there are any questions or concerns, please contact the SPX Counseling Department.

ACCOMMODATION PLANS Has your child been tested for a learning difference, ADHD, or any other situation not specified on his/her health form? Was an IEP or 504/Accommodation Plan on file at his/her previous school? This is information the Counseling Department would like to know about as soon as possible. It will be beneficial to your student and will help us to meet their needs. Please contact your student?s counselor in the Counseling Department at 831-8425 to discuss your student?s previous testing in order to work together to develop an SPX accommodation plan.

LEARNING SPECIALIST: We welcome the newest member of our Counseling Department, Ms. Heather MacGregor. Ms. MacGregor will serve as the case manager for students with accommodation plans and for those students on academic probation. She can be reached at 505.831.8581 or hmacgregor@spxabq.org.

NEW ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT We are also happy to introduce our newest administrative assistant to the counseling department, Ms. Brenda Lujan. She is very happy to be a part of the team and enjoys working with the St. Pius X High School community. Ms. Lujan will be an integral part of the Counseling Department and will help assist the counselors. She looks forward to working with the SPX students and providing useful information during their journey here at St. Pius X High School.

REMINDER: College information, ACT/SAT testing resources and college visit days are available in the Counseling Office. College visits at SPX: Students are encouraged to stop by the Counseling Office to see who, when, and where. Students may sign up to visit any college visiting SPX and will receive a pass on the day of the visit.

HISPANICHERITAGENIGHT The month of October will kick off with Hispanic Heritage Night starting at 6:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 22, in the Fine Arts Center at St. Pius. Featured presentations will include dancers, singers, guitar, a band, poetry readings, and the SPX Drill Team. There will also be presentations by the St. Pius Music Department, featuring the St. Pius Chorus.

Every year this big event honors Hispanics in conjunction with the national celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and this year we are looking for other students, parents, outside groups to share their talents with us. Please contact Sr. Baca at jdbaca@spxabq.org if you are interested in performing this year. Thanks to all who yearly make this a grand festival and thanks to all performers and to all who volunteer to participate in this festival.

SPXSUPPORTSTAFFHONORED Do not ever underestimate the importance of having support staff working around you. They are well organized, have a good eye for detail, often times bring objectivity to proceedings, deal with most issues promptly, make sure everyone is kept in the loop, etc. etc.

SPX Support Staff was honored with an Afternoon Tea, hosted by Bunny Sanchez. This lovely afternoon allowed the support staff, along with members of the Administration and Faculty to rest, relax, talk, and drink a soothing cup of tea for a couple of hours.

If you know a support staff person at St. Pius, please take time to thank them and let them know how valued they are to us. Thanks!

Legal Notice: The Archdiocese of Santa Fe and St. Pius X High School, Albuquerque, comply with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) by providing access for the review of the Management Plan at this school. The Management Plan is kept in the Facilities Manager?s office and will be updated as various situations develop and inspections are completed. Arrangements may be made with the Facilities Manager of the school for review of the materials. Any questions may be directed to the Facilities Manager at the school or the Director of General Services at the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

Photo Credit: Gabriele Reil, science teacher, during a mini-pilgrimage to Tome Hill.