Between the Lions Summer 2020

BETWEEN

Lions

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SUMMER/FALL 2020

NEWS and UPDATES for the St. Pius X Catholic High School Community...

Graduation 2020

Campus NEWS

Alumni NEWS

School SPOTLIGHTS

This magazine is produced by the St. Pius X Catholic High School Office of Advancement.

Steve Spellman President Edye Simpson, Ed. D. Principal Jenn Sedlack Director of Advancement Mary Vallés Jones Associate Director of Advancement Karoline Rumps Brennan ’82 Director of Alumni Relations Deanna Jones-Puig ’01 Communications Manager Mary O’Brien Beyer ’82 Advancement Coordinator Catherine DeWitt Rice ’00 Special Events Coordinator Kyle Snipes Communications Coordinator St. Pius X, an archdiocesan high school, provides a college preparatory education for the formation of the mind, body, and spirit of each student in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Billy Howard Photography, LifeTouch, and the numerous students, parents, faculty, and staff who submitted photos used in this publication.

Welcome Veni Hello Golden Lion Nation!

Two years ago, we began discussion regarding the creation of a new athletic logo. Last spring, we formed a committee to discuss, study options, and help foster the design of a new brand. A new Golden Lion.

I am so grateful for the amount of time given to this project by our committee. Most notably, I want to thank our creative designer, Andrew Mabini. His tireless work and humble spirit allowed our committee to interject critique from the perspective of our student members; history and tradition from our coaches and alumni members, and business perspective from our community leaders. I want to personally thank our committee and Mr. Mabini for their outstanding work on behalf of St. Pius X Catholic High School.

In HIM, Coach Todd Mooney Athletic Director

ATHLETIC LOGO COMMITTEE Mrs. Lou Barnhardt, Athletic Association Special Events Coordinator Mr. Billy Egan, Athletic Association President Nick Joiner ‘20, Junior Male Athlete of the Year Mrs. Deanna Jones-Puig, Communications Manager Mr. Andrew Mabini, Design Coordinator Katie Meyer ‘20, Junior Female Athlete of the Year Mr. Todd Mooney, Director of Athletics Mr. Aaron Parr, Director of Admissions and Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Mr. Santiago Perez, President’s Advisory Council Mrs. Sara Schmitt, Assistant AD and Head Girls’ Soccer Coach Mr. Paul Standard, Assistant AD and Head Football Coach

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From the President

Dear Golden Lion Families, Each year at the opening faculty Mass, I have silently prayed that if presented with anything I have never seen or dealt with in my career, that our Lord would grant me the wisdom, understanding, compassion and courage to deal with such issues. None of us could have imagined our current situation and the never-ending daily challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, a true Sci-Fi movie plot.

As we have discussed, debated, researched, and purchased new equipment in our efforts to ensure a quality educational delivery and just as important, a safe and healthy environment, it was the busiest summer I have ever experienced. I jokingly shared with the summer staff, if anyone says to me, “I hope your summer has been a relaxing one” I am going to mug them!

While the pandemic challenges us with constant uncertainty, we can rely on our faith and the mission of this school to guide us. We are focused on the logistical challenges of reopening our schools with an invigorating determination to provide the best educational experience possible for our students and families.

We have found many ways to up our game as we have added new technology in our effort to enhance learning either in-person or virtual, and we will continue to “build the airplane as we fly it” to be more innovative, engaging our students even more than we did this past spring.

We don‘t have all the answers today and in long discussions with our private and public school colleagues across the state and nation, we are all struggling with reinventing the delivery system of American education. Specifically, how do we maintain our expectations of excellence and the St. Pius X family regardless of circumstances and distance? I am confident that we will be successful due to the fact we are a proud, historically successful institution that will focus on delivering the best faith filled, college-preparatory education possible, the two salient themes of our mission statement.

Know that we are going to do our best for you as we all work together for the benefit of our students. We look forward to the year and hope to see you “inperson” soon.

Warmest regards,

Steve Spellman President

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From the Principal Dear St. Pius X Families and Friends, Welcome back to the 2020-2021 school year at St. Pius X Catholic High School. We are entering a year of new beginnings, new challenges, and new opportunities. I hope you are relaxed, recharged, and ready to embark on the many changes that we will experience this year. As always, we will work together as a community, tackling changes with positive energy and determination to excellence in education.

I am your new principal for this school year, and I am very excited to work and engage with each of you in my new role. All signs point to another incredible and productive school year. This summer, we worked through the logistical challenges of reopening our campus, determined not to let a pandemic derail student opportunities. Our skilled and devoted teachers are continually planning and preparing for student engagement. We registered new families and are updating student files. Our hard-working maintenance team has spent the entire summer thoroughly cleaning the facility in preparation for the return to campus. The Advancement team is redoubling its efforts to ensure we have the resources to meet student needs. Our much-appreciated parent organizations are gearing up to welcome families and provide volunteer opportunities. We are indeed a joyous and caring community with the common goal of delivering excellence in higher-level learning. We are committed to ensuring every student feels welcomed, connected, and a part of the St. Pius X family.

When faced with uncertainty, I am reminded how much we can rely on our St. Pius X family, community, and traditions to see us through. We can also count on our beliefs to help us find meaning in this surreal experience and rely on strong relationships with one another. When the pandemic challenges us, we double down on the things we are sure of: an ability to find God in all things, big or small. Phillipians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ that gives me strength.�

We remain devoted to following God’s call for our lives and the lives of our students.

Blessings,

Edye Simpson, Ed. D. Principal

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Graduation 2020 We Celebrate the Class of 2020 In early March, rumors began circulating about a virus making headlines across the world and schools across the country began quietly planning for the unknown. Would our school in Atlanta really have to close for two whole weeks?! Well, yes, it did...and days turned into weeks, closures extended indefinitely and we arrived at May…the month of graduation, the pinnacle of any young adult’s life. Forced to forfeit the final months of their high school careers, the Class of 2020 is permanently etched in all of our history books.

We mourned with them for each “last” they lost as the world functioned behind computer screens. While this class will be known worldwide as the quarantine class, at St. Pius X, they are so much more. They are the class that earned nearly $17 million in scholarships, not including the HOPE or athletic scholarships. The class that excelled on the athletic fields, courts, track, and beyond. They are the class that inspired us through their artistic talents…and the class that reminded us the importance of our faith.

While we were not able to safely offer an in-person graduation for our graduates, graduates and their families celebrated with a virtual graduation in May. Following the prayer by Chaplain Rey Pineda, Ms. Millie Turek and her chorus presented an incredible version of “God Bless America,” in which each member of the chorus sang their part in their own home. This was followed by speeches from Principal Steve Spellman and former President Chad Barwick.

“As I began to pen my comments to you today, I came across an interesting tidbit about this class: most of you were born right after, or close to September 11, a time of unparalleled turmoil. You came into this world during chaos, and the country overcame that event. Now you graduate from high school in a world once again thrust into turmoil, and to your credit you handled this event with success and you too prevailed,” says Spellman.

In the near empty Young Center Auditorium, Salutatorian Daniel Buckley

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presented his speech at the filming of graduation in early May. Buckley spoke to the graduates of seeking joy in all they do in their future lives. Buckley earned honors all four years at St. Pius X, taking nine AP courses. A member of the National Honor Society, Pius Players, Music Ministry, and Math and Latin Clubs, he also offered time as a writing and math tutor and has served as a retreat leader for campus ministry.

Buckley received the Harvard Book Award and was named All State in Chorus. Outside of school he volunteers at nursing homes and cancer centers and serves as a teen advisor for the Dekalb County Library Board. He will attend Georgia Tech in the fall.

Following his speech, Valedictorian Nicole Gresham stepped on the stage to give her speech. “Now, as we transition to the next stage of our lives carrying the legacy of St. Pius X with us, I challenge all of you to consider the positives and have faith in our families and our education. Although our parting moments of senior year were stolen from us, we have three-and-a-half incredible years to treasure and a solid foundation to rely upon forever. You could even say that we are stronger than any other graduating class because we know what it is like to experience a shaken world and to endure it. Gresham plays soccer, swims, offers up much time for volunteer work, and enjoys time with friends and family. In her time at St. Pius X she has taken 12 AP classes, challenging

herself constantly. She is a National Merit Commended Scholar and a member of the National Honor Society, where she also served as Secretary. She was honored by the Hugh O’Brien Youth Foundation for her many hours of community service. Gresham is the co-president of STAND, a Lion Leader and she also volunteers at her Church. She looks forward to attending the University of Virginia in the fall.

We bid a fond farewell to the Class of 2020 as they move forward in their lives. We know that they will continue to leave marks on society and the world, just as they have left us with an enduring legacy of excellence. We pray that God will always guide their ways, we wish each of them a lifetime of happiness and success, and we welcome them as the newest group of St. Pius X alumni!

VALEDICTORIAN Nicole Gresham

SALUTATORIAN

Daniel Buckley

CITIZENSHIP AWARD Madi Reynolds Chad DeWitt

JOURNAL CUP Caroline Knight

PRINCIPAL’S AWARD

Madi Reynolds Joey Tarnowski

ARCHBISHOP’S AWARD

Hailey Miller Vincent Thomas

2020 Distinguished Alumni, Dr. Shawn Standard `87 The St. Pius X Alumni Association congratulates our 2020 Distinguished Alumni, Dr. Shawn Standard.

Shawn was recognized and spoke at the 2020 virtual graduation held on Saturday, May 16, 2020.

Dr. Shawn Standard has been a silent hero and pioneer in the field of pediatric orthopedic surgery. After graduating from the great class of `87, he continued on from Pius receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (Summa Cum Laude) from The Citadel, and Doctor of Medicine from Medical College of Georgia.

Today, he is Head of Pediatric Orthopedics at the International Center for Limb Lengthening Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.

Congratulations, Shawn!

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Diversity and Inclusion at St. Pius X On June 25, the following letter was sent to the St. Pius X community, as a follow-up to an email sent earlier in the month, addressing the need to confront racism and the many long-standing injustices experienced by people of color.

We are writing to you today to reiterate our commitment to imitate Christ and combat racism with love and action here at St. Pius X. We recognize that the first step of many is to continue to listen. We are aware of the social media posts and other channels bringing to light issues within our school community. We are reaching out to some of the students and alumni who have voiced their concerns to continue the work that was begun this past school year. And for those instances of racism that were recently brought to our attention, the administration will review these and continue to address these events directly.

We are called to love and respect each of our students equally, and this will always be a core tenet of our mission. We wholly rededicate ourselves to making certain that every member of our school community is treated with respect as a child of God. We welcome the recent comments from our students, alumni, and families, which are a sign that the Holy Spirit urges us to deeper conversion and commitment to our mission. Last year, together with parents, students and faculty, we began the hard work of reviewing both our school culture and the climate at St. Pius X so we can more fully embrace our school’s mission.

This past fall, at the request of a number of concerned families in our community, we created the Diverse Voices Committee, a group within Home & School, led by Principal Edye Simpson. This committee is composed of parents from minority families whose voices and experiences are indispensable to more adequately tackle the issues at hand. They will continue to meet with Dr. Simpson to express their concerns directly and work toward an action plan for change.

At the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, a courageous group of students approached members of our faculty and administration desiring to be heard and discuss their experiences as students of color in our school. This effort provided the impetus to create two additional groups essential to combating racism.

The first of these is the Compassion PLC (professional learning community). This group consists of members from our faculty, administration, and counseling department who meet regularly to discuss how to better serve as allies and advocates for our

students of color. They will continue to be instrumental in creating opportunities for education, training, and growth for both colleagues and students. Their ongoing task is to listen, prepare, and help implement structures, programs, and practices at St. Pius X which will help strengthen a more welcoming and compassionate St. Pius X family environment.

Hearing the concerns students of color had encountered within our walls, it became clear that their testimony would be the most powerful tool to begin to effect change. During a spring faculty meeting, students, supported by faculty mentors, presented speeches as well as a video illustrating their experiences at Pius.

This presentation was the first of continuing plans to bring students’ experiences to light and create a more welcoming environment in our school. Additional efforts include the newly formed studentled Diverse Student Union, which will be active in the 2020-2021 school year and beyond to provide all students with a venue to listen, learn, and effect change. We will also continue to utilize Theology class discussions to tackle these issues through the lens of our faith.

We know we have a lot of work to do. It will require all of us to be vulnerable, to re-examine the impact of racism in our nation, and to open ourselves to continued growth. We must move forward with an increased commitment to equality for all. Please pray for our students, faculty, and staff, as well as the greater St. Pius X family as we continue this important work.

Sincerely,

Steve Spellman President

Edye Simpson, Ed. D. Principal

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St. Pius X Catholic High School has been listening and we hear you.

The following are active steps being taken on campus today.

Diversity and Inclusion Training Before the school year began, the St. Pius X Faculty and Staff received Diversity and Inclusion training from a Diversity and Inclusion professional. All faculty and staff participated in assigned professional learning communities that will continue these conversations in the future.

Theology Discussions Theology classes will lead all students in a multi-day conversation on bias, racism, and the Catholic response to injustices.

Diversity Committees The Diverse Voices parent group, the Compassion Professional Learning Community, and the Diverse Student Union will continue to focus on opportunitues to further diversity, equity, and inclusion and will invite members of the community to join in their regular meetings to strategize for these opportunities within our community.

Curriculum Assessment St. Pius X will thoroughly examine curricula to ensure people of color are represented in a respectful manner.

Student Handbook Policies St. Pius X will continue to update handbook policies to reflect issues of discrimination of all kinds, as well as enhanced disciplinary actions to prohibit such behavior.

Representations of Diversity To ensure that our campus reflects the beauty of all of God’s creation, St. Pius X will add diverse works of art to the walls and hallways. Students will also be invited to create art that celebrates diversity for display in the common areas.

Faculty Diversity St. Pius X will place deliberate emphasis on recruiting and hiring faculty of color and making certain their inclusion in the St. Pius X family is meaningful, genuine, and complete.

Action Plan “As we grow as a family and wrestle with the aspects of human nature which attempt to tear us away from each other and the mission of St. Pius X, more steps will be implemented. Our school is one of the primary means by which our students can participate in restorative justice: those who have wronged another are to be made aware of their sinful action but it is essential that the community is made whole again through conversion and redemption.”

This is just the beginning of our work, not the end.

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Golden Lions Support Community in the Midst of Pandemic In March, as schools and businesses began to close in an effort to flatten the COVID curve, current parents Kelly and Jim Chasteen (Jonathan ‘22), quite literally switched gears at their distillery and began producing hand sanitizer.

Through their Give One, Get One program, the group has donated almost 1,000 gallons of sanitzer to organizations in the Atlanta area. Below, please take a moment to read their story, as told by Kelly Chasteen.

Can you please share a little about your family’s business?

ASW started as a hobby for my husband, Jim Chasteen and his friend from college, Charlie Thompson back in 2010. Over the past four years it has grown into Georgia’s largest production distillery.

We are now making a variety of craft spirits including Bourbon, Rye, Apple Brandy, Single Malts. Yes! There are American Single Malts. And even the world’s first single distillery Double Malt Whiskey.

In 2019 ASW Distillery was picked out of hundreds of applicants as one of four Small Business Rock Stars in the State of Georgia by the Georgia Department of Economic Development. We were also ranked #16 in the University of Georgia’s 2019 Bulldog 100. Go Dawgs!

At this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition—this is the largest competition in North America… it’s like the Super Bowl for us-our Maris Otter Single Malt was rated Best in Class for Craft Distilled Whiskey. This is a HUGE accomplishment for a little distillery out of Atlanta, Georgia. In addition, we picked up two more double gold medals this year. One for Maris Otter American Single Malt and one for our cask strength Resurgens Rye to go with the one we got for Duality Double Malt in 2018. Double Gold is the highest medal you can receive. It means all 40 or so judges ranked your entry as Gold.

Our distillery and tasting room are located just between Buckhead and Midtown and last year we opened our second tasting room inside our large barrel warehouse holding over 1,000 aging barrels of whiskey in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood.

When the pandemic hit, what did you decide to do and how did you pull it off successfully?

In March of 2020, our nation was hit with a pandemic and like many, our company was faced with the challenge of staying afloat while losing three quarters of our ability to produce revenue since our tasting rooms had to be closed and our restaurant partners were no longer in a position to buy anything.

With the desire to keep all of our full-time staff employed, we pursued all avenues to move forward and save our company. As the

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country struggled to find PPE materials for hospitals, police and fire departments, we applied for an FDA exemption to temporarily produce hand sanitizer using the same ethanol (denatured of course) normally used for spirits. Converting our production to sanitizer was going to take relatively large capital investment during a time when cash was scarce for everyone. Fortunately Atlanta’s Cox Enterprises was willing to place a substantial order and worked with us which ensured we could make the necessary changes to pivot our production facility and produce 80-proof Hand Sanitizer utilizing World Health Organization standards. We asked Cox if they would be willing to pay a little higher price for our sanitizer if we were able to donate a substantial amount to local charities and they were in without hesitation. We then took this same model to companies large and small and it seemed to resonate. Soon other corporations like Jamestown Properties, Mondelez International/ Nabisco, Astra Group, IberiaBank, and others joined forces with us to provide hand sanitizer to charities and hospitals in need.

Eventually we also started selling to individuals in the community as well. With large companies, small companies and individuals on board, it led to our Give One, Get One program through which we have already donated almost 1000 gallons of hand sanitizer to organizations in our community such as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta Mission, Covenant House, and Project Open Hand, The Giving Kitchen, and The Boys and Girls Club just to name a few.

What does it mean to you to help in a time of need?

I think we were fortunate in many ways. First of all, who knew hand sanitizer would become such an important commodity in our community and that beverage ethanol would be so uniquely capable of filling a gap in supply? The response from the community to our efforts to fill this gap has been overwhelming. We often say that we hope to love on people when they walk through our doors and introduce them to the finest craft spirits. The opportunity to serve our community with hand sanitizer is just an extension of our love outside of our tasting room. We are so grateful to help where and how we can, partnering with local companies to donate hundreds upon hundreds of gallons to hospitals and non-profits.

Do you have any advice for someone who may want to help but is unsure of how to get started?

Don’t feel overwhelmed. You may not need to start up an entirely new business yourself. There are so many opportunities to get involved right now. Whether that means grocery shopping for your elderly neighbors or relatives, sending flowers or letters of hope to those who are home recuperating from COVID, or delivering food from a restaurant to those who are in critical need due to loss of a job, with organizations like the Compassion Kitchen Project.

As the pandemic began to unfold, Golden Lions everywhere began looking for something they could do to help...we are so grateful for our community. If you have a story to share, please let us know!

Student Films Stories for Patients at CHOA Class of 2021 student Mark Buenvenida started volunteering at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta last year through the VolunTEEN program.

The program is open to high school students looking for a rewarding way to spend time bringing smiles and laughter to the halls of the hospital.

The VolunTEENs craft, play games, and do their best to leave a lasting impression on patients and families.

Prior to the pandemic, Mark was assigned to Rehab, where he helped with Physical Therapy sessions. In the afternoon, he would go to the Radiology Department to help with swallow studies. He would observe through the help of x-rays, how patients swallow food, ensuring they were properly ingesting food, crucial for developing children.

In March, hospitals closed their doors to everyone but patients and the VolunTEENS had to get creative as they were no longer allowed in the hospital. Following the suggestion of reading books to patients from the volunteer coordinator Katherine Medlock, Mark started thinking back to his own childhood. “I simply went back to stories that my mom used to tell me when I was younger. I went around my room searching for stories that would have meaning, and so I found Aesop’s Fables because they have an underlying meaning. Furthermore, I chose those stories because I felt that they would help children see things in a new light or at least grasp a better understanding of moral values.”

“The feeling you get knowing that you made a difference in other people’s lives is why I do what I do. That feeling is true happiness and it’s not superficial; it’s genuine, and it’s better than any validation you can get from followers on Instagram or views on your Snapchat story. It’s not hard to get involved, and you simply just have to have the willingness to help others. When you begin to enjoy the work that you do for others, it no longer becomes work; it becomes a passion. Finding a passion gives purpose in one’s life, and that is true for me. For those trying to find purpose in their lives, helping others and serving their communities is a great solution to that. My vision is that if we all serve our communities to some extent, we can begin to alleviate some of the agony and angst that COVID-19 has brought upon us. I hope that everyone reading this can be inspired to also serve and give back to their communities.”

With no spring sports season to keep her busy, Abby Heath ‘12 went from working as a high school athletic trainer to doing intakes, temperature checks, and more at UL Lafayette School of Kinesiology (1).

Betz Hamilton ‘05 is an EMT in Alpharetta. She is pictured (2) alongside K9 Raider and her handler Officer Ritchey.

Andrea Jaramillo Fricano ‘95 has been busy making masks for friends, neighbors and alumni families in need. Pictured here (3) is our own Mrs. Jaramillo in her custom made University of Georgia mask.

As hospitals ran short of personal protective equipment, the St. Pius X Science Department sprang to action. They gathered their unused supply of gloves and masks and delivered them to the Grady Health System. In addition, the department made their own hand sanitizer for the faculty and staff.

Despite caring for her children as they were in virtual school and teaching her students Math teacher Katie Stilson ‘00 somehow found time to make masks for the entire faculty and staff at St. Pius X. Once she finished, she kept making masks from scrap fabric with elastic donated from the Science Department and then donated those to the community.

Dan Garrison `84 along with his students created medical face shields on 3D printers at his high school in Dallas, Texas. The masks were delivered to area doctors and health care workers (4).

Cheryl Manning, MD ‘82 has been busy at Manning Pediatrics in Covington, Georgia (5).

Thank you, Golden Lions!

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From the Office of Advancement News and updates regarding advancement efforts at St. Pius X

Tuition Assistance Provides Safety Net for Families While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our everyday lives, it has also taken a financial toll on members of the St. Pius X community. Our long-standing culture of philanthropy has created a financial safety net in the form of tuition assistance, helping ensure both our current and new families can continue to call Pius “home.”

This year St. Pius X received an unprecedented number of requests for tuition assistance for the 2020-21 school year. Over the last couple of years, the school has increased the maximum amount of aid available per student from 50% to 70% of the Active Catholic tuition rate, or $9,870 for the 2020-21 school year. St. Pius X has allocated over $1,000,000 in financial aid for the new school year, with the majority of students qualifying for the maximum assistance.

St. Pius X pulls from multiple resources to meet the needs of our families. This year the largest source of funding is GRACE Scholars, a 12-year-old tax-based program. Georgia taxpayers receive a dollar for dollar tax credit for their contribution to GRACE scholarships which supports the parochial or private school of their choice. The state allocates $100M for this program each year, and thanks to more than 200 Georgia taxpayers, St. Pius X was able to provide GRACE scholarships to 27 students. GRACE allows us to fund up to 80% of tuition for these students. When a student enters Pius and qualifies for GRACE, the school sets aside all four year’s worth of tuition assistance, giving families peace of mind to know the funds will be there for their student’s entire high school career.

The second-largest source of tuition assistance is student scholarships. Thanks to the generosity of numerous families and individuals through the years, more than 60 student scholarship funds and awards provide annual funding for families with economic need. The minimum to endow a scholarship is $25,000, which over time, generally provides a 4% return or a $1,000 scholarship each year in perpetuity. This year alone three more scholarships were established for the benefit of St. Pius X. In addition to student scholarships, an Archdiocesan block grant provides a little over $200,000 in tuition assistance each year and is the only source of funds the school receives from the Archdiocese.

As a Catholic institution, we provide a Catholic high school education to as many students as we can, knowing that financial assistance opens the door to St. Pius X for many. As such, the school sets aside a portion of the annual budget for financial aid to supplement other tuition assistance resources. Donations to the Annual Fund provide these critical dollars and are another way the St. Pius X community lives out its faith each day.

How can you help? The easiest way to help is to donate to the Annual Fund. Your gift provides funding for our superior

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faculty and staff, while also providing financial aid to our students experiencing economic hardships. If you are interested in establishing a scholarship fund, please contact the Office of Advancement at 404-633-4290. Thanks to the generosity of our Annual Fund donors, scholarship endowments, GRACE Scholars participants, the Archdiocese and others, we have been able to meet the needs of 148 students from 133 families this school year.

Support for St. Pius X in the time of COVID-19 During these unprecedented times, many of us have gone back to the basics with simpler lifestyles, less complicated schedules, and more time with loved ones. In a similar way, we are going back to the basics with the Annual Fund campaign. While we have long stressed that a gift to the Annual Fund is the single most important gift you can give to the school, that sentiment takes on greater meaning in these challenging times.

The Annual Fund was created at St. Pius X in 1988 to help meet our mission of making a Catholic school education affordable for as many families as possible. The actual cost to educate is higher than the average cost of tuition, creating an average gap of $1,230 per student. Spoken plainly, we must rely on other sources of income to recoup the $1,230 we do not charge.

Tuition covers just 92% of the budget, requiring the school to raise the remaining 8% from various sources.

The largest of these sources is the Annual Fund, with a goal of $925,000 in gifts from current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, staff, and students this school year. We recognize that the current economic climate calls for realistic expectations of our donor community. The Annual Fund goal last school year was $950,000, and we raised nearly $1.1M for the year.

We believe our adjusted goal of $925,000 for the 2020-21 school year recognizes the incredible generosity displayed by our families, while also taking into account a changing economic landscape for some.

The Annual Fund is an essential component to a healthy, thriving St. Pius X. Without the Annual Fund, the school would have to raise tuition dramatically or undertake steep budget cuts. Please join us in this vital work by making your gift today. Your contribution is an investment in our students, faculty and staff, and will ensure the continued legacy of this 63-year-old institution.

Steve Spellman St. Pius X High School Scholarship Established at UGA If you’ve ever visited Principal Steve Spellman’s office, you don’t have to guess where his allegiances lie. A lifelong Georgia Bulldog, Mr. Spellman takes great pride in his alma mater. As a parting gift, dear friends of his found the perfect way to honor Mr. Spellman’s 20 years of dedicated service and leadership at St. Pius X while also recognizing the university he loves.

Muffet and Rich Arroll ‘80, together with Parents of Alumni Jennifer and Marty Flanagan, announced the establishment of the Steve Spellman St. Pius X Scholarship at UGA via a Zoom call in May. Usually a man ready with quick words of gratitude, Mr. Spellman was so shocked by the gift he was left speechless.

His wife, Maureen, a St. Pius X Class of ‘70 graduate, son Greg and daughter Megan, were all part of the surprise call, and they were equally touched by the gift from the Arrolls and Flanagans.

When asked about his friendship with Mr. Spellman, Mr. Arroll commented, “I first met Steve in 2004 and toured the campus with him. What impressed me the most was his engagement with the students in the halls. He knew each student’s name and they each high-fived him as he passed by.

We have gone on to become great friends and have worked on many projects together.” Mr. Arroll played an integral role in securing the land for the Seaver Family Sports Complex, and most recently assisted with the capital campaign feasibility study committee. His influence and input continue to be vital to the success of Pius.

The Flanagans were first introduced to St. Pius X by the Arrolls. The family was relocating from California to Atlanta for work with Invesco and Mrs. Arroll, who also worked for Invesco at the time, assisted them in the transition. After an exhausting day of school tours, Mrs. Arroll brought the family to Pius to meet Mr. Spellman. “When we sat in the office with Steve a wave of relief came over us. Steve was calm and comfortable and showed real concern for our situation. We toured the campus and saw the engaged students and teachers and the interaction with Steve, we knew this would be the best fit for our kids,” explains Mrs. Flanagan. Their son Ryan graduated in ‘10 and daughter Meghan in ‘14.

In his honor, the Steve Spellman St. Pius X Scholarship has been established by the Arroll and Flanagan families. The scholarship will be awarded to a need-based graduate of St. Pius X Catholic High School−a step towards eliminating financial obstacles for those seeking a UGA education.

Pictured left to right: Steve Spellman, Marty Flanagan, Jennifer Flanagan, and Rich Arroll at the Seaver Family Sports Complex Groundbreaking Ceremony.

According to Mrs. Flanagan, “It’s not just our kids that benefited from Steve’s charisma and strength, but all kids that attend St. Pius X are part of Steve’s daily concern. He takes interest in all families and makes himself and the school available to assist each towards a successful academic career. This is what we admire most about Steve and Pius.

He is there when you need him.” When asked about the scholarship, she noted, “This scholarship will continue that level of commitment and will help fund a deserving St. Pius X graduate so they can continue their academic success at University of Georgia.”

While being very engaged with the gala and other significant projects during their time as parents at St. Pius X, an integral part of the Flanagan family’s legacy was the establishment of the Flanagan Endowment Fund. This fund supports faculty and staff professional development and student enrichment opportunities each year, providing much needed support for faculty and students alike. And like Mr. Arroll, Mrs. Flanagan also recently served on the capital campaign feasibility study committee.

A student from the Class of 2020 is the inaugural recipient of the Steve Spellman St. Pius X Scholarship. The recipient is chosen based on financial need and will retain the scholarship for all four years at the university. On behalf of Mr. Spellman and the Pius community, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Arrolls and the Flanagans for their continued support, and for helping eliminate the financial obstacles for Pius students seeking a UGA education.

Fine Arts News

Our artists continue to shine...

The Show Must Go On...

While the pandemic has been less than ideal, it has not stopped the Fine Arts Department from pushing full steam ahead. Although the scheduled spring performances for band, chorus, dance, and guitar were canceled, we were so grateful to give Ms. Bonnie Spark the send-off she deserved with “Oklahoma.” The show was an absolute success and the perfect swan song for what has been a long and illustrious career at St. Pius X. We will miss you, Bonnie! A huge thank you to our tech crew and their fearless leader, Mr. Keith Cordell, Ms. Millie Turek, Mr. Ian LaBreck, and all of the students who performed in the pit! We were also fortunate enough to showcase our incredibly talented visual artists in the Juried Arts Show before school was shut down.

As per usual, Ms. Corinna Brannon did a stellar job hosting the show and turning the school into a beautiful art gallery for the evening.

During these strange times, the department adapted remarkably well to the virtual environment. Our main focus, as always, is providing our students with an outlet for creativity and sharing their talents with the community. While we were unable to do this in a live setting, virtual performances were showcased on our YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. Additionally, we honored our graduating seniors who will be pursuing the arts in college at our Fine Arts Virtual Signing Day on May 1.

We would like to thank our SPAS board, including Maria Solsrud for her leadership, and all of the parents who made the 2019-20 year possible. We were happy to award Ms. Solsrud with the Volunteer of the Year Award. We couldn’t have done it without her! We would also like to thank Mr. Steve Spellman, who has been the guiding light for our department over the past twenty years and the greatest patron of the arts. We owe all of our success to you and wish you and your family all the best!

Brion Kennedy Fine Arts Department Chair

BAND Each performing ensemble prepared and performed virtually, producing a series of virtual performances that were published throughout April and May. The Jazz Band performed “Birdland” by Weather Report, the Symphonic Band performed “Australian Up-Country Tune” by Percy Grainger, and the Percussion Ensemble performed three percussion pieces using items they had at home. We found ways to come together and make music, and look forward to perfecting our marching show, “Paradise Found.”

We are incredibly thankful for our parents, with special thanks to Laurie Law, our vice president, who has been instrumental in making everything happen.

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CHORUS The St. Pius X Chorus members continued singing while learning virtually.

Through the use of Flipgrid, Garageband, and Zoom, chorus students prepared music with Ms. Millie Turek that they would have presented during spring concerts. Due to the closure, the chorus was just 10 days away from performing for evaluation at the GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation event and the seniors were scheduled to sing at graduation.

The chorus members were able to prepare two virtual choir projects as part of their work while out of the building and the chorus seniors were able to sing “God Bless America” at their virtual graduation!

“Blessed Be the Lord, My Rock” was presented at the final Mass. Both songs can be found on Youtube.

DANCE Changing to a virtual dance room was quite an adventure! The dancers were unable to present the annual Spring Dance Concert and NOVO Choreography performances in March and April. Thanks to IGTV, we have been able to share some highlights of our year. All of the students completed their group choreography projects at home, and one from the SPX Dance Company was featured on our instagram account @spxdanceatl. Mrs. Lisa O’Connor shared online resources. Students were exposed to incredible opportunities such as taking a ballet class from prima ballerinas like Tiler Peck and Isabella Boylston to taking online contemporary and jazz classes through Steps on Broadway and the Broadway Dance Center. Mrs. O’Connor enjoyed connecting with her students while teaching classes through Zoom each week. The Dance Company, Dance Team and Dance III classes were celebrated during a virtual Dance Awards ceremony on May 4. The Director’s Award and Dance Team leadership awards were presented to Lilly Cochran ‘20 and Kathryn Thomas ‘20, and Campbell Hollensbe ‘20 earned the Director’s Award for Dance III. Anna Sullivan ‘20 was also recognized during the virtual graduation for earning the Outstanding Achievement in Dance III award. Many thanks to all of the dancers for learning a new way to explore dance, and for all of the parents who supported them and the program throughout the year. We look forward to that beautiful day when we are all safe and sound in our dance home at St. Pius X!

Brianna Harris

Ben Wulkan

DRAMA Luckily, the Pius Players were able to present Oklahoma! just in time. What an amazing end to their season and a true gift for Ms. Bonnie Spark as she retired. To finish out the semester, Ms. Spark’s Fundamentals of Acting course continued working on their monologues at home. Featuring a variety of subjects, including “Harmony” and “A Case for Two Detectives,” students sent videos to Ms. Spark for review and critique. To complete the experience, students dressed out and performed their monologue in front of the camera for a final review. All of the senior members of Pius Players were celebrated on the @spxatldrama Instagram account.

It was a wonderful way to showcase their accomplishments and contributions to the program. We wish them all the best as they journey forward!

GUITAR During the quarantine, all of the students submitted practice videos using an application called Flipgrid. By the end of the semester, the students had posted 1,191 videos for a total of 373.5 hours of student engagement!

The Intermediate Guitar students released the recordings of their cover songs on May 4 for the 6th Annual Cover Song Contest.

The contest was voted on by faculty, parents, and the student body. Congratulations to the Bad Bois for their cover of “Bad Guy” which garnered the most votes. The Intermediate and Advanced Guitar classes also released virtual performances which are available to view on SPX Guitar YouTube channel.

The guitar program would like to acknowledge Brianna Harris ‘20 and Ben Wulkan ‘20 for winning the Director’s Award, an award voted on by their classmates. We would also like to thank our vice president, Jillian Knoerle, and all of the parents for their support and help this past year.

Congratulations to the following students who will continue to share their talents and pursue a degree in the arts: MUSIC TECHNOLOGY Unable to meet in the computer lab, students and teachers made swift adjustments in Music Tech. Ableton kindly donated 28 free Introductory Licenses for Ableton Live - the main music production software that we use in Music Tech I and II. In an effort to keep the feeling of class unity, the group held Zoom class meetings once or twice a week to create music as a group and to answer questions. In addition to the screen-sharing capabilities of Zoom, students were able to access video tutorials specifically created for the class via PowerSchool Learning.

Our semester culminated with each student turning in a full length song created within Live. Thank you to all Music Tech students for their persistence and willingness to adapt during unusual times!

VISUAL ARTS This semester has provided the Visual Arts an opportunity to try different ways of approaching art. In Drawing 1, Advanced Studio and exploring painting classes students created digital art inspired by various art movements including Impressionism, Cubism and Surrealism. In the Ceramics and Sculpture classes students made paper clay pots inspired by ceramics from Japan and Spain and conceptual pieces inspired by notable sculptors working in that genre.

Seniors taking AP 2-D Design this year showcased their work digitally instead of putting their work on display in the Young center Lobby. The AP Studio Art Class is a year-long program of study culminating in a finished body of work consisting of 13 pieces dealing with a chosen theme or investigation.

The students develop their investigation; their own voice and vision as they experiment with different media and explore the language of art. Students’ work can be seen on the SPX Visual Art web page under Gallery.

Thank you to all the Visual Arts parents who were so supportive of the students during the pandemic. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Claire Arnold College of Charleston (Studio Art) Riley Brethauer Georgia State University (Music) Abbriel Buckley Georgia State University (Studio Art) Lilly Cochran The University of Alabama (Dance) Annabelle Didier The University of Georgia (Theatre) Nadhia Garcia Berry College (Theater Technology) Kyra Graap Kennesaw State University (Graphic Art & Illustration) Brianna Harris Tulane University (Music) Mia Hill The University of Georgia (Music Composition) Sterling Hudson Georgia State University (Music) Colby Johnson Howard University (Dance) Jamie Martin The University of Georgia (Theatre) Jack Massey The University of Alabama (Theatre) Ava Massey Belmont University (Music Production) Hailey Miller Baylor University (Theatre Arts, Film) Vy Nguyen University of Georgia (Music Performance) Adam Schuh The University of Colorado, Boulder (Theatre) Eric Sims Loyola University New Orleans (Digital Filmmaking) Kathryn Thomas The University of Georgia (Dance) Claire Trainor College of Charleston (Arts Management) Morgan Veach Savannah College of Art & Design (Sequential Arts)

Grace Tran

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Athletics News

Golden Lions stats, scores, and news

Track and Field Student-Athletes Honored with Prestigious Lion Legends Award On Saturday, July 11, the track and field team added two more members to their Lion Legends board. Jared Williams and Morgan Vaden were honored with the most prestigious awards track and field athletes can receive from St. Pius X. The Lion Legend award, previously given to five girls and eight boys, is reserved for those who have achieved elite marks in the nation in the sport of track and field. Jared and Morgan’s senior seasons were cut short because of COVID-19, but both achieved enough over their first three years to receive the Lion Legend award.

Jared received the award primarily for his performance in the 400m, an event where he owns personal records of 48.31 indoors, a school record, and 47.11 outdoors. He also owns two other school records in the 60m and 200m indoors and was part of the school record setting relays of 4x100m and 4x200m. During his freshman year he scored a total of seven points at the state meet in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays, helping the team place seventh. During his sophomore year Jared scored 15 total points in the 400m and 200m dash to help the team win the state title. His junior year he followed that up with 24 total points in the 400m, 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m to help the team win a second consecutive state title. Jared is committed to continuing his running career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Morgan received the award primarily for her performance in the 3200m, an event where she owns a personal record of 10:53.16. She owns a school record in the indoor 2 mile, and was a part of school record setting relays in the 4x800m, 4x1600m, and Distance Medley.

She also holds the school record in the 5k in cross country. During her freshman year, she scored a total of eight points at the state meet in the 1600m and 3200m run. During her sophomore year she scored 12 points in those same events. During her junior year she was state runner up and scored eight points in the 3200m. She also has two top 5 finishes at the cross country state meet, including 2019 where she led the girls to a state title. Morgan is continuing her running career at the University of Georgia.

The Lion Legends award was created to honor the truly outstanding track and field athletes at St. Pius X. Jared and Morgan join an elite company. The previous Lion Legends all have spectacular marks in the sport. Ralph King ‘74 set school and state records in the 1600m at 4:05.3 and 3200m at 8:52.5. Ashley LaBudde ‘98 also set school records in the 1600m at 4:59.91 and 3200m at 10:46.81.

Dana Rogers ‘01 owns school records in the Long jump at 19’ 1.25”, triple jump at 38’ 11”, and 100m hurdles at 15.02 seconds. Antonio McKay Jr. ‘07 owns school records in the 100m at 10.62 and 400m at 46.28 and was part of the record setting 800m sprint medley relay (SMR) and 1600m SMR in a season where he helped the team

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win it’s first state title. Shelby Ashe ‘11 owns school records in the discus at 131’ 1”, shot put at 46’ 5”, and has the national record in the weight throw at 68’ 2.5”. Nikita Kirillov ‘11 owns the school and state record in the pole vault at 17’2”. Fred Dorsey ‘14 set a long jump school record of 23’ 11” and was honored as the MVP of the state meet after leading the team in scoring in back to back state titles. Daniel Haugh ‘14 was also part of the back to back state team titles while setting school records in the discus at 197’ 2”, shot put at 59’10”, weight throw of 80’ 9.25” and was a national champion with his school record throw in the hammer at 224’ 1”. Austin Sprague ’14 was the third member of the back to back state title teams and had top marks in the 3200m at 9:05.16, a school record in the indoor two mile at 9:11.0, and was a part of the 4x1600m and 4x800m school records. He also is the school record holder in the 5k in cross country and accumulated 12 total state titles, six team and six individual between cross country and track over his four year career. Myia Dorsey ’16 owns school records in the 100m at 12.13, 200m at 23.95, and 400m at 54.44, and was a part of the 1600 SMR school record. Tanner Duffin ’19 broke Haugh’s school record in the discus at 200’ 10”, and shot put at 69’ 2” and helped the team win back to back state titles. Matthew Harris ’19 also helped the team win back to back state titles while breaking Fred’s long jump record at 24’ 2.75.” Matthew also owns the 300m hurdles school record at 37.09, and was on school record setting relays in the 4x200 and 4x110. He was also named the state MVP in his senior year state meet. Maggie Yankovich ‘19 has strong times in the 1600m at 5:01.99, and 3200m at 10:56.06, while owning a school record in the 5000m at 17:36.16. She was also on the 4x800, 4x1600, and distance medley relay records.

Jay Hare, Dothan Eagle

Rising Junior Wins Press Thronton Future Masters Congratulations to Carter Loflin ‘22 for winning the 71st playing of the Press Thornton Future Masters Golf Tournament in Dothan, Alabama in late June. Carter’s three-day total of 204 (67-70-67) gave him a one-stroke victory over Zach Adams of Charleston, South Carolina and Michael Mays of Winter Park, Florida. Loflin has been competing in this tournament since he was seven years old.

The tournament boasts an impressive list of golfing greats and this year included a field of over 200 distinguished junior golfers.

According to the website, “The Future Masters has become a proving ground for golf ’s brightest junior stars, but it is not, nor has it ever been, only about golf. It is about the spirit of competition, friendships made, sportsmanship on the course, and the challenge of preserving 71 years of growing golf.”

“He’s humble, fun to be around and easy to root for, dedicated to honing his craft, and the best teammate any of our guys will ever have the pleasure of competing alongside,” says Head Golf Coach Phil Cook, who has known Loflin since he was very young and played golf alongside Cook’s son Shaun. “I don’t know of any kid who’s ever worked harder to get where he is today.”

In Other Athletics News...

Each year, the George B. Maloof Awards are presented to the junior female and junior male athletes that best demonstrate Coach Maloof ’s commitment to Athletic Excellence, Pride, Integrity, Unity, and Sacrifice. Athletes are nominated by their Head Coaches in writing and voted upon by the entire coaching staff. Congratulations to our 2020 award winners, Lindsey Broadway and Frankie Maloof.

The Athlete of the Year Awards are presented to the senior female and male athletes who best demonstrate the St. Pius X Athletic Mission, outstanding athletic achievement, and demonstrated integrity for our 12 goals for Crafting the Arrow. Athletes are nominated by their Head Coaches in writing and voted upon by the coaching staff. This year’s recipients are Riley Hendrix ‘20 and Nick Joiner ’20.

We are proud of Ricky Lewis ‘11, who was recently named full time Assistant Lacrosse Coach at Ohio State University. The two-time AllAmerican lacrosse player and multiple year MVP and captain at St. Pius X played lacrosse at Ohio State, where he served as captain his senior year. He was drafted by the Georgia Swarm and Atlanta Blaze professional teams and has been coaching at West Point for the last two years as a volunteer assistant.

Rising sophomore diver Julia Herring has been named All-American following a successful season her freshman year. As a ninth grader, Herring took the first place win in the one meter dive at the 4/5A class swim and dive state championship.

Congratulations!

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St. Pius X News Students Recognized in Scholastic Art and Writing Awards Each year, Savannah College of Art and Design presents the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards with a variety of categories. Since 1923, the awards have recognized some of the nation’s most celebrated artists and writers, including the likes of Stephen King and Andy Warhol. Gold Key winners automatically advance to the national level of adjudication in New York City. Gold and Silver Key work is featured at Savannah College of Art and Design. Congratulations to the following students for being honored this year: Dillon Wroe (Mixed Media-Gold Key), Lauren Ratchford (PhotographyHonorable Mention), Laney Polvino (Painting-Honorable Mention), and Kyra Graap (Mixed Media-Silver Key).

Tarnowksi Participates in National Speech and Debate Tournament

Congratulations to Joey Tarnowski ‘20 who finished 17th overall in the country in Lincoln-Douglas debate at the Online National Speech and Debate Tournament.

Since 1931 the tournament has brought together thousands of middle and high school students to the largest academic competition in the world to debate current events, voice their views, and share their stories. Joey will compete next year for Samford University. Congratulations on an outstanding career debating for St. Pius X!

Grad Receives YMSL Award

Congratulations to recent graduate Robert Weir ‘20 for bringing home four awards at the virtual Young Men’s Service League banquet, including the Heart of YMSL award. The Heart of YMSL is given to the young man that demonstrates an outstanding commitment to the YMSL Mission to assist, serve, and support those in need in their community, develop leadership skills among our membership and promote mother-son relationships. Congratulations Robert, and we wish you the best at Georgia State University this year!

Longtime Employees Retire

Longtime employees Robin Tanis, Bonnie Spark, and Johnny Pitts announced their retirement earlier this year.

For 30 years, Mrs. Robin Tanis served as Librarian, sharing her love of books and guiding projects. Robin held many positions, including Junior Class and Anime Club Moderator, Department Chair, and charter member of the Technology Committee.

An early innovator in technology, Mrs. Tanis led the library program in establishing the first Internet connection to the school; she was responsible for publishing the first school website and created the school’s first presence on social media. For 10 years her ASPIRE! book club reawakened the community to the joy of pleasure reading.

The Teacher of Excellence in 2003, Mrs. Tanis maintained and expanded the school’s electronic resources to include research databases and large ebook collections for

both scholarly and pleasure reading. She worked tirelessly with faculty, searching for materials to enhance their courses, and with students, to improve the research process.

Her goal was always to ensure that everyone who used the Flannery O’Connor Library was able to find something they could enjoy.

She served as a model of dedication as a Pius mom and to health; you could always find Mrs. Tanis at school early, making sure to get her laps in.

Hired in 1981 by Msgr. Terry Young to build a drama program at St. Pius X, Ms. Bonnie Spark dedicated her life to molding and supporting student actors in remarkable performances that reflected her deep and timeless understanding of theater. Ms. Spark produced a wide range of shows, from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to “Antigone,” comedy, tragedy, and everything in-between.

The always enjoyable musical productions, among them “The Sound of Music,” “Newsies,” and “Oklahoma!,” were second to none, and the annual Holocaust plays ensured the past would not be forgotten.

With an eye for detail and a heart for the theatrical, she led the Pius Players in their first school performance in the cafeteria.

Thanks to her enthusiasm, dedication, and knowledge, she built the highly regarded theatrical program of today, one in which the sold-out productions that always include her beloved alumni, are now held in the auditorium. The 2001 Teacher of the Year used her skills not only to inspire those interested in the arts, the development of sets, lighting, sound, and directing, but also to invite unlikely actors to the stage, matching their talents to specific productions. Her passion for the fine arts will live on through the Pius Players for years to come, thanks to the strong foundation she built.

Since 1994, Mr. Johnny Pitts dedicated much of his time and energy to ensuring that the students at St. Pius X attended school in a safe and clean environment. Working behind the scenes, he

Scholastic Arts Winners

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Tarnowski

tended to a variety of jobs on campus and was instrumental in helping prepare for the return of teachers and students each summer. One by one he cleaned each locker, every classroom, and otherwise prepped the facilities. The first to arrive on campus each day, he opened the school and monitored the campus, keeping us safe.

Recognizable in the Pius van, he circled the school’s campus and always had a smile, a wave, and a kind word for each student, faculty member, parent, or guest arriving on campus. Mr. Pitts also took on the monumental task of keeping the school’s busy bus fleet ready for all off-campus events and activities, fueling them and preparing them for their daily departures. He was a reliable, beloved employee and a true gentleman, always willing to go the extra mile.

St. Pius X will not be the same without these familiar faces. We hope they will return frequently for visits and we wish them a happy retirement!

Latin Club Enjoys Successful Year

The St. Pius X chapter of the Georgia Junior Classical League, better known as Latin Club, had a very active year! This year, the club wrote over 300 cards to children spending the holidays in the hospital and prepared over 50 hygiene kit bags for Mercy Care Chamblee, a Catholic healthcare ministry serving homeless and low-income Atlanta residents. In October, six Latin Club members attended Fall Forum, a one-day statewide gathering and competition for Latin students, at Centennial High School.

Although the beloved State Convention was canceled in April due to COVID-19, Laney Polvino ‘20 won maxima cum laude for her painting Ava, inspired by Medusa, and Molly Swartz ‘22 ran for state historian.

Latin Club also participated in several academic competitions from November to April. In November, Katie Graebner ‘22, Daniel Buckley ‘20, and Sofia Rodeghiero ‘20 participated in the Classical Association of the Middle West and South translation contest. In December, Buckley earned a gold medal on the National Classical Etymology Exam, and Graebner and Molly

Swartz ‘22 both earned silver medals. In February, Graebner earned a gold medal on the National Latin Vocabulary Exam and a bronze medal on the National Roman Civilization Exam, and Rodeghiero earned a silver medal on the National Roman Civilization Exam. In March, the entire AP Latin class participated in the Vergilian Society translation contest, and Luke Lyon ‘23, Sutter Guttery ‘22, Graebner, Andrew Muir ‘21, and Rodeghiero participated in the National Mythology Exam. Additionally, the following underclassmen were initiated into the National Junior Classical League Honor Society: Sarah Campbell Anderson ‘23, Ella Beck ‘22, Samantha Feild ‘22, Margaret Griffin ‘22, Charlotte Hally ‘22, Gabrielle Harris ‘22, William Harvey ‘21, Julia Herring ‘23, Elizabeth Hong ‘22, Patrick Kelly ‘22, Charlotte Llop ‘23, Peyton Macik ‘22, Amelia Maloof ‘23, Ava Nieman ‘22, Katherine Randa ‘22, Abigail Russo ‘22, Andrew Soha ‘22, Molly Swartz ‘22, and Claire Tharp ‘22.

Finally, we are pleased to announce that the following Class of 2020 members will graduate this year with commendations from the National Junior Classical League Honor Society: Joseph Banks, Sylvie Buckalew, Daniel Buckley, Anna Buyarski, Tyler Feild, Mathew Gregg, Brianna Harris, Caroline Hollensbe, Elizabeth Hollensbe, Peter Hollensbe, Sydney Jatio, Samuel Kennedy, Thomas Lieu, Emily Nguyen, Madison Reynolds, Sofia Rodeghiero, and Ryan Watson. Congratulations, seniors, we are so proud of you! Valeatis et bonam fortunam!

Theology Bowl

In the first ever high school Theology Bowl at the Chancery, St. Pius X students Markus Paxton, Lily Perella, Chandler Panarese, Kyle Knuth, Rollen Williamson, Brian Knuth, and Sylvie Buckalew took first place! Five Catholic high schools participated in the event and SPX went undefeated. Special thanks to Marsha and Fleming Free for coaching our students and for the Theology

Theology Bowl

teachers for all they do to teach our students.

Nelson Honored with Youth Leadership Award

Congratulations to Cody Nelson ‘22 for being selected as a recipient of the 2020 Georgia Youth Leadership Award presented by the 21st Century Leaders. The nonprofit leadership and talent development program selected 21 high school students for the award, including non-profit founders, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, app developers, and community advocates.

Students Selected for Governor’s Honors Program

Congratulations to the following finalists from St. Pius X for the 2020 Georgia Governor’s Honors Program: Jordell Beja ‘21 (Dance), Katherine Graebner ‘22 (Math), Sophia Lentine-Brown ‘21 (Communicative Arts), Andrew Muir ‘21 (Latin) and Olivia Reeves ‘21(French). Nearly 3000 students from across the state were interviewed and auditioned in February, and from those nominees over 500 finalists were chosen to participate in the 2020 program.

The Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) is a residential summer program for gifted and talented high school students who will be rising juniors and seniors during the program.

Math Honor Society Established at SPX

Sophomore Katie Graebner and math teacher Lesley Bowman founded St. Pius X’s first mathematics honor society, Mu Alpha Theta in March. The group inducted 121 members to the chapter, whose mission is dedicated to inspiring a keen interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics.

Weir

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Mothers’ Club, Serving our Faith, Faculty, Community, and our Spirits By: Rhonda Ficco and Cheri Montello

The St. Pius X Mothers’ Club strongly believes our mission, which states, “We serve our faith, faculty, community and our spirits.”

The faculty and staff at St. Pius X don’t just teach; they impact and reinforce our students every day. They also inspire our students to achieve more; they encourage our students to aim higher; they pilot our students through these four years of their life, and they foster positive self esteem in all of our students. In gratitude, Mothers’ Club takes a few times a year to sincerely express our thanks for our fantastic faculty and staff here at SPX. In October, we host our Faculty Appreciation Lunch, and this committee always outdoes themselves with a great lunch and prizes. This event takes many helping hands to pull off. As parents, this is our day to serve teachers and show that what they do for our students every day does not go unnoticed.

Faculty Valentine’s treats day in February allows us to show our devotion to them. We decorate the teachers’ lounge with love and provide them with treats that we

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

– William Butler Yeats

collect from our members. It is just one way to open our hearts and show our appreciation for all they do.

Faculty Birthday Recognitions is a special treat as well, and our members get into this event with great cakes they make or buy and then give to the faculty and staff member to help celebrate their special day. These are just a few of the ways we acknowledge faculty and staff individually for all they do for our students.

The Mothers’ Club motto is “Meeting in friendship, sharing in faith and working in service together for the good of our community.”

Save the Date!

Holiday Marketplace November 21, 2020 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Past attendees and exhibitors know that our annual holiday marketplace is a wonderful experience for all involved.

Over 170 artisan offerings include accessories, jewelry, pottery, fine art, gourmet foods, spa products, and much, much more! Proceeds from Marketplace benefits the need-based scholarship fund for our current St. Pius X students.

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Students Reflect on Time Spent with Campus Ministry Our school year, like hundreds of thousands of other schools around the country, ended abruptly without much of a goodbye.

We mourn the last days of our school year that we did not get to experience on campus, but we especially grieve for our senior class who experienced many of their “lasts” of high school virtually. For Campus Ministry, most, if not all, of our happenings occur in the context of community - All School Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, retreats, pilgrimages, Bible studies, mission trips, service projects, and other events. Although our year ended in a way we did not expect, it has given everyone a chance to reflect on the year past, to celebrate the experiences we had and look forward in faith to the ones to come.

For many students, Campus Ministry became a focal point of their high school experience; not necessarily because of the physical location in the school, but because of what they experienced over the course of four years. We interviewed a few of our seniors that have frequented various Campus Ministry mission trips, retreats, and service days to reflect on their experience of the last four years.

These seniors have led the way for many of their peers, not only in school, but in the life of their parishes as well.

“My favorite memory within Campus Ministry was by far the mission trip,” recalls Vincent Thomas ‘20. “It was a group of people that had a few friends in the mission group, but by the end of the week, we were all best friends working through Christ for Christ. It was truly a life changing week!” Vincent is not the first of his siblings to attend the annual spring break mission trip - his older sister Sabrina ‘15 and his older brother Anthony ‘17 also attended the mission trip during their time at St. Pius X. Caroline Knight ‘20 also included the mission trip in her favorite memories: “Mustard Seed has a beautiful motto, ‘He is here. Thank you Lord.’ Though this can be easy to forget in our busy lives, my week in Jamaica taught me how important it is to live with that idea in the front of my mind.”

Caroline also served as a retreat leader for two years, and beautifully shared her gift of playing piano for music ministry during her time at St. Pius X.

Campus Ministry

News and Updates from Campus Ministry

lunches over the last four years in our offices that would frequently be flooded with anywhere from 15-30 students during a single class period.

Carolynn Bui ‘20 also frequented Campus Ministry during lunches the last two years of high school. Carolynn was known for helping plan surprise birthday celebrations, leading games like CatchPhrase, but also just lending a listening ear to someone who needed it. We asked her what advice she would give to underclassmen trying to live out their faith in high school, and we love her response: “To my underclassmen trying to navigate their faith life in this environment, I’m praying for you! It’s easy to want to forget about your faith and focus on the fun side of high school, but your faith will become a foundation for you here. My advice to you is to just make a little time in your day, no matter when it is, to visit the chapel or Campus Ministry and just talk. Some days it may be with God alone in the chapel, and other days you can connect with people who are striving to grow their own faith. Either way, you’ll be reminded of God’s love for you.” Vincent Thomas closed his interview sharing his advice. He encouraged students, “don’t be shy to stand out. Sing louder, pray harder, worship more!”

We are so thankful for the entire Class of 2020 - for their resilience, their love for one another, and especially their love for Christ and His Church. We are praying for them as they continue on to the next step, that the Holy Spirit would guide them in everything they do.

No matter where life takes us, may we always remember our deepest identity rests in belonging to the Lord - Domini Sumus!

Another talented musician and salutatorian, Daniel Buckley ‘20, also spent much of his time at St. Pius X within the context of Campus Ministry.

Daniel served as a retreat leader and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. When asked, “What is one experience you had in Campus Ministry that you wish every student could have?” he responded, “I wish every student could experience the community that is fostered in Campus Ministry and the friends you make there.” Daniel spent many

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Home & School Association

Home and School Association Promotes the Mission of St. Pius X

St. Pius X

By: Brian Mulligan

The St. Pius X Home and School Association provides a vehicle for communication and community building between the parents and the administration, faculty and staff.

Home and School also promotes parental and student involvement at various school events and serves the St. Pius X community by providing programs which enhance the SPX experience for our students as well as faculty, staff, parents and others who value the St. Pius X mission.

In the wake of the turbulent times in which we live where we find ourselves struggling with a worldwide pandemic and confronting racism and other long-standing injustices in our country, it is crucial that we provide the St. Pius X community with access to relevant, thoughtful and actionable information to help navigate today’s rapidly changing world.

Plans for the upcoming school year feature two dynamic speakers who will address topics with meaningful messages, pertinent to the entire St. Pius X community and timely in delivering content that is particularly relevant to our student body.

David Flood will get the school year started as our first semester featured speaker. David has addressed over 400,000 students in 38 states and Canada, with his goal being to inspire students to look at people and things in a different way.

David will be presenting, “Teaching Teens the Right Combination – Dignity, Respect, Compassion.” David’s approach uses simple examples, taken from his personal life including growing up in a family with addiction issues and raising a son with special needs.

David speaks with passion and conviction and through his humility, leaves his audience with so much to act on, in their

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2020- 2021 Speakers Plans for the upcoming year include two dynamic speakers addressing topics with meaningful messages pertinant to the entire St Pius X community.

formative years and as they move into their future. David will weave current events into his messaging to help our teens during these challenging times.

David believes in creating “proactive emotional literacy,” with the goal being to encourage dignity and respect throughout the community.

A’ric Jackson will headline as our featured speaker during the second semester. From growing up on welfare in a small suburb outside of Chicago, to being televised internationally to over 2.2 million viewers in 69 countries, A’ric’s high-energy experience and passion for making a difference are highlights of his speaking events.

A’ric will be presenting “Preparing the Next Generation to Live Well and Lead Boldly.” A’ric believes one can live one of two ways: in fear or IN ACTION. His program will present specific strategies to help individuals discover their authentic leadership style and destroy “the box” which is the one hidden factor that hinders performance and diminishes desired results in school and life.

The Home and School Association is working with the Pius administration to ensure that these events are hosted in a safe and effective manner to ensure our students acquire the mentoring and inspirational benefit they are sure to provide. Due to the pandemic, both speakers will present in an alternative format rather than the traditional single gym assembly.

SPX alum competes in Iditarod sled dog race Written by Golden Lines Editor-in-Chief Ellie Taube ‘20

St. Pius X alum Sean Underwood competed in the 2020 Iditarod race in March, only the second Atlantan to participate in the prestigious sled dog race.

Underwood graduated from St. Pius X in 2010 and attended Georgia Southern University. He then moved to Alaska to live with his aunt and uncle in 2015. After spending two summers commercial fishing for sockeye salmon on Kodiak Island, Underwood joined four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King at the Husky Homestead in Denali National Park, where he worked as a winter handler, summer guide, and driver.

Underwood participated in a number of qualifying dog sled races, such as the Tustumena 200, the Copper Basin 300, and the Yukon Quest 300, but he wasn’t planning on competing in the Iditarod until 2021. When King had to undergo emergency surgery just days before the race, however, Underwood was pulled in at the last minute.

“An insane turn of events has brought me to the race of my lifetime,” he stated March 3 on Instagram (@keepcalmandmushsean). “Hey mom, it’s no joke…I’m running the Iditarod!” Four days later, Underwood and his team of 14 dogs were off.

The Iditarod is an annual sled dog race in Alaska covering 975 miles from Anchorage to Nome. This year’s event ran from March 7-March 23 and featured 57 participants, known as mushers. The top 20 finishers received prize money as well as the glory of completing “the last great race on Earth.”

Thomas Waerner from Norway finished first, completing the race in 9 days, 10 hours, and 37 minutes. The first-time winner took home more than $51,000 in prize money. Underwood was one of 23 participants who didn’t complete the race.

According to an update on his Instagram account, he and two other mushers were scratched on March 20 after encountering overflowing water on the trail near Safety, which is the last checkpoint before Nome. The three teams were forced to activate their emergency beacons that morning as conditions worsened. Alaska State Troopers, Nome Search and Rescue, and the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center were able to rescue everyone safely by helicopter.

Despite the disappointing ending to his first Iditarod, Underwood posted on Instagram that he was grateful for the experience and that it gave him “drive for the future” and “hopefully many more runs to Nome.”

Visit Underwood’s Instagram account to see highlights from the 2020 Iditarod and keep up with his journey to compete again in next year’s race. You can also read more about him on his personal website, mushsean.com, or on the official Iditarod website.

Photo courtesy of @keepcalmmushsean

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Pius Pathways

Spotlight on St. Pius X entrepreneurs

The following alumni are a true testament to the mission of St. Pius X, to provide a college preparatory education for the formation of the mind, body and spirit in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church. These alumni have given back to those in need and shared their talents and faith in the Atlanta community and beyond!

Kathleen LaPorte `10 I graduated from St. Pius X in 2010.

After high school, I went on to get a bachelor’s degree in journalism and sociology at the University of Georgia.

After graduating from UGA in 2014, I worked a year and a half as a fellow at Centers for Disease Control (CDC) before becoming a full-time federal employee. In 2017, I entered the public health master’s program at Georgia State University. I attended GSU while working at CDC and graduated with an MPH from GSU in May 2019.

You have used your degrees to create an amazing career. Tell us about your time working for the CDC and WHO: I work in health communications at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. I have worked at CDC for six years in multiple areas including emergency preparedness, HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and influenza. While pursuing my journalism degree at UGA, I spent a summer interning at CDC. I realized public health was a great opportunity to apply my communication skills to an impactful and fulfilling career. I was able to use the writing and communication skills learned through a journalism program to support the communication offices at CDC through public affairs, web content development, campaigns, and social media work. Throughout my time at CDC I have worked on multiple communication teams and supported emergency response work, including the 2014 West Africa Ebola epidemic, the 2018 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ebola outbreak, and now the current COVID-19 response.

I currently work in the Influenza Division in the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC. I support CDC communication work around seasonal influenza prevention, surveillance, vaccinations, and pandemic influenza preparedness. Last summer I had the opportunity to deploy to Geneva, Switzerland to provide emergency response communication support to the World Health Organization (WHO) as part of the Ebola outbreak in DRC. I spent a month working at the WHO headquarters on their emergency response team. This opportunity was an amazing experience to expand my understanding of global public health response. As an avid cyclist, I was also able to explore the country on some amazing bike rides during my time in Switzerland.

Describe how your job has changed during the COVID–19 pandemic: During the second week of January my center, the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, was engaged to respond to 40 cases of pneumonia of an unknown etiology in Wuhan, China.

My supervisor and I were tasked with starting up the communication efforts for this outbreak, including setting up a new website and

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pulling together communication on initial reports. Within two weeks CDC transitioned the response to an agency-wide emergency response for what was then known as a novel coronavirus, now known as the COVID-19 global pandemic. During the first three and half months of the response I worked on content coordination in the joint information center of CDC’s emergency operation center.

My role included coordination of content review of external facing material, content development for the COVID-19 CDC website, development of graphics and print material, as well as managing consistent messages across multiple CDC response taskforces.

This work involved doing our best to communicate a clear message to the public during an ever-changing situation, where we were learning something new every day and more often every few hours. The work of a public health emergency response is grueling and exhausting.

New information is coming in fast and the demand for guidance and a response comes at you even faster. CDC has been working tirelessly to continue to provide information on what is known and what we are still learning about this pandemic and the virus that causes COVID-19.

In the past month I have transitioned from my role in the joint information center back to the influenza division, to begin to prepare for the upcoming 2020-2021 influenza season. We are working to plan and prepare for influenza vaccination during a time when we could still be experiencing nationwide or regional COVID-19 circulation, as well as for an influenza season that could include circulation of both COVID-19 and seasonal flu. It is an important reminder that the work of CDC in disease prevention and control does not stop even in the face of a global pandemic. While many roles and resources shift to responding to COVID-19, thousands of CDC employees still work to ensure many of the other health threats we face are monitored and addressed.

A special note from Kathleen regarding the above photo: It is important to note that this photo was taken before there was community transmission in the U.S. and before social distancing measures were implemented.

I am now working from home, but anyone working in the CDC office would be required to wear a mask and be 6 feet apart from anyone else.

Tell us about what your mom has been doing on the front lines during the pandemic: While the work of public health is critical to a path forward in responding to a pandemic, healthcare providers and frontline workers are often the ones who see the greatest burden and impact of this disease. I am fortunate enough to call one of these healthcare professionals “mom.” My mom, Debra LaPorte, is the director of critical care nurses at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and coincidentally works just down the street from me at CDC on Clifton Road.

My mom has worked at Children’s for nearly 30 years and has dedicated countless hours, late nights, and holidays away from her family to support patients and her fellow nurses. As director of critical care nurses, she oversees some of the hospital units with the sickest children, including the neonatal intensive care unit, which cares for babies born premature. In her role my mom also serves on the team that prepares Children’s nurses for infectious disease outbreaks. She was a leader in preparing the hospital for potential travel-related Ebola cases in 2014 and serves as a key member on the planning and response of hospital operations in the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

While, fortunately, young children have not been as severely impacted

by COVID-19 as older adults, children with underlying medical conditions and who are immune-compromised are at risk for severe outcomes if they become sick with COVID-19. My mom works to ensure her nurses are prepared to provide these patients with the best care safely.

Throughout the past three months many late phone calls driving home from work have been to my mom to talk about the developing COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic. It is always interesting to swap perspectives on what we are hearing from a public health perspective and a patient care healthcare perspective.

Any advice for our St. Pius X young alums?

The best advice I can give to St. Pius X alums is to get a seasonal influenza vaccine every year! Mostly kidding, but seriously get your flu shots!

The real advice I would give to St. Pius X alums, is to value the community you have here at Pius. As you continue on to your next steps in life, college, a career, family, it is comforting and critical to know you have a community who supports you. I have found through my education and career, the connections you have and people you know are invaluable. Whether it is knowing you can always come back to Pius for a football game or an alumni event or reaching out to a fellow alumni or community members for advice or career opportunities, the Pius community is family and that does not change once you leave. You always have a place that supports you, prays for you, and will be there for you no matter where you go next.

Favorite memory of St. Pius X: My best memory at Pius was my time on the cross country and track team. I ran hundreds of miles with some of the best friends and best coaches. I loved my time participating in sports at St. Pius X. Beyond athletics I had some really amazing and impactful teachers that helped me push myself and see big opportunities for my future including Mrs. Stockard and Ms. Kramer.

Anything we didn’t cover?

I would just like to add that there are so many St. Pius X alumni in the class of 2010 and beyond who are supporting the response to COVID-19 whether it be on the frontlines as healthcare providers or providing education to students virtually as teachers working from home. All these essential workers are so important and so appreciated. Thank you!

Maria Montello `91

Several years ago, Maryknoll lay missioner Maria Montello says, she was “feeling like an inadequate godmother due to my absence in the U.S. and, consequently, my absence in my godsons’ lives.”

To establish more meaningful, regular contact with her three godsons, she decided to send them “what little advice I have as someone who has been in the world for 30 years longer than them.”

That’s how Maria’s weekly “Godmother’s Advice” emails were born. What makes these emails unique is Maria’s perspective of living and working as a lay missioner in Phnom Penh. A Maryknoll lay missioner in Cambodia for more than eight years, she teaches philosophy and critical thinking at the Royal University of Phnom Penh and the Catholic Major Seminary.

These morsels of wisdom—sometimes whimsical or funny, sometimes serious and profound— provide food for thought and moral guidance, for young and old alike. The topics of the advice range from including others and honoring different perspectives to avoiding bad habits and bad influences; from the benefits of collaboration and the dangers of throw-away consumerism to caring for the most vulnerable and opening our hearts to others and to God. On March 17, 2020 Maria wrote a timely one about heroism in light of the worldwide COVID-19 crisis.

Maria has recently been sharing these weekly emails with a wider audience of friends and others to generate interest in and support of her mission work but mostly “because I feel that folks need some good, helpful or happy things in their inbox these days.”

Maria is the sister of Paul Montello `85, Mark Montello `88, Ben Montello `93 and aunt of John Montello`19, Mark Montello `21, William Montello `22, and Mary Montello `24.

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Benefiting Animals, Educating Humans: Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary Katy Daugherty Ordway `98 & Jonathan Ordway ‘96 With a new vision to provide unreleasable wildlife with life-long homes, Jonathan and Katy Ordway never thought that they would one day rescue a game ranch and turn it into a wildlife sanctuary. Jonathan grew up in Stone Mountain, so the old Yellow River Game Ranch that had opened its doors in 1962 was a staple in his life. He continued the tradition of visiting the iconic venue when they had their oldest child. Both Jonathan and Katy had noticed that the grounds had gone into disrepair, and Jonathan would share his daydreams of what he would do to improve the place if he owned it. Of course, Katy would remind him that with four kids (at the time), they had enough on their plate between their family, friends, and careers in full swing. However, when news broke that the old game ranch had closed its doors, Jonathan immediately reached out to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to find out what would happen to the animals. Unfortunately, there are not a ton of options for rehousing middle-aged arthritic bears-which meant the outcome for many of these animals was not good. He jumped into action and asked them to give him some time to track down the owners.

Fast forward two years. With delays due to record-breaking rain, a global pandemic and the fantastic addition of a new child—the Ordways had achieved their goal of acquiring the ranch and were ready to open. They allowed a limited number of guests per day beginning on May 14, 2020. The community can now enjoy the animals in their new enclosures and take time to learn about how this family and their incredible team have come together to meet the physiological and psychological needs of their residents successfully.

What animal has been your favorite, and why?

Seeing the bears in their new habitat has been an incredible experience, but getting to know the unappreciated animals has been my favorite part.

Possums and raccoons are so much more amazing than I ever realized.

Hmm...or maybe it’s the lemurs. They have their own personalities and social dynamics. And they are very interactive.

What has been the most fun part of this whole experience?

When the bears were released into their new 2-acre enclosure, with pond, waterfall and night house, it was terrific. They had spent at least a decade in the concrete pit. Being there when they play in the water and rub their backs on trees is just so awesome.

How do your children like being a part of this whole experience?

To be honest, they don’t know how lucky they are. To them, its normal to bottle feed a wallaby or walk a goat around. But they do love it.

During quarantine to have 29 acres to run among the animals has been remarkable. It’s funny because while Jonathan and I discussed buying it, I said we have four children; we cannot take on more things. His reply was, “we have four kids; let’s do it for them.” Our kids do appreciate the animals and their needs more than any YouTube video could ever explain.

What’s kept you going through all of the stops and starts?

The support has been amazing. The volunteer training had excellent turnouts. And even just the encouraging words. Most days are long, and knowing this is important to the community does help. We have also met so many incredible people through this. They not only care about the animals but also want to help teach the next generation about the importance of wildlife.

How can the St. Pius X community support you?

Most importantly, visit us. Volunteer! You can find details at our website www.yellowriverwildlifesanctuary.com.

Any advice for young alumni?

Do not leap, until you have a million parachutes. Usually, people say follow your passion. But the reality is that sometimes you have a season with record-breaking rain and a global pandemic and without savings and our other jobs, we would have been in real trouble. You do have to measure and think through the big decisions- like should we buy an old game ranch.

Thank you, Katy, Jonathan, and family for giving these animals a forever home and for keeping something meaningful alive for your community.

Kathy Spotts ‘93 Education: University of Georgia, BS Early Childhood Education Business: Kathy’s Charleston Designs Custom, laser engraved gifts and products How did your path lead you to starting a business?

After college, I worked in PR and special event coordination and production. About three years ago, I decided to make a career change and start my own business. I love that no two days are the same. At any given time, I can be making jewelry for a gallery downtown, preserving handwriting from loved ones, creating personalized gifts for special moments and loved ones, designing corporate products for golf courses or anything in between.

How has life as a business owner changed during the COVID – 19 pandemic?

Working from my home while trying to make sure both of my boys (12 & 16) are on top of their school work and extra curricular activities (like BSA), stay engaged with their peers, and more has been a challenge. With retail stores being closed, I needed to adjust some of my products. Personalized wood postcards were a fun concept for Mother’s Day that are now being ordered for birthdays, graduations, or just to say “Thinking of you” when you can’t celebrate in person. The same goes for custom photo frames. People are actually already ordering Christmas gifts and ornaments. It’s been lovely to see that my clients still want to acknowledge these special moments.

Any advice for our St. Pius X young alums?

Reconnecting with fellow classmates over the past few years has been great, both personally and professionally. I wish we hadn’t lost touch earlier - but now we’re making up for lost time.

Favorite memory of St. Pius X? There are so many! I transferred into SPX my junior year, and everyone made me feel welcome right away. Of course, any time spent in Monsignor Lopez’ classroom was special. I still use the driving prayer of protection he taught us every time I buckle up.

Find and Follow Kathy here: www.kathyscharlestondesigns.com, IG – kathyscharlestondesigns, FB - facebook.com/kathyscharlestondesigns

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Mariana Buntichai Lacuzong `95 Credentials: Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, NC, M.S.N., APRN, AGACNP-BC, ACCNS-AG, CCRN How did your path begin?

I intended to Major in Psychology and pursued a Masters in Physical Therapy. My mother, Lorna Buntichai, a retired nurse, worked at Emory University Hospital and laid the path down for my career. After graduating with my B.S.N. in 2000, I worked full time at St. Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta for three years as a Cardiothoracic Nurse and an on-call nurse at Emory University Hospital. During this time, 9-11 happened. I remembered that moment as I was in a patient’s room witnessing the tragedy on TV before my eyes as I cared for the patient. I remember thinking I wanted to join the military to serve my country.

What is life like as a military nurse?

After receiving my direct commission as an officer in the Air Force in 2003, I entered active duty in 2004 as a Second Lieutenant (aka Butter Bar), making my way to Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama for Commissioned Officer Training.

I was assigned to the 377th Medical Group at Kirtland A.F.B. Albuquerque, New Mexico, and worked as a Family Practice Clinic Nurse for three years, achieving the ranks of First Lieutenant and Captain. During this period, I planned a wedding to marry the love of my life Alexander G. Lacuzong. We brought the nuptials back to Atlanta at the Cathedral of Christ the King on a date that I will never forget to honor veterans, November 11, 2006.

In 2007, I accepted a role in the Critical Care/Emergency Room Nursing Fellowship at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland, A.F.B., Texas. I became a surgical trauma intensive care unit nurse.

In 2009, I deployed to the 332nd Expeditionary Wing, Balad, Iraq, to be part of the Tuskegee Airmen Legacy supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. From there, I was stationed overseas at the 48th Inpatient Operations Squadron, 48th Medical Group, 48th Fighter Wing, Lakenheath A.F.B., England, as an I.C.U. Nurse. I eventually became the Flight Commander for the Multi-Service Unit caring for pediatric, adult medical-surgical, and critical care patients and was able to train military nurses and medics all over Europe, teaching them about emergency response to natural disasters in Bosnia Herzegovina and Slovenia. Along the way, I promoted to the rank of Major, earned my M.S.N. in Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner (NP), and subsequently received my dual board certification in both tracks. I returned to San Antonio after graduating in August 2017. I became the C.N.S. for Surgical

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Trauma I.C.U. and Progressive Care units at Brooke Army Medical Center, 959th Inpatient Operations Squadron, 959th Medical Group, 59th Medical Wing, Joint Base San Antonio Fort SamHouston, Texas. In June 2019, I was selected to be the Critical Care Flight Commander for three Surgical Trauma I.C.U.s. I continued to have dual-hatted roles as a C.N.S. and Flight Commander, mentoring nurses and physicians on the most current evidencebased practice in caring for patients while grooming them to be future leaders.

How did COVID-19 reunite you with St. Pius X alumni?

In support of COVID-19, I went to Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. On May 1, 2020, with help from my high school classmate Kimberly MacMurphy ‘95 and her husband Jay and his family, a celebratory ceremony came together. Not knowing where I was going to be, my promotion ceremony plans were very last minute. My teammate mentioned that he wanted to visit the FireFly Distillery while we were here. Somehow it sparked a memory of Kimberly.

I remembered she lives in South Carolina, so I thumbed through my Facebook feeds, and I found it; the FireFly Distillery was in one of Kim’s posts. The week of my promotion, I contacted Kim via messenger, and the rest is history. Kimberly and the family saved the day, and I was able to have my promotion ceremony at the FireFly. My family could not be there physically, but I had the next best thing, my St. Pius X family. Kimberly MacMurphy, who has known me for over 25 years, much longer than my Air Force sisters and brothers, was standing there with me at my ceremony.

Thank you, Jay and Kimberly MacMurphy, and the Firefly family for making my promotion ceremony a successful and memorable celebration. All roads lead to St. Pius X!

Kimberly Salter Macmurphy `95 Post St. Pius X education: 1999 Appalachian State University - 2014 TTCC Registered Nurse How did your path lead you to a family business?

My husband, Jay, and I got married in 2000 and moved to his hometown, Charleston, SC. He was a wooden boat builder and designed for Scout and Sea Fox boat companies here in Charleston. We decided early on that I would not continue to be a kindergarten teacher but stay home to raise our children. We now have five children- two daughters and three sons (19, 16, 14, 12, and 9 years old). Over those years I became a birth doula and taught childbirth education classes. I decided to pursue that love and went back to school in 2011 and earned my nursing degree. Since then, I have worked mostly as a labor and delivery nurse at both a local birth center and a high-risk obstetric unit at the Medical University of SC.

In the meantime, Jay’s mother and stepfather had created a local vineyard right outside of Charleston in 2002 and began distilling straight vodka in 2006 as Firefly Distillery. We were not expecting it to take off like it did the summer of 2008 when we went from a local, small distillery to selling in all 50 states and internationally.

Since then, we have created over 30 different spirits including, vodka (flavored and non-flavored), bourbon, whiskey, moonshine, rum, and liqueurs. There will soon be a gin as well. Currently, we produce in Charleston and Kentucky and are proud to say we opened our brand new 25,000 square foot, 18-acre facility on February 15, 2020. We are now just minutes from downtown Charleston in the revitalized, hip area of Park Circle. We have tastings and tours, and ample event space. It also includes an outdoor stage and lawn for concerts for up to 5,000 people.

Also never underestimate or forget the strong, solid, holistic education you received at St. Pius X. What I learned there has enabled me to pursue two degrees and helped me in too many ways to count. Every class has helped me in some way. Also, can I give a shout out to Mrs. Schupp? At the time, I never knew how much typing class would have been one of my most helpful classes! I am eternally grateful for the foundation that was laid by the entire staff at Pius and that my parents had the ability to send me there.

Favorite memory of St. Pius X: I will always remember when we were going to state championships for basketball, and we had a pep rally where everyone was going crazy with excitement. The song Too Legit To Quit by MC Hammer was popular then. Trying to help sweet Msgr. Lopez and other teachers do the hand motions to that song was memorable! Msgr.

Lopez was always right in the mix with all of the students having fun and acting silly.

How to find you?

You can find us online as www.fireflydistillery.com and @fireflydistillery and @fireflyspirits on social media. Please come see us if you are ever in Charleston. For the Charleston Alumni crew... let’s get together! We keep saying we will do something, but it never comes to fruition. Let’s get something on the calendar once this pandemic is over.

Describe how your family business has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic We had a great four weeks in the new building, but our last day before COVID-19 stay-at-home orders were put in place was March 15. After that, we closed our tastings and tours but kept our redesigned airstream open for people to purchase liquor, mixers, and other retail items. We were deemed essential, so thankfully, we were able to keep all of our employees. We now sell hand sanitizer in bulk to local hospitals, cleaning companies, fire stations, police departments, nursing homes, pharmacies, churches, and prisons. It is also available for purchase to individuals at the distillery.

Any advice for our St. Pius X young alums?

Nurture the relationships you made at St. Pius X−they are important! You never know, one day you might be 43 years old like me and going through a crisis like a pandemic. One thing that has helped me during this trying time is a weekly Zoom call with my PiHi peeps.

We have known each other for 29 years, some of us even longer!

There is something so amazing about friends that have known you since you were a child. That familiarity is rare and comforting.

Make time for your Pius friends even when you go your separate ways for college.

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Making People Laugh and Think...Catching Up with Comedian Paul Ollinger `87 Paul Ollinger `87 has built an impressive resume since he gave the salutatorian speech during his graduation from St. Pius X. He earned an MBA, worked at Yahoo! and Facebook, penned a book entitled You Should Totally Get an MBA, is a nationally touring comedian, and has a successful podcast called Crazy Money.

The fifth of six kids, Paul describes his younger self as “earnest” and always wanting his fair share of attention. In grade school he won the titles “Most Class Spirit” and “Biggest Complainer.”

At Pius he played football, acted as part of the Pius Players, and participated in Student Government. It was during one of Bonnie Spark’s performances that he had an epiphany. “I remember being onstage at Pius and thinking this is the most fun anybody can have doing anything, but only someone who indulges foolish dreams would pursue a career in the arts.”

“I remember being onstage at Pius and thinking this is the most fun anybody can have doing anything, but only someone who indulges foolish dreams would pursue a career in the arts.”

“

Like most, he went to college, then decided he wanted to earn more money, so he went to Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business to pursue his MBA. One night at a talent show, he told jokes, “I always liked being on stage, but this feeling was electric. That’s the night I got bit by the comedy bug.”

Strapped with $80,000 in student loan debt, he attempted to get into the business side of the entertainment industry. Lacking experience, he detoured into the new world of digital media working for Launch.com, then Yahoo!. He wanted to pursue comedy, but put the idea aside, thinking “when I make money, I’ll quit and do stand-up.” After paying off his student loans, he left

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Yahoo! to pursue comedy full-time. For two years he worked the improv comedy clubs in Southern California. It was during this time that he got engaged to his wife, Stacey.

In 2007, a former co-worker called and asked if he would be interested in working for a new startup. Wanting a more stable job to support the family he hoped soon to have, Paul put his stand-up career on hold and completely immersed himself in this little company called Facebook. He began in sales, was promoted to run the SW region and ultimately was named West Coast VP of Sales. After four years, he decided it was time to move home to be closer to his aging parents. Soon thereafter, he left Facebook to follow his “foolish dreams” of being a comedian.

He admits he was scared to get back into comedy, but finally realized he had to be true to himself. He reconstructed his old material to better reflect who he had become – a husband and father of two who consistently provide him with an abundance of material.

He still gets nervous. “That’s part of the thrill of doing it, trying to channel those nerves and take some risks.” A

recent highlight included being chosen as a breakout artist at legendary comedy club Caroline’s on Broadway in New York City, the same bar where he first met his wife-quite a full circle moment.

In 2019 he took another risk by blending his business experience with his comedy and started a Podcast called Crazy Money. “When people think about financial shows, they think about how to make, save or invest money. Very few people ask the question ‘how do I use money to live a better life?’” He says he’s doing this podcast “as much for my own self-development as I am to try to introduce people to the idea that structuring your life around maximizing your income isn’t going to make you as happy as you could be...so maybe start by asking yourself, ‘what kind of a life do I want to lead and how does money help me get there?’”

Some of his guests have included Nobel Laureate/Economist Sir Angus Deaton and Heisman Trophy Winner Danny Wuerffel. After 60+ episodes, he is fortunate to have people seek him out. His wish list of interviewees includes Jimmy Carter, Elton John and Tyler Perry, to name a few.

His advice to graduates is simple. “Life is both short and long. Making money is just the beginning - yes, it’s critical to establish financial autonomy, but beyond that, your happiness is going to be determined by the meaning you derive from what you do every day.”

And yes, he still keeps in touch with many of his former classmates and coworkers via – you guessed it…Facebook.

“

“The biggest danger is playing it safe, you constantly need to push yourself.

Bombing isn’t the enemy—the enemy is not taking enough risks.”

Paul’s siblings include Cathy Cowen `78, Bill Ollinger `79, Tricia Ward `84, Cole Ollinger `85 and Claire Rohlen `89. Paul and his wife Stacey and two children, Elvis and Izzy Van, live in Atlanta. Follow Paul on Twitter @ Paul_Ollinger. Find him at PaulOllinger.com. Listen to his Podcast Crazy Money and catch him back on stage as soon as comedy clubs such as The Laughing Skull Lounge re-open.

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Pius Legacies

Carrying on the tradition of excellence...

Congratulations to these Golden Lion parents and best of luck to their new young alums!

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PICTURED: 1) Jonathan Blackburn and Cary Johnson Blackburn `85 2) Tiffany Elliott `02, Tyler Elliott-Bonus and Brian Bonus `01 3) Ella Brennan, Julia Brennan and Karoline Rumps Brennan `82 4) Thomas Brunner `17, Colette Brunner `13, Christa Brunner `20, Mary Najjar Brunner `80, Joseph Brunner `19 5) Jennings Hooper and Anne Marie Ciprari-Hooper `77 6) Elizabeth Craig and Anne Reimer Craig `82 7) Henry Guynn and Jennifer McGowan Guynn `87 14

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8) Jacob Pajer and Mary Lu Christiansen `64 9) Tucker Kelly and Bob Kelly `82 10) Mary Pat Warner Martin `86, Carol Martin `16, Jamie Martin ‘20, Grace Martin `18, James Martin `82 and Colin Martin ‘12 11) Sophia Millard and Ashley Millard `96 and Shaun Millard `96 12) Ashley Miller Jr. `09, Hailey Miller and Maria Rodriguez Miller `87 13) Phil Pompilio ‘78 and Lauren Pompilio 14) Dena Chadwick `87 and Lawson Schultz 15) Andrea Ruffin Weir `79 and Robert Weir 16) Ralph Williams `81 and Joseph Williams

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NOT PICTURED: Sylvie Buckalew and Margaret Burke `92 Isabella Casanova and Susan Lampe Casanova `90 and Alex Casanova `88 Zoe Dorse and MaryJo Terrill Dorse `05 Shannon Sullivan and David Sullivan `80 Ellie van Arkel and Beth Farrell van Arkel `86 Josh Varuso and Sheila Michalko Varuso `89

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Lion Lines What have you been up to since graduation?

Drop us a line at alumni@spx.org so we can share it with the St. Pius X community!

Michael Abbott `08, World Languages faculty, and his wife Anna Duran Abbott `08 welcomed Natalia Sofia on May 4, 2020. Natalia weighed 8lbs, 2oz. and joins siblings Lucas, Mila, and Stephen.

Nick Haddad `04 and his wife Rachel Haddad welcomed Isaac George Haddad on May 20, 2020, weighing 7.1 pounds and 20 inches.

Big brother Lucas Nicholas (2) is happy to have a younger brother. The family resides in Birmingham, Alabama.

Abbott

Haddad

Gabrielle Jean Weir was born 8 lbs 4 oz 19.5” on February 12, 2020 at 10:30 p.m. in Paoli, Pennsylvania to parents Alicia Hatter Weir ‘00 and Kevin Weir. Gabrielle joins big brother Benjamin (2), who is adjusting well to his new baby sister. Proud grandparents David and Denise Hatter, SPX Student Accounts Assistant Manager, are over the moon in love!

Eric Mongerson, our SAGE Dining Manger, welcomed his grandson Anthony Jeremiah on May 1, 2020. He weighed 7 lbs, 2.6 oz.

On August 17, 2019, Charlotte Schemmel Smith-Harris ‘63, parent and SPX English teacher for 15 years, married Owen Conger Harris at St. John Neumann Church in Lilburn.

Msgr. Richard Lopez officiated the wedding and classmate Pat Szabo Fries ‘63 and her husband Bill were in attendance. Charlotte’s daughter, Alison Smith Krebs ‘94, served as matron of honor and her grandson Andrew Paul Lawson escorted the bride down the aisle. The couple honeymooned in Branson, Missouri and Memphis, Tennessee, where they enjoyed visiting Elvis’ Graceland. The couple discovered that “Owen and I actually lived in the same neighborhood in Lilburn - but we had never met until we both went to the online dating site “Our Time!” Life is indeed beautiful, and I am constantly reminded that we never know what’s around the next corner from us,” said Charlotte.

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Weir ‘00

Mongerson

Smith-Harris

Denny Wigbels `64 proudly introduces his granddaughter, Isabel Grace Wigbels Welch, born April 22, 2020 at 7.5 lbs.

Brigid Lammers Chavis `02 and her husband Wes Chavis welcomed James Matthew Chavis born February 28, 2020, weighing 7 lb 4 oz. He joins his older brother Samuel to make a very happy family of four.

Caroline Wootten `13 married Derek Limbaugh at Fearrington Village in Pittsboro, North Carolina on July 20, 2019. Caroline is the daughter of Jennifer (Chuck) Pitra Wootten `82 and sister of Zack `11, and Mary Kate `16.

Lindsay Dent, English department faculty, and husband EJ Brosas welcomed Adeleine Lily Brosas on May 12, 2020. Adeleine was born weighing 6 lbs 15 oz and 19.75 inches. Lindsay and EJ are so grateful for their new family.

On March 11, 2020, St. Pius X alumni gathered for a pop-up happy hour at Ghost Train in Birmingham, Alabama. The event was co-hosted by Ashley Mouzayck Millard `98 and Tom Millard `98. Pictured left to right: Nick Haddad `04, Cameron Shevlin `08, Sabrina Thomas `15, Beth Merkle Swantek `81, and husband Marvin Swantek, Tom Millard, Lauren Millard, Rob Markham `75, Drew Kempton `03 and friends of St. Pius X.

Wigbels

Chavis

Brosas

Wootten

Birmingham

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Kempton

deGolian

Drew Kempton `03 and Jessica Kempton welcomed Nolan Mason Kempton on September 16, 2019. Drew shares that Nolan is named after Kevin Mason `03 “who left us way too early but will be forever cherished. His memory lives on through every life he touched.

Although they never met, Nolan is one of those.”

Chad Wethern, son of Mary Wright Wethern `82 and Tom Wethern `83, married Ann Marie Sammon on December 28, 2019. The wedding was held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Carrollton and officiated by Monsignor Frank McNamee. Also pictured are Mary and Tom’s children Carley and Matt.

Wethern

Helen deGolian, the matriarch of the deGolian family celebrated her 100th birthday April 29, 2020. Helen is the beloved mother of 14 children, 12 of which are St. Pius X alumni; Felix deGolian, Butchie deGolian Neely `62, Robert deGolian, Angelique deGolian White `66, Bill deGolian `68, Jerry deGolian `69, Doll deGolian Sullivan `71, Nina deGolian Savakus `73, Michael deGolian `75, Lucy deGolian Marshall `76, George deGolian `77, Peter deGolian `79, Ann deGolian `81, and Roch deGolian `83. Helen has 37 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren with more on the way!

Director of Admissions and Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Aaron Parr ‘06 and Katie Perez Parr ‘07 welcomed daughter Avery Shawn Parr on May 20, 2020. Avery weighed 8 lbs 5 oz.

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Parr

Chelsea Rushworth `16 started her custom cookie business in the fall of 2019 while attending UGA. After many successful orders, the company became an LLC in February 2020.

Kathy Spotts `93 married Alan Georgeson on September 30, 2019 in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The couple traveled to Scotland in November to celebrate with the groom’s family.

Elizabeth Hogan Fragulis ‘02 is the owner/operator of Finest Frostings Cookie Co., creating artisan sugar cookies for any occasion. Since 2017, she‘s created custom, decorated cookies in her licensed cottage kitchen just a few miles from SPX in Tucker. Her business began as a way to celebrate the joyful moments in life, and she loves adding to special events with personalized cookies. Follow her work on Facebook or Instagram.

Matt Wineski, St. Pius X World Language faculty and Lauren Wilson welcomed Jack Theodore Wilson Wineski on June 22, 2020 Jack and the family are doing well, though a bit tired.

Rushworth

Gloria Gaytan `77 lives in Atlanta and is a producer at Imperial Savage, a global content studio and advisory firm at the intersection of technology and human connection, developing and producing film, television and new media content.

Her love for words, fantasy and imagination inspired her to write a children’s book, Princess Roseabelle & The Rose People: Creation Quest (found on Amazon).

What have you been up to since graduation? Drop us a line at alumni@spx.org so we can share it with the St. Pius X community!

Spotts

Gaytan

Wineski

Fragulis

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In Memoriam

We remember our loved ones

Dr. Manuel Antón, February 14, 2020 Husband of Blanca and father of Annie Antón `84 and Manuel Antón Dr. Gordon Azar, July 10, 2020 Father of Lynn Azar Foley `74, Sharisse Azar Johnson `76, Dr. Gordon Azar, Jr., Marcia Azar Sullivan, David Azar `86, and grandfather of 14 including SPX alumni, Kristen Foley `03, Daniel Foley `06 (SPX Information Technology), Ryan Robinson `03, and Sean Robinson `05 James Bailey, June 7, 2020 Grandfather of Matt Bailey `02, Jackie Kulzer `06 (deceased) and uncle of Karen Kingery McConnell `71, Patricia Kingery `72, Collette Sherry Kingery `75, and Reverend Patrick Kingery `82 Mary Barwick, February 1, 2020 Mother of Chad Barwick, former SPX President Veronica Genevieve Furman Barnhill, March 26, 2020 Mother of Mary Vallés Jones (SPX Associate Director of Advancement), and grandmother of Deanna Jones-Puig `01 (SPX Communications Manager), Tessa Jones `03 and Joey Jones Hedrick `05 Alfred Bartholomai, April 4, 2020 Father of Fred Bartholomai and father-inlaw of SPX science teacher Brigid Foster Bartholomai `83, grandfather of Nicolas Bartholomai `19 and Joshua Bartholomai `22 Byron Bickes, July 31, 2020 Brother of Sue Bickes Kranyecz `68, Joey Bickes `69, Kathy Bickes Rice `72 , Tom Bickes `74 (May May Bindewald Bickes `75), Jim Bickes `78 and uncle of Christy Rice Marsh `98, Jessica Bickes Clayton `99, Gene Rice `01, Mandi Bickes `04, TJ Bickes `11, and Anne Caroline Bickes `13

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Paulette Burnett, May 21, 2020 Mother of SPX Theology teacher, Michele Berrell, grandmother of Heidi Berrell Rubin De La Borbolla `94 and Paul Berrell `98 Stuart Cashin, June 20, 2020 Father of Joan Cashin `74, Beverly Cashin, Margie Cashin Broughton `79, and Philip Cashin `83 Kathleen Collins `84, May 31, 2020 Daughter of Sheila and Ed Collins (deceased) and sister of Sheila Collins Ferguson `86, Ed Collins, Jr `90, and Maureen Collins `97 Matthew Daneker `09, March 3, 2020 Son of George Daneker and Susan Daneker (deceased), brother of Elliot Daneker ‘09 and Roy Daneker ‘07 John Thomas (Tom) Craciun, April 1, 2020 Father of Jon Paul Craciun, grandfather of Max Craciun ‘20 and Levi Craciun `24 Lois Drury, April 11, 2020 Mother of Jan Cox, SPX substitute teacher Regina Fletcher `86 Sister of Peter Fletcher `87 and Yvette Fletcher Sanders `87 Michael Gannon `02, May 9, 2020 Son of Arlene and John Gannon and brother of Kelly Gannon Escorpizo `98, Patrick Gannon `05 and Stacey Gannon Persichetti Mark Haddad `77, May 30, 2020 Father of Nick Haddad `04, Andrew Haddad `06, brother of Jim Haddad `65, Janis Haddad Walsh `67, Pam Haddad Miller `72 (deceased) and fiancé of Therese Perez `79

Pamela Pattie Harper, April 2, 2020 Mother of Cindy Harper Standard and mother-in-law of SPX Head football coach Paul Standard `80, grandmother of P.G. Standard `09, Liz Standard Reynolds `10, Mary Kate Standard `12, and Maggie Standard `22 Dorothy Hockensmith, April 21, 2020 Mother of Debbie Guilbeau, retired SPX World Language teacher Dr. Larry Bruce Howard, January 23, 2020 Father of Laure Howard Kenyon `75, Lisa Howard Longanecker `79, Randy Howard and Rick Howard Gloria Jameson, April 16, 2020 Retired SPX employee and mother of Cathy Jameson Caldwell `70, Jack Jameson, Jr. `72, Cynthia Jameson Franklin `76, Stephen Jameson `78, and Elaine Jameson Bishoff `79 John H. McBrearty, June 3, 2020 Grandfather of Bridget Wild ‘20, Claire Wild ‘20, and Brendan Wild ‘22 Dr. Forest Jones, March 1, 2020 Husband of Marian Jones and father of Stephen Jones, Allen Jones `76, Scott Jones `76, Linda Jones Henderson `78, Renee Jones McDaniel `81 (Tom McDaniel `78), Cindy Jones Stone `82 and grandfather of Ansley Jones `12 and Parker Jones `15 Jeanne Jordan, May 24, 2020 Sister of Kathie Jordan Lyons, aunt of Molly Lyons Werner `04, and Patrick Lyons `11 Richard Kittle, April 14, 2020 Brother of Ruth Patch, uncle of Christopher Patch ‘89, Jeffrey Patch ‘91, Laura Patch O’Connell ‘94, Andrew Patch ‘04 and great uncle of Annalise O’Connell ‘23 Nola LaBudde, April 16, 2020 Sister of Bruce LaBudde, sister-in-law of Diane LaBudde ‘65, aunt of Brian LaBudde ‘95, Ashley Mitchell ‘98, Reverend Andrew LaBudde ‘01, and Emily Kimball ‘02

Alex Liedtke ‘89, April 16, 2020 Brother of Jenny Liedtke Montana ‘89 Patrick Magrath `07, July 28, 2020 Brother of Sean Magrath `10 (Hannah Rumely Magrath `10) Reina Marcucci, July 14, 2020 Mother of Mike Marcucci `81 (deceased), Trish Marcucci, and Jackie Marcucci Price `86 Margaret Mauge, March 31, 2020 Mother of Lee Mauge, Lauren Mauge Hickey, Lynette Mauge ‘78, Leta Mauge Bogle ‘79, Lenore Mauge Andros ‘80, grandmother of Joanna Mauge, Eric Mauge, Matthew (Laura deGive ‘06) Hickey ‘06, Joseph Hickey ‘09, Andrew Bogle, Harrison Andros, Elizabeth Andros, and Margaret Andros ‘14 Alexander Brooks Montgomery, June 1, 2020 Father of Lt A. Brooks Montgomery Jr USN `72 (deceased), Lisa Montgomery Schaffer `73 and Rob Montgomery `77 Walter Mueller, February 27, 2020 Father of Margie Crawford and Jimmy Mueller, and grandfather of Jack Crawford ‘12, Margaret Crawford ‘14, Patrick Crawford ‘17, Rourke Mueller ‘17, and Conlin Mueller ‘20 Kay Newbern, February 9, 2020 Mother of Dave Newbern `80 (deceased), Mike Newbern `80 and Steve Newbern `81 David Newbern, February 18, 2020 Brother of Mike Newbern `80 and Steve Newbern `81

We Remember...

Mrs. Gloria Jameson

Gloria Jameson, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and former employee at St. Pius X passed on April 16, 2020 from the coronavirus. For over 30 years, Mrs. Jameson worked at St. Pius X in the discipline office and in the athletic department. The beloved woman brought laughter and a huge heart for children with her to the school each day. According to former Athletic Director Mark Kelly, Mrs. Jameson was always looking out for students who needed extra support. “What I loved most is she would celebrate those who were deserving of celebration, but she would take care of and look out for the kids who had needs and who maybe were not as successful and that kind of made her special,” Mrs. Jameson had an impact on countless students and co-workers at St. Pius X, but most of all, her own children, which was the reason she began working at St. Pius X in the first place. Working for the school allowed her to provide a quality education for each of her children, Elaine ’79, Cathy ’70, Cynthia ’76, Jack ’72, and Steve ’78.

In a final selfless act, Mrs. Jameson agreed to be a part of a research study at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital related to the novel coronavirus. According to her daughter Elaine, “I think from the beginning that she knew that there was a very good chance that it would not help her. But she was very, very specific that it would be helpful for humanity going forward.”

Mrs. Jameson is preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Jack Jameson.

Sandra Robinson, April 18, 2020 Mother of Kelly Robinson Vann `84

Aaron O’Brien `95, June 26, 2020 Son of Margaret and Patrick O’Brien and brother of Evan O’Brien `00 and Colleen Stéen

Joe Szabo, Rick Szabo and grandmother of Dan Garrison `84, John Garrison `86, Kevin Garrison `90, Rich Szabo `02, and Adam Szabo `05

Michele Ryan `68, February 1, 2020 Sister of Roberta Ryan Cox `66, Patricia Ryan Leggiero `67, and Jackie Ryan Douglas `70 Sr. Mary Sue Thomas, January 29, 2020 Sister of the Grey Nuns and SPX teacher Patricia Ryan, May 22, 2020 from 1959-1967 and 1968-1971 Bill Ollinger, August 7, 2020 Mother of Teresa Ryan `76 and Kay Ryan Father of Cathy Ollinger Cowan `78 , Bill Gendy `79 Phyllis Warner, April 9, 2020 Ollinger `79, Tricia Ollinger Ward `84, Cole Wife of Jack Warner, mother of Cecilia Ollinger `85, Paul Ollinger `87, and Claire Ken Sojka, May 6, 2020 Warner Bramlett `77, Steve Warner `78 Ollinger Rohlen `89 Father Suzanne Fjelstul, grandfather of (deceased), and Patrick Warner `84 (Meg Katie Rose Fjelstul ‘21 Trujillo Warner `88) Michael Polizzi, May 13, 2020 Husband of Jessica De Sanctis Polizzi `92

Gloria Szabo, March 22, 2020 Mother of Pat Szabo Fries `63 (SPX Substitute Coordinator), Kathy Szabo `64,

Kathleen Mary Moore Wolfe ‘63, December 9, 2019

Eternal rest grant upon them, O Lord.

Let perpetual light shine upon them; for their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed. May they rest in peace.

Amen.

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St. Pius X Catholic High School 2674 Johnson Road, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30345-1720 404/633-4290 www.spx.org

September

1 Works of Mercy Summer Deadline 7 Labor Day - No School 16 Mothers’ Prayer Group

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1 2-3 9-13 12 18 21 23-27 1 1-3 8 9 21-3 4

October

Fall Blood Drive Archdiocese of Atlanta In-Service - No School Fall Chorus Concert One Act Play Mothers’ Prayer Group Lion’s Den Marching Band Competition

November

Open House Virtual School Day NHS Food Drive Band Fall Concert Mothers’ Prayer Group Holiday Marketplace Thanksgiving Holidays - No School

December

Works of Mercy Deadline Band & Guitar Christmas Concert Chorus & Dance Christmas Concert Mothers’ Prayer Group Christmas Holidays Teacher Work Day - No School

Please note, this calendar may change, visit www.spx.org for the most current calendar.

Do you have news to share? We would love to hear from you!

If you have news to share with the St. Pius X community, please contact Deanna Jones-Puig, Communications Manager, via email at djones@spx.org.

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