FOCUS Alumni Magazine - Summer/Fall 2019

Focus

Alumni Magazine - Summer/Fall 2019

M

ore than 50 alumni and friends met at Miller Park in Milwaukee to see the Cubs play the Brewers

In This Issue:

SFHS Connect Reunions France Trip Regional Visits Photos Murals and Fitness Center Empower Illinois Spartan Classic

Advancement Office Dr. Betsy Ackerson President

Becky Feltes ‘97 Fischesser Director of Alumni Relations

Maureen Isphording Director of Admissions

Megan Jamen

Communications Manager

Peg Kopec

Advancement Associate

James Quinn

Institutional Advancement Information Manager

Debbie Quirk

(Above) Nine alumni returned to SFHS for the Faculty/Staff Retreat to teach something from their field of expertise. The faculty/staff were asked to step outside of their comfort zones and learn something in a discipline for which they are unfamiliar. Thank you to (top row) Sean Conley ‘19 (soccer), Casey Salandra ‘13 (science), Axel Moreen ‘18 (music), Nick King ‘19 (art), Michael Novack ‘09 (math), (bottom row) Alyssa Fernandez ‘13 (science), Lauren Stanek ‘13 (science), Payton Morse ‘19 (dance), and Libby Prosch ‘19 (Spanish), for teaching your former teachers something new!

Director of Special Events and Parent Relations

Beth Erazmus ‘89 Wiborg

Director of the International Student Program Assistant Admissions

Stay Connected: St. Francis High School Wheaton IL @SFHS_Spartans sfhsspartans St. Francis High School Wheaton, IL sfhscollegeprep.org

(Below) Class of 2019 Legacy Families: Nicholas Armbrust ’19, (Steven Armbrust ‘78 - not pictured), Emma Armbrust ’19, Michael Armbrust ‘88, Tammy Denemark ’88 Armbrust, Riley Banigan ’19, Patrick Banigan ‘88, Caroline Caesar ’19, Nancy Cosgrove ’78 Caesar, (Sean Conley ’19, Daniel Conley ‘75 - not pictured), Annie DeMars ’19, Charles DeMars ‘86, Mary Armbrust ’86 DeMars, Hannah Drendel ’19, Brad Drendel ‘90, Patrick England ’19, Scott England ‘89, Shalene Koltz ’88 England, Sean Farley-Agee ’19, Kathryn Farley ‘87 Agee, Nicholas Gulli ’19, Maria Reda ‘88 Gulli, Margaret Harper ’19, Julie Keller ‘84 Harper, Gabriella Johnson ’19, Melissa Mitchell ‘90 Johnson, Finn Kliebhan ’19, Ted Kliebhan ‘87, Kate Kearney ’89 Kliebhan, Joe Lang ’19, Paula Vechart ‘72 Long, (Charlotte Racky ’19, Jill Martorano ‘94 Racky – not pictured), Megan Moran ’19, Terence Moran ‘83, (Peter Pacheco ’19, Alma Cortez ‘81 Pacheco – not pictured), Sophia Robinson ’19, Robin Robinson ’81, Maria Russo ’19, David Russo ’78, Sarah Sawko ’19, Paul Sawko ‘77, Kamryn Schlewitt ’19, Jorie DeSimone ’94 Schlewitt, Ryan Smagacz ‘19, Teresa Kartheiser ‘86, Abigail Smith ’19, Susan Lamesch ’90 Smith

Letter from the

President Greetings Spartans!

We have a lot of positive momentum going into the school year this year. We started back to school with a wonderful retreat for faculty and staff with the help of nine alumni. Our theme for this year is “Flourish.” God willing we will all flourish in grace, love, goodness, and strength as a school community. I invite each of you to join the faculty, staff and students in this endeavor.

As you may know, I spent my first year with SFHS meeting as many alumni as I could—in all sorts of places. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of you at our regional alumni events around the country—Chicago; Naples, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; Milwaukee - as well as closer to home throughout greater Chicagoland, and of course, here on campus in Wheaton. Some of you went out of your way to introduce yourselves to me….after Mass, at the grocery, at your places of work, and even in your homes. Your love for SFHS is beautiful to see. It seems like every week alumni walk through the doors to roam the halls, reminisce, and share stories. Please know you are always welcome back anytime!

It’s inspiring to hear about the impact you each have and to see how your experiences at St. Francis High School equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and relationships that continue to enable you to lead full, meaningful lives. Equally impressive is hearing about the impact for the good you have in your own families, communities, and professions. You are living proof that St. Francis High School is truly a one-ofa-kind school where life-long friendships are forged, and lives are forever changed for the good of God’s kingdom!

This year we are introducing new ways to help you continue to Flourish—and reconnect you with SFHS alumni and current students. Whether in person or online, we hope you will take full advantage of the many opportunities that come with being an alum of St. Francis High School. We are very excited to introduce two new opportunities for SFHS alumni—an online networking database and a May 2020 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Keep turning the pages to learn more!

God bless you,

Dr. Betsy V. Ackerson President

SFHS Connect

Alumni Networking

As your Director of Alumni Relations, it is with pride that I serve you in connecting with SFHS and our fellow alumni.

I am grateful for the opportunity to be back at my alma mater contributing to the school that gave me a spiritual, academic, and athletic foundation for excellence.

It is my goal to foster a strong, growing relationship between SFHS and you, by promoting the school’s mission through alumni re-engagement. This can be achieved in a variety of ways from welcoming you back to campus, to connecting at social events, to providing networking and educational opportunities for alumni and future alumni.

To make all of this easier, we welcome you to SFHS Connect!

This new alumni platform is a one-stop-shop for everything alumni related. We are excited to be able to offer this to all alumni and hope you take advantage of the resources available.

Look for an email from me in October with the link to access SFHS Connect. Then begin reconnecting with old friends, networking with alumni in your career field, and planning and registering for events.

Becky Feltes ‘97 Fischesser Director of Alumni Relations

www.sfhscollegeprep.org

Setting up my profile was seamless!

I am beyond excited for what this new platform holds in store for the SFHS Alumni community.

- Ken Dillenkoffer ‘98 Alumni Association, Vice President

“SFHS Connect is very easy to use. I hope all alumni will sign up. I can’t wait to connect to my classmates all in one place. This will help us to stay connected on many levels - reunions, employment opportunities, SFHS events, and just to have fun.”

- Mark Sawko ‘75

S P A R T AFaN st St. Francis High School College Preparatory

Facts

Student: Teacher Ratio Average Class Size Enrollment Ideal Size for Success

13:1 23 685

TRADITION

65%

of students participate in the Performing & Visual Arts

98%

of Students Participate in School-Sponsored Activities

24

Sports Teams

2019

FOUNDED

1956

ACADEMICS

123

Full Year and Semester Course Offerings

74%

Average ACT Score

FAITH & SERVICE In 2018-2019, students completed approximately

HOURS

Faculty with Advanced College Degrees

21

Honors Courses

16 AP Courses

Get involved from 2:30 p.m.-3:10 p.m.

Earned in Scholarships

16,000

®

Activity Period

100% $27M 27

Acceptance into College

Microsoft Showcase School

of Christian service

DAILY

Prayer, Religion Classes

MONTHLY Masses

YEAR-ROUND Retreat Opportunities

St. Francis High School is a college-preparatory, co-educational Catholic high school, promoting the spiritual, academic, physical and social development in students.

2130 W. Roosevelt Rd. Wheaton, IL 60187 www.sfhscollegeprep.org 630.668.5800

Class of 2019

School

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE 1

National Merit Scholar

1

National Merit Finalist

1

National Merit Commended Student

3

Perfect ACT Scores

Honorable Mentions

1

IHSA All-State Academic Team

2

Daily Herald Leadership Team

1

Daily Herald Leadership Team

30

AP Scholars

44

Illinois State Scholars

42

Students who graduated with honors, high honors or honors with distinction

ADMISSIONS Click here to read the viewbook shared with prospective families.

Click here to view faculty and staff welcoming the Class of 2023

Kelsey Robinson ’10, Jeff Jendryk ’14, and Assistant Coach Erin Virtue ’01 are members of the USA National volleyball teams and all are headed to Tokyo for the Olympics! GO SPARTANS!

Alumni

Updates

2002 On August 11, Patrick Quinn ’02, artist and Ph.D. researcher, began a walk across Illinois to raise funds and awareness for people ex p e r i e n c i n g homelessness in the state. His approximately 190-mile trek started on the muddy banks of the Mississippi River in Rock Island, Illinois and his journey ended a week later in downtown Chicago at Grant Park – a few blocks from Lake Michigan.

One of Quinn’s goals for the walk was to demonstrate how a humble act, such as walking, can influence social change – on both small and large scales. He viewed the walk as an opportunity to learn more about homelessness in Illinois, particularly from people living on the periphery of society. Quinn stopped at various shelters throughout the course of his walk, met people experiencing housing crisis, heard and shared their stories. His project was inspired by the 2001 walk across Illinois undertaken by the late Dr. Quentin Young and his father, former Governor Patrick Quinn, to promote the Bernardin Amendment, a proposed amendment aimed to establish healthcare as a fundamental right for all Illinois citizens.

Housing Forward is a grateful recipient of his fundraising efforts.

Follow his journey on Instrgram: @ultracryp

1992

Dave Blondell was recently named the new chief of the Norwood Park Fire Department.

2007

Krystian Link returned to SFHS in February to speak to the Intro to Engineering class about his education and career journey.

2011

Eric Stout is a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization.

2013

Ryan Langton returned to SFHS in April to speak to the Intro to Engineering and AP Physics classes about his background in mechanical engineering.

Peter Quirk returned to SFHS in April to address the senior class during their Senior Institute breakfast.

He encouraged the students to stay connected with SFHS after they graduate and to volunteer and support the school as alumni.

2014

James Butler recently signed with the Oakland Raiders organization.

Justin Flood is an Assistant Football Coach for Special Teams at The University of Iowa.

Emily Loughman is a member of the Cheerleading team for the Indianapolis Colts.

Our newest alumni - W

To date, the

Alumni Association

$250,000+ 34 has d raise

for

2015

Jason Sullivan and the Central Michigan University baseball team won the 2019 Mid-American Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Baseball Tournament.

2016

Sloane Baumgartner plays lacrosse for Ohio Wesleyan University and was named North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week.

Katie Kleve traveled to India over Spring Break with Augustana College.

She toured the Taj Mahal and many temples and shared her experiences with Ms. Kristen Ras and the SFHS World Religion classes.

Shea Mahoney, University of Alabama, All-SEC, was on the SEC Community Service Team, received the David DeSantis Community Service Award, completed her Bachelor’s degree in three years and is a UA Master’s Candidate.

Welcome Class of 2019!

legacy scholarships!

Brett Whelton and his baseball team at McNeese State University won the 2019 Southland Conference Tournament to advance to the NCAA Nashville Regional.

2018

Luke Armbrust, University of Illinois (golf), won the Conference Sportsmanship Award.

Alexandra Schmidt was on the Dean’s list for Marquette University’s College of Health Sciences.

2019

Maddie Zediker was accepted into the Gamecock Pharmacy Assurance (GPA) program at University of South Carolina - a provisional early acceptance into USC College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

(Above) Navy Ensign Caroline French ‘13 helps to re-enlist a Petty Officer Second Class on the aft missile deck on the USS Decatur.

Mr. Kolodziej’s Challenge for Alumni If you were awake in class, you might recall my (true) story about getting burned at my very first cooking job when I was about 17 years old. To jog your memory: recall that as I was backing out of an elevator with a food cart on wheels, my right foot stepped into an open sewer recently cleaned with steam. The intense heat shocked me, and after I stumbled out the door and removed my shoe and sock, a hillbilly cook was called to help.

He began to break eggs on my open wound, and—unfortunately—also threw a couple handfuls of salt on the wound.

I had always wondered why that cook broke eggs and tossed salt on the wound. I still can’t explain the salt, but recently, after a half century of wonder, I was listening to a book when I suddenly learned why he broke those eggs on my foot. It was not, as I had supposed, to “cool” the burn.

www.sfhscollegeprep.org

Do you know why? If so, I will buy lunch (required location: Chicago) for the man/woman who emails me the first correct answer.

(Kolsens@hotmail. com). Hint: I was listening to Dr. Sharon Moalem’s book, Survival of the Sickest, but that is only one possible source for obtaining the correct answer.

What an exciting year for alumni at St. Francis High School!

First, I am excited to announce and eager to fulfill my new full-time role as the Director of Alumni Relations.

This role solidifies the commitment to continuing our alumni engagement.

Last year, we hosted three regional and many local events to celebrate our alumni.

Our 29th Annual Alumni Golf Outing was the most successful to date.

There is a lot of enthusiasm as we prepare to kickoff this year’s fall events.

Our Alumni Reunion Weekend, September 27 & 28 will begin with the 2019 Spartan Classic - celebrating our 30th Alumni Golf Outing! Our goal is to sell out all 27 holes at Cantigny Golf Club. The deadline to register with early bird pricing is September 3, so don’t forget to visit the website and take advantage of this offer!

On Saturday, September 28, we will honor this year’s Distinguished Alumni. Tours of the school will be available at 2:30 p.m. and Mass will follow at 4:00 p.m.

SFHS continues to evolve and progress.

Our new Fitness Center is just one small example of the great strides our community has taken to offer the best possible facilities for our students.

I welcome a new school year knowing I will have a chance to meet more of you and hear your stories of how SFHS has impacted your life. Please know you’re always welcome back.

Becky Feltes ‘97 Fischesser

Director of Alumni Relations 630-668-5800 x1202 bfischesseer@sfhscollegeprep.org

Looking for

ALUMNI MENTORS in the following fields

Medicine Law Entrepreneurship/ Business & Engineering who would welcome a student/ young alum to shadow you at work for a day.

For more info contact bfischesser@sfhscollegeprep.org

Lynn Mirabella ‘80 was one of six alumni, who agreed to participate as an Alumni Mentor in last year’s Ensuring Our Future Auction. The participant’s were available for auction guests to bid for the chance to have their current student or recent graduate shadow the alumni professional for a day at work.

Lynn is a practing attorney in the area of family law. She advocates for and represents children. While many cases are sad, Lynn said she has also experienced positive experiences and outcomes as well.

Lynn is very grateful for her education and teachers at SFHS. Though she followed in the footsteps of her father, grandfather and great grandfather in practicing law, Lynn credits her SFHS teachers for her critical thinking and writing skills.

Lynn and her husband sent their three daughters to SFHS and she has three nieces and nephews who are current students here.

Her advice for students today is to “make good choices. It sounds insane, but the stupid decisions you make today could affect you adversely for many years to come!”

Alumni

50th

30th

Class of 1969

Class of 1989

When: Saturday, September 21, 2019

6:30-10:30 p.m.

Where: Maggiano’s

1847 Freedom Dr (Naperville) After Party - The Lounge at the

Sheraton Hotel (Lisle) Other: 9/19 Blue Blazers Luncheon,

9/20 Class of 1969 Golf Outing

& Cooper’s Coorner at 6:30 p.m.

Contact: Carol Lee ’69 Virtue

carolvirtue@gmail.com

40th

Class of 1979 More information coming soon!

Contact: Michael Dreisilker ‘79

mdreisilker@dreisilker.com

35th

When: Saturday, September 21, 2019 Where: Moveable Feast & Co.

112 N. Hale St. (Wheaton) Cost: $50/person Contact: Matt McPhail ’89

sfhs89@gmail.com

25th

Class of 1994 When: Saturday, October 5, 2019

8:00-11:00 p.m.

Where: Arrowhead Golf Club (Wheaton)

Champions Room Cost: $50/person RSVP: Spartansclassof1994@gmail.com

by September 18

20th

Class of 1999

Class of 1984 When: Saturday, September 28, 2019

4:00 - Mass/Tours

6:00 - 10:00 p.m.

Where: St. Francis High School Atrium Cost: $75/person Contact: Tracey Morris ‘84 Kozak 630-248-2672

Dave Kimball

davidkimball@comcast.net

Shannon Pierce ‘84 Denny

actionfitness@comcast.net (Pictured: Class of ‘66 with Betsy Ackerson, President, St. Francis High School) - “This is a fluid group of friends and acquaintances that gets together from time to time. We are very proud that we’ve maintained friendships for over 50 years.” - Kris Leston ‘66

Reunions

When: Saturday, September 28, 2019 Contact: Eileen Healy ’99 Smith

eileen.r.smith@gmail.com

Scott Godish ‘99

sgodish@gmail.com

When the class of 1962 celebrated their 40th reunion in 2002, they had so much fun together that they decided to celebrate their 60th birthdays together too.

Two years later nine of their classmates traveled to Ireland for a two-week stay.

There were eight women and one token man (thank you John Burke…you lucky guy!).

They had so much fun that they decided to make communal birthday celebrations every five years.

Since then ten classmates have embarked on a Caribbean cruise and seven of them went on an Alaskan tour. This year they plan on going to a dude ranch in Tucson for their birthdays.

The group also tries to meet every other month for dinner at Pal Joeys in West Chicago. It’s a great way to stay connected and catch up with each other.

58th Reunion? Why Not?!

Class of 1961

When:

Where:

Cost:

Alumni Birthdays

October 12, 2019; 11:30 a.m Check-in.

Family style lunch will be served at 12:00 p.m.

Reserve 22 at Village Links Golf Course* (Glen Ellyn) (*Early risers might want to set up a tee time) $38.00/person Please remit check by Sept. 1 payable to: Sherry Lynch 739 Carriageway Drive Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 847-398-6399

Unfortunately, since they began these birthday celebrations, two of their dear classmates have passed on, but they are so thankful they had this special time and shared memories. They plan to continue sharing their class birthdays as long as they can.

France

Trip

Bonjour! On May 28, 27 intrepid St. Francis High School students, parents, alumni, faculty and friends departed on a 10-day trip to France.

We started in Normandy where plans were underway to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion.

It was particularly touching to sing the National Anthem in the memorable American cemetery, visit the Pointe du Hoc where the American soldiers climbed up the steep cliffs and then, a few days later, see all of the Heads of State standing where we had stood just days before. We were so appreciative of liberty and the lives lost trying to secure our freedom.

by Sue (Koenitz) Harsa

During our last night in Normandy we attended a cocktail party and

“The France trip was an extraordinary opportunity to unite

alumni, alumni parents, faculty and friends of St. Francis in an adventure of a lifetime.” -Peg Kopec cheese tasting where we shared lively conversation, laughter and stories.

After leaving the land of mussels, cheese and crêpes, we stopped at Monet’s home to see his beautiful flowers and lily pond in Giverny. It is as if time stood still and we could imagine ourselves watching monet create his Materpiece, The Water Lily Pond.

We, of course, paid homage to the beautiful Notre Dame and what remained. In addition we climbed to Sacre Coeur, the beautiful Basilica known for its Byzantine architecture and the martyr, Saint Denis. We wandered through the artists’ area while sampling la glace (ice cream) and viewing the artists as they worked.

While in Paris, we did many things together but also had time to pursue our own activities. Our Parisian experience commenced with a cooking class of crêpes and sous-vide chicken.

We visited sites ranging from the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Invalides and the Rodin Museum to the Louvre, Montmartre, the Opéra, and the Musée d’Orsay.

On our last night in Paris, the pièce de résistance was a beautiful dinner cruise on the Seine. The food and entertainment were wonderful and all were amazed by the magic of the shining monuments and the twinkling Eiffel Tower. Ah yes…the City of Lights at its best!

This Spartan group fell in love with Paris and the history, art and culture that unfolded before their eyes. I have many pictures of St. Francis High School couples walking hand-in-hand in the City of Love!

(Below) Spartans from four decades - four teachers, eight alumni, 12 alumni parents, and a few friends - enjoying the beauty and history of France; (Right) Travelers taking a respite on the Champs Elysée while discovering the beauty of Paris.

Our hotel was very close to Napoleon’s Arc de Triomphe. On the morning we said Au Revoir to Paris, we passed the quiet Champs Elysées and could easily imagine the Nazis walking down this street as they took over the city. It was awe inspiring to realize that we had connected the historical pieces from Normandy to Paris.

Goodness! It was already day seven of our 10-day journey. We hopped on the TGV and headed toward Provence where Roman influence abounds. We were able to traverse France in a mere three hours on the TGV which is the “200 mph high speed train.”

The group arrived at the walled city of Avignon for lunch and a chance to see the second Papal Palace which was created during a Schism in the Catholic Church.

We then proceeded to the Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct, and then on to spend the night in Arles where Van Gogh lived. This gave us the opportunity to wander through the little streets, seek out the Amphithéȃtre, much like the Colosseum in Rome, and breathe in the influence of Van Gogh while viewing the café with the yellow canopy that Van Gogh painted. At this point, the pace of the trip began to slow down as we looked forward to the Mediterranean the next day.

Not so fast…I had a surprise for the group. Unbeknownst to the travelers, Laureline, the phenomenal ACIS Tour Manager and I had secured tickets to a cutting edge Digital Van Gogh Presentation inside of a mountain/ quarry. It was absolutely breathtaking and literally made some people cry. If you are curious, go to You Tube and look up Van Gogh Carrière de Lumières at Les Baux to see a trailor of the exhibit. We continued to a wine tasting and then the Mediterrean and beach!

Total Relaxation.

The next day we paid a visit to the beautiful walled city of Eze perched on a cliff of the lower Alps, toured a perfume factory and completed Le Grand Voyage in Monaco with the changing of the guard and a visit to Princess Grace’s Gardens and burial site in the Saint Nicholas Cathedral.

The final afternoon was spent relaxing at one of the many restaurants on the beach or doing last minute shopping.

As we dined together on our last night together, there were more stories, laughter, hugs, thank yous and goodbyes. This group was so positive and grateful for everything. We send a big “MERCI” to everyone and look forward to sharing pictures at the after party. And so, after six months of classes and 10 days in France, our Grand Voyage has come to La Fin.

“To travel all over France

is so lovely, but to go with Madame Harsa, along with new and old friends, makes it truly wonderful!”

- Kathy White ‘72 Olson

(Above Left) Alumni waiting to enter the golden gates of the palace at Versaille; (Above Middle) the group posing infront of the Eiffel Tower; (Above Right) Monet’s colorful house and lily pads in Giverny are a step back in time and resemble his paintings; (Below) A beautiful river cruise on the Seine under the bright lights of the Eiffel Tower

Alumni in Naples, FL

Alumni in Scottsdale, AZ

Alumni in Milwaukee, WI

Alumni

Murals

In order to connect our art with the St. Francis High School mission, as well as our patron saint, the 60th Anniversary planning committee discussed the idea of updating our murals throughout the school to depict the life stories of Saint Francis of Assisi.

After researching the creation of public art, a group of ambitious art students decided to paint large-scale scenes from his life and completed this project last spring.

Art teacher Kate Kolasinski ‘95 Doane explained the process. “The project began with a presentation from the Religion Department on the life of Saint Francis. Each group chose a story for their mural. They studied historical artwork depicting that story, then developed an original design, attaining approval, and finally producing large-scale work that connects with the audience (in this case our students and visitors). Finally each group chose a word for their mural that described a value or trait they felt students could connect to the story.”

We hope our alumni will come back not only to see all the changes we’ve made structurally to the facilities, but we hope they will be able to enjoy the artwork from the talented students who completed these murals.

COMPASSION & HUMILITY “Saint Francis and the Leper”

Elyse Makauskas ‘20, Yesenis Tavizon ‘20, Monique Broqueza ‘20, Caroline Caesar ‘19 and Abby Smith ‘19 “Saint Francis was riding near Assisi when he encountered a leper on the road. In the past, he would avoid people with leprosy in disgust, but this time he dismounted and kissed the leper on the hand. In this scene, Saint Francis is transitioning to become fully devoted to God, so he is still seen wearing the lavish robes of his previous life.”

St. Francis High School is a Catholic, college preparatory learning community that promotes spiritual, academic, physical, and social development in the daily presence of Jesus Christ. - Our Mission AUTHENTICITY “Saint Francis Relinquishes His Possessions”

Tommy Rittenhouse ‘21, Bryce Walker ‘20, Jessie Fisher ‘20, Mia Olivares ‘19 “Saint Francis renounces his father before the bishop and other people. Giving up all his possessions, including clothing, Saint Francis publicly committed to his new life and to God. Saint Francis would no longer call Pietro Bernadone his father.

Afterward, Saint Francis enters into solidarity with people and God as “Our Father.”

COURAGE “Saint Clare and the Saracens”

Erin Kenealy ‘19 “When Saracen soldiers tried to destroy Assisi, powerless townspeople asked the nuns to help. Saint Clare held up the tabernacle to stop the soldiers. Shocked and scared by the courage St. Clare and the nuns showed, the Saracen soldiers retreated.”

Please call to schedule a tour of the school to see these murals and other improvements made since you graduated.

Lisa Smolak ‘98

SACRED “Saint Francis Receives the Stigmata”

WONDER “Canticle of the Sun”

Joey Schlosser ‘21, Elyssa Trankina ‘21 “Saint Francis received the stigmata in September 1224 on LaVerna, the mountain where he received the marks of Jesus on his hands, feet, and side. The marks did not fade until he died. The stigmatization came in the form of a Seraph with six fiery and shining wings descending from heaven. A man appeared on the Seraph in the position of Christ on the cross.”

Emily England ‘20, Victoria Lambert ‘20 “Canticle of the Sun is a song written by Saint Francis praising God for his creations.

He praises God for Brother Sun and Sister Moon and describes many other aspects of God’s creation and how beautiful they all are.”

(Left) The “Creation of Adam” recreation can be found on the stairway leading up from the Atrium.

It was painted by Bob Harazin ‘03.

(Above) The round Renaissance painting, by David Joseph ‘02, can be found on the ceiling in the hallway leading to the Slant Dome.

Terri Santarromana ‘02 Chris Bill ‘03

Anna Gizzi ‘03

Thank you to the alumni artists who painted these murals that graced our hallways for many years for our community and our visitors to appreciate and enjoy.

Spartan

Fitness Center

On Monday, August 12, the St. Francis High School community celebrated the Ribbon Cutting and Blessing of their newly renovated Spartan Fitness Center.

Through the generosity and desire of 14 individuals/families, more than $76,000 was donated toward this project.

Spearheaded by current parent, Dr. Pat Calcagno, along with the input from SFHS Administration, Dave Haberman, Physical Education Department Chair, and Bob McMillen, Operations Associate and Varsity Football Coach, the goal was to recreate and maximize the fitness space to benefit all students and athletes, while maintaining the safety of all users.

“The decision to improve the fitness center was driven most importantly by student need,” said Haberman. “All students, athletes or not, utilize the space and therefore benefit from the major improvements in safety, quality and capacity.”

Calcagno noted, “This space is one of the few rooms in the entire school that every student will use before they graduate. Some students might not be athletes, but through their physical education classes, all students will have the opportunity to use the Spartan Fitness Center.”

Dr. Betsy Ackerson, President, St. Francis High School, added, “ This new state-of-the-art fitness center represents what St. Francis stands for - the standard of excellence and the holistic development of our students spiritually, academically, physically and socially.”

“We are fortunate to have school leaders, parents, and alumni that care deeply about students and want to meet their needs. They have a keen sense of where there are opportunities for improvement and the passion and resources to bring them to life,” said Haberman.

While the ideas for the fitness center have been percolating in the minds of

some for a few years, Calcagno and others approached Dr. Ackerson in June with the desire to undertake the project.

The space itself came together in about four to six weeks over the summer, from the time equipment was ordered, to the tear down of the old space and the install of the new space.

The Spartan Fitness Center was completed in time for the first day of school, thanks to the many helping hands who brought this idea and the ultimate work to fruition Bob McMillen said, “I’m very excited for our athletes. They now have a space where they can help themselves develop, now and for the future.”

“This project was completed on a very ambitious timeline,” said Dr. Ackerson, “and we are very grateful to all those who made this dream a reality through giving of their time, treasure and talent.“

• 12mm rolled rubber flooring with turf inlay by PLAE • 10 Hammer Strength HD Athletic Weight Training Racks • 8 Cross members between training racks each equipped with TRX suspension trainers • 14 adjustable benches • 2 Dual Adjustable Cable Crossover Machines • 2 Squatmax MD Racks • 1 Leg Press Machine • 1 GHD • 8 Treadmills • 5 Upright Stationary Bicycles • 4 Elliptical Trainers • 3 Concept2 Model D Rowers • 2 Complete Dumbbells Sets (5-100 lb pairs) • 1 Complete Set of Kettlebells (5-65 lbs) • 20 Medicine Balls

REDUCING YOUR IL STATE TAXES We hope that caught ABOUT your attention!

they would receive $7,500 credit Individual example: Someone towards their Illinois income taxes. in the 25% tax bracket gives a This would be an additional $5,400 $1,000 gift to SFHS, and the donor in tax savings. receives a 25% deduction or $250 Yes, you can lower your state tax burden off their taxes. If the same person and help St. Francis High School at the We urge you to ask your tax advisors donates $1,000 to SFHS through same time. The Illinois Invest in Kids Act about the Tax Credit Scholarship the Tax Credit Program, they provides a way to fund scholarships for Program and how it could help you would receive a credit of $750 on children who attend Catholic schools INVEST IN KIDS ACT official save more money. More information their State income taxes, and $950 through Empower Illinois—the is available online. actually goes directly to the eligible scholarship granting organization used In 2017, bipartisan lawmakers passed the Invest in Kids Act. This historic law – the first of its kind in Illinois — SFHSin student.

(5% offorallchildren donations by Diocese lives of Joliet schools up fortothis transforms by providing $100 million scholarships from low-income and working-class do notfind need to be affiliated are used to cover program. families in Illinois. Empower Illinois’ scholarships provide parentsadministrative with a way to helpDonors their children success! with SFHS….they just need to be Illinois costs of Empower Illinois.) taxpayers who want to reduce their This year four SFHS students were awarded scholarships! However, the Corporations cannot gift directly state tax burden and help SFHS at the need is far greater—there are more to a specific school like individual same time!

Scholarships are funded through private donations to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), like Empower than 40 students who qualify for this taxpayers, however, they can gift to Illinois, who then administer the application and scholarship process. Donations to the scholarship program are scholarship not Tax receive an . specific regions; SFHS is in Region Donations can be made through State Credit eligible for who a 75%did award due to lack of additional funds 2. The funds would be distributed the Empower Illinois website. throughout that particular region for Please contact the Advancement in the SFHS account.

EMPOWER ILLINOIS scholarship. SFHS received more than Office if you would like additional Both individuals and corporations can $36,000 from corporate distributions information or would like to host an take advantage of this state tax credit Empower Illinois is the state’s largest this and year. most comprehensive SGO. We haveinformational successfully meeting/reception raised the most to increase awareness of this opportunity and enable received students the to greatest receive an donations, number of applications and awarded more scholarships than any other SGO with your friends, colleagues, and Corporate example: A corporation SFHS in theeducation. state. neighbors. is taxed at 21% and itingifts While we serve approximately 80% of all Illinois private schools their$10,000 processing of donations, scholarship awards to SFHS, a deduction of $2,100 Individuals can specify which school and program compliance, we also assist students and their families through the scholarship process in an effort to help would be made on its taxes. If the they receive their donation. makewant their to dreams a reality.

Please click here corporation made a gift to Region 2 This year SFHS received more than Empower Illinois’ mission is to expand quality education options for low-income and workingthrough the Tax Credit Scholarship, $14,000 from individual contributions. class families of Illinois.

EMPOWER ILLINOIS AND THE TAX CREDIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

$100,000,000 in K-12 scholarships

for a video tutorial on how to donate!

HOW IT WORKS

HOW IT WORKS

STUDENTS APPLY

DONORS GIVE

Low-income and workingclass families within 300% of the Federal Poverty Level apply for a scholarship to a private K-12 school of their choice.

Individual and corporate donors make contributions to qualified scholarship granting organizations who then fund a scholarship. In turn, donors are eligible to receive a 75% state tax credit.

LEARN MORE AT EMPOWERILLINOIS.ORG

SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED & LIVES ARE CHANGED Scholarships are awarded to families who meet the income requirements, based on available funds at their school of choice.

2020 A U C T I O N

One Mentor One Student One Day

Purchase tickets online at

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ere to view kh

IMMER S G REE N

Proceeds benefit every student!

Need not be present to win!

Winner drawn at the auction!

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sfhscollegeprep.org/raffle

OF

Save the Date Attend Mobile Bid

or SFHS 2020-2021 Full Year Tuition

0

Donate Sponsor Advertise

Win $10,000 CA$H

ALUMNI MENTORS NEEDED

02

AUCTI ON March 7, 2020

RAFFLE

Support SFHS. Fore more info EOFAuction@sfhscollegeprep.org or 630-668-5800 x 1143. All inquiries welcome.

A Pilgrimage with St. Francis High School

The Holy Land Walk in the Footsteps of Jesus

May 22 - 31, 2020

$4,299 from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) Per Person based on double occupancy

Spiritual Director: Fr. Jim Murphy For information, contact Debbie Quirk Tel: 630-668-5800 x 1143 | Email: dquirk@sfhscollegeprep.org Your trip Includes: • Round-trip air from Chicago (ORD) • Airport Taxes and Fuel Surcharges • 8 nights accommodation at centrally located first class hotels • Transfers as per itinerary • Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner daily • Wine with dinners • Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach • Wi-Fi on motor coach • Free Bottles of Water on motor coach throughout • Wireless headsets where needed • Assistance of a professional local Christian guide(s) • Sightseeing and admissions fees • Tips to Hotel Staff and Restaurants • Mass daily & Spiritual activities • Flight bag & Portfolio of all travel documents

Old City, Jerusalem

Church of the Visitation, Ein Karem

For More Information & To Book, Please Visit:

Church of All Nations, Jerusalem

Sea of Galilee

www.pilgrimages.com/sfhs

INIn MEMORIAM Memoriam Alumni

Family and Friends Lilian Alcantara Alumni Mother-in-Law/Grandparent

Class of 1961 Rita Dorney Emmett

Class of 1976 Clarice Loiacano

Class of 1967 Pat Maguy

Class of 1978 Linda O’Neil Fagan

Class of 1971 Cynthia Lindstron Krzyzewski

Class of 1980 Linda Weeks Cycenas

Class of 1974 Margaret Hudetz Webb

Class of 2006 Mike Fetter

Robert Bruce Brown Alumni Grandparent Rosemary Diamond Alumni Grandparent Kathleen Duffy Parent of Former Faculty Alumni Grandparent Carole Ann Flood Alumni Grandparent Margaret Gorski Alumni Parent Evangeline Garcia Alumni Parent/Grandparent Joe Harsa Spouse of Former Faculty Alumni Step-Parent GiGi Kimball Alumni Spouse and Parent

Memorial Mass Cards are available through St. Francis High School and all donations made in memory of a loved one benefit our students. Names are remembered in the prayers of the St. Francis High School family during our monthly liturgies throughout the calendar year.

Call 630-668-5800 x 1129 for more information and to notify SFHS of deceased alumni. Visit sfhscollegeprep. org/condolences to view our alumni obituaries. ***Please Note: The Advancement Office will no longer email notices of deceased alumni /alumni family.

Robert Krzyzewski Alumni Parent Kyle Kubina Child of Alumni Frank Potucek Alumni Grandparent Lilia Reburiano Alumni Grandparent Walter Roskuszka Alumni Parent Jane Webb Alumni Grandparent Thomas Williams Child/Nephew of Alumni

G E R

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