The Saints' Scoop - Spring 2023

IN THIS ISSUE:

· Message From Mrs. Barto

· Save the Date for Auction 2023

· SLCS Religious Vocations

· Class Notes

THE SAINTS' SCOOP

SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

As a pastoral instrument of the church, St. Laurence Catholic School educates and develops the whole Christian person in body, mind, and spirit through the trinity of the parent, child, and educator.

ADMINISTRATION

Principal Suzanne Barto

A.P. PreK-4th Leticia Gomez

A.P. 5th-8th Jo Wells

PUBLISHER

Adriana Gutierrez Communications

EDITORASSISTANT

Melanie Reynolds

CONTRIBUTORS

Suzanne Barto, Jean Bauer, Betsy Brown, Cameron Cashiola, Beau Guedry, Germaine Guedry, ShaLa Kiolbassa, Kim Riebe, Jo Helen Wells

PHOTOGRAPHERS

SLCS Staff, Parents, andAlumni

St. Laurence Catholic School

2630 Austin Parkway

Sugar Land, TX. 77479

281-980-0500

www.stlaurenceschool.org

Contents of The Saints’ Scoop may not be reprinted without permission from St. Laurence Catholic School

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8

Alumni visiting our campus!

FEATURES

St. Laurence Religious Vocations

Where are our Saints Alumni In religious formation?

The story of becoming a Jesuit by Beau Guedry ‘08

SLCS Championship Teams 2022

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13 21

Year In Review 2022

The Glue that Binds by Germaine Guedry , MS AP 1995-2021

Greetings to all our Saints Alumni!

Dear SLCSAlumni,

SPRING 2019

Greetings to all our distinguished alumni! We hope that this edition of the Saints Scoop finds you well. We are so excited to finally be somewhat back to normal this year after the pandemic lockdowns and we find ourselves rejoicing over the return of field trips, fun school activities and large scale events. Our theme this year is Still Bearing Fruit, which is based on Psalm 92 and you will be happy to know that your alma mater is back in full swing. We are definitely bearing fruit, with the Saints community coming out in full force to support our efforts at getting these young people to heaven. The Auction Gala this past spring grossed the highest profit ever and the turnout at all our family events has been phenomenal. It is very clear that the SLCS Saints want to be marching together again.

As a school, we continue to receive many blessings from God with increased enrollment and amazingly dedicated staff members who answer the call to serve. In order to meet the current needs of our community, several safety upgrades took place this year that we hope will serve the school far into the future. The entire front office and main school entry hallway areas were renovated to allow better vision of our visitors by the office staff. Key words reflecting the school mission and vision statements were added to the main hallway, along with new tile and paint to create a more inviting atmosphere. Safety film and other security devices were installed on both campuses with a new digital sign for more up to date information during arrival and dismissal. We hope that you are able to stop by and see all the new upgrades when you get a chance to visit one day soon.

Some other points of pride reflective of our Catholic identity, are the return of our student Saints Families with 8th grade leaders. We have also added a beautiful bulletin board highlighting eleven young people from our alumni and families that answered the call to serve as religious and missionaries. We are so proud to hear of the many accomplishments of our alumni and hope that you will always consider Saint Laurence Catholic School your home.

Please join us for ourAnnualAlumni Mass, May 26, 2023 if you are available, and don’t forget to keep in touch!

You are always in our prayers and we hope you never forget that “Once a Saint,Always a Saint.”

God bless,

School Council President

DearSLCSAlumni,

My name is Mark Hamm,Advisory School Council President, and it’s a tremendous honor to have been asked to write this letter to you on behalf of our Advisory School Council, previously known as the School Board. Reflection is important and when you reflect on your time spent at St. Laurence Catholic School, we hope those memories are joyous and meaningful. Each year, we are very proud of the young students that graduate and leave us to form our prestigious alumni. And, an extra special congratulations to our newest alumni!

SPRING 2019

St. Laurence Catholic School continually strives to be the best we can possibly be. As a matter of fact, we were voted “Best Private School in Fort Bend” by the Fort Bend Focus Magazine 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022. St. Laurence Catholic School has also been twice recognized by the United States Department of Education as a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Also, the St. Laurence Catholic School Board received the Outstanding School Board Award from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in 2019. And most recently, our accreditation has been recertified, for a period of seven years, by the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department.

We continue to accomplish great things in the areas of academic excellence, technology, community involvement, clubs, extracurricular activities and athletics. Our academics, teachers and staff are second to none! Our students and families continue to be engaged in our parish and our diverse local communities. Our fundraising efforts continue to set new records and have helped SLCS establish our “first ever” endowment supporting tuition assistance.

Of course, Catholic Identity and service remain embedded throughout the SLCS experience. Students are taught to serve others with an emphasis on character and a loving heart. The spirit and accomplishments of those who have gone before us always inspire future generations to strive to be their best. Please know that the history you’ve established here at SCLS is the rock solid foundation upon which the future of this great school is being built. Over 30 years of excellence in educating the whole Christian person in body, mind and spirit would not have been possible without you, our esteemed SLCS alumni!

God bless, and we hope to see you around campus soon!

Mark Hamm Advisory School Council President

ADVISORY SCHOOL COUNCIL MEMBERS

2022-2023

Mark Hamm, President

Kathryn Green, Vice President

Kyle Goszyk,Treasurer

Ghislaine Fotso, Secretary

John Baker

Raymond Chang

Denise Jonathan

Benita Panchamia

Matt Phillips

Trey Sessions

Christine Vo

PTO Co-Presidents

Dear SaintsAlumni,

On behalf of the PTO Executive Board, Shannon and I would like to invite you to visit SLCS and see all the great things happening at the school! We are very grateful to all the parent volunteers that encompass our school’s community. We know how valuable everyone’s time is, yet they make an effort to enrich our Saints daily activities and yearly events by involving themselves. Whether coordinating events, assisting behind the scenes, or volunteering for daily activities, every role they serve is sincerely appreciated. So many experiences our Saints are having that enhance their academic journey are possible because they answer the call to serve our school community.

We know our young students notice their efforts as well. As you as alumni continue your journey beyond, we hope that you will strive to mirror the gracious, compassionate, Catholic example of the parent volunteer community. We pray that you may continue to spread those acts of service witnessed during your time at St. Laurence Catholic School, which made your time here so unique. We hope to see you in the hallways or at various events.

God Bless,

Priscilla Hill and Shannon Caldwell PTO Co-Presidents

PTO 2022-2023

President Shannon Caldwell

President Priscilla Hill

Fundraising Jacquelyn Colley

Fundraising

Programming

Amanda Junker

Bonnie Inamdar

Secretary Charlotte Raggette

Treasurer Kristina Mickens

VIPS

TeacherAppreciation

Shary Peck

Edith Busby

Cristina Dangel

Oriana Hadley

Kiki Le

Tram Nguyen

Cecile Huyen Phan

ECC Coordinator

Maria Bonilla

Andrea Cashiola

Elementary CoordinatorTanya Leiber

MSl Coordinator

Hospitality

Tiffany Winkler

Marsha De Castro Cruz

Mairin Manson

Dani Cobb

Moni Hemphill

Katherine Hovde

Brooke Hudson

Cara Millas

Mary Wade

Tammy Luster

Service Projects

Jennifer Reyes

DID YOU KNOW?

St. Laurence Catholic School has a Vocations Bulletin Board highlighting our Saints in religious formation. We keep them in our prayers and it is an inspiration to our students. If you visit the school, don’t forget to check it out!Thank you to Mrs. Kiolbassa and Mrs. Bauer for this beautiful bulletin board!

Brandon entered his second year as a seminarian with the Diocese of Austin. He will be studying at Holy Trinity Seminary. Brandon attendedSLCS,StrakeJesuit,and Texas A&M. His favorite food is sweetpotatoes.

Class of 2012

Keenan attended SLCS PreK-8th grade. He attended Clements High School where he played basketball. In the fall of 2019, while in prayer in the adoration chapel, he began to hear the call to the priesthood. KeenanbeganhissecondyearatSt. Mary’sSeminary.

Class of 2007

Frater Dominic (Adrian Annicchiarico) attendedSLCSfromPre-Kthrough8th grade. He then attended Clements High School. Frater Dominic was one of our SLCS satellite teachers during the 2020-2021 school year. Frater Dominic entered his second year with the Norbertine Fathers at St. Michael’s AbbeyinCalifornia.

Class of 2009

Colton Marks

Colton entered the Hermits of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a contemplative monastery of Carmelite hermits in Fairfield, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of SLCS,StrakeJesuit,andSt.LouisUniversity.

Class of 2014

Brandon Bain Keenan Annicchiarico

Br. Levi Mary Pro Beau Guedry Frater Giovanni

Br. Levi Mary Pro (Cameron Cashiola) attended SLCS Pre-K through 8th grade and Strake Jesuit for high school. Cameron studied theology at Franciscan UniversityandjoinedAMDG. After graduating from Franciscan in 2020, he was admitted to the ServantsofChristJesus.

Class of 2012

Beau Guedry started his SLCS journey as a 2 year old in Saints in Training Nursery. After graduating from SLCS, he attended Strake Jesuit. He received a degree in biology from St. Louis University. Beau wasintheAlumServiceCorpsatDeSmet Jesuit in St. Louis. He was a science teacher and liturgy coordinator at Strake Jesuit before entering the Jesuit Seminary. Beau received his First Vows on Aug. 13, 2022. For the next three years, Beau will beattendingFordhamUniversity.

Class of 2008

Frater Giovanni (Billy Dodd) is starting his fifth year at St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, California. He is a member of the Norbertine Religious Order. He attended SLCS Pre-K through 8th grade before graduating from Strake Jesuit and theUniversityofTexas.

Class of 2008

Basil “Trey” Housewright Brandon Holy

Brandon attended SLCS Pre-K through 8th grade and Strake Jesuit. He graduated from TexasA&M with a degree in Sports Management. Currently,he is starting his second year as a FOCUS missionary. Brandonisleadingstudents to Christ at Colorado State University.

Class of 2013

BasilisenteringHolyTrinitySeminaryandtheUniversityof Dallas to pursue a Bachelor of Philosophy. He expects to be there for 3 years getting his degree and going through formation.BasilattendedSLCSandStrakeJesuit.

Class of 2014

Fr. Christopher Meyer Brother Collin Mary Brown

Fr.ChristopherattendedSt.LaurenceCatholicSchool from preschool through eighth grade. He then attended Strake Jesuit, where he began to softly hear the call to priesthood. Fr. Christopher attended Texas A&M University.After being in St Mary’s Seminary for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, he was ordainedapriestinJune2022.

Class of 2005

Brother Collin Mary Brown did not attend SLCS, but three of his siblings -Aidan, Brian and Tessa (current 6th grader) did. He graduated from Strake Jesuit, class of 2016. He is with the Capuchin Franciscans and is in Washington D.C. for graduate classes at Catholic University of America, as part of his studies forthepriesthood.

Learn more about Fr. Christopher Meyer, our newest ordained priest!

Fr.ChristopherMeyer'05,wasordainedonSaturday,June 4, 2022. His first Mass was at St. Laurence on Sunday, June 5th at 11:00 a.m., followed by a reception in the ParishHall.

Fr.Christopher,alongwithhistwinbrotherKevin,wasborn in Houston to Dave and Eilís Meyer. Raised in Sugar Land with Kevin and his younger sister Kate, he attended St. Laurence Catholic School and Strake Jesuit, where he began to softly hear the call to priesthood. Fr. Christopher attended Texas A&M University, where his faith was deepened at St. Mary’s Catholic Center. During this time in college, inspired by many excellent priests, he began to seriously discern the priesthood. After a somewhat confusingdiscernmentbetweenmarriage,religiouslife,and diocesan priesthood, he would eventually find real clarity in entering seminary for the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston. After completing his formation at St. Mary's Seminary,Fr.Christopherwasordainedapriestandisnow servingasParochialVicaratSt.FaustinainFulshear!

St. Laurence Parishioner and Friend of SLCS

Beau Guedry ’08: Becoming a Jesuit

On a cold, rainy day in October 2021, I huddled under a tent with two priests and a packed crowd of Central American migrants in a park plaza somewhere in Mexico. In my clerical collar, shoes sinking into the mud, I sat amidst the group of young families, listening to a homily in a language I hardly understood, at a makeshift Mass. As I prayed and responded throughout the Mass, I wondered: Lord, how have You put me in such a strange situation? And why am I so happy and comfortable in this foreign and uncomfortable place?

The first question is easier to answer than the second: I was a novice in the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), a religious order founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1540. Beginning my second year of formation, I was doing what St. Ignatius called an “experiment”, a period of a few weeks or months where I was missioned to live, work, and pray in a house of other Jesuits involved in full-time apostolic ministry. It was a time designed for me to continue discerning whether God was calling me to take vows of perpetual poverty, chastity, and obedience–the traditional three vows taken by all religious priests, brothers, and sisters–all while getting a firsthand look at what it was like to live, work, and pray as a Jesuit. The priests I was living with were ministering to migrants across the border near Brownsville, TX, offering Mass, confessions, and any donated supplies they could gather in the park where the migrants were forced to live in camping tents.

My story of becoming a Jesuit begins during my time at St. Laurence, where I was a student and parishioner from the time I was two years old. I attended SLCS from pre-K through 8th grade, and went to Mass every Sunday with my family. There, I was formed in a firm foundation of faith by my teachers, pastors, and family. My Catholic faith became an important part of my everyday life, giving rhythm, support, and understanding to each new stage as I grew up. It was at St. Laurence that I saw some of my first examples of life lived in faithful devotion to God and the call of the Gospel, through so many adult role models. I learned what it meant to pray, to serve others generously, and how to live a life fueled by God’s gifts of faith, hope, and love. (Of course, that’s the project of a whole lifetime–I’m still working on getting it right!)

With such a valuable and solid base to build on, it was easy for me to understand what St. Ignatius meant when he wrote, “The human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his or her soul.” It meant that the project of life was responding lovingly to God’s love offered to us in Jesus; everything else was either an aid or an obstacle to finding out how to do that in my own life. For so many of the people who helped me at St. Laurence, using the direction of their life to respond lovingly to God’s love meant serving others (including me!) selflessly, and with joy.

When I graduated from St. Laurence and moved on to Strake Jesuit (and later, Saint Louis University, another Jesuit school), I saw the same kind of love-response lived out by the Jesuit priests and brothers I met. They were prayerful, intelligent, generous, loving, joyful men who truly loved Christ and tried to participate in His work in the world. They did this by serving others’ needs in whatever ways they felt called in their prayer and ministry; the Jesuits I met were professors and pastors, counselors and artists, missionaries and teachers and everything in-between. They were living out the mission of the Society of Jesus as our governing documents put it: in “the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement.”

After studying and working alongside Jesuits through high school, college, and the first few years of my career, I discerned in prayer, through the help of a spiritual director, that God was calling me to enter the novitiate. This is a period of two years of religious formation where I would spend time considering a vowed life in the Society of Jesus by living in a community of Jesuits and other “novices”, praying (especially through St. Ignatius’ retreat known as the Spiritual Exercises), and the ministerial “experiments” like the one in Brownsville.

Those two years brought me all over the country. In addition to my time in south Texas, I lived in Grand Coteau, LA; New Orleans; Denver, CO; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; and Pine Ridge, SD, one of the poorest areas in the United States, where I spent five months teaching ninth-grade algebra at a Jesuit high school on a Native American reservation. After all that time praying about and “trying on” life as a Jesuit, I realized that, despite all the difficulties you might imagine came with such a new and challenging way of life, I never felt closer to God or more alive than when I was doing what St. Ignatius prescribed the Society of Jesus should do. I could have confidence, then, to take religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a Jesuit; it was confidence that God was leading me to the most loving response I could offer Him in my life, and would continue to do so for years to come.

I took those vows last fall (August 13, 2022), and have since been missioned to study philosophy at Fordham University in the Bronx, NY, as part of my religious formation and preparation toward priestly ordination.After three years here, I will likely work in a Jesuit ministry for a few years, then study theology for a few more years before being ordained a priest; at least, that is the typical order of events in Jesuit formation here in the U.S. It is a great joy for me to live this life of love for God and His people; I often say that I can’t believe I get to live this vocation, and I really mean that. God has blessed me very much throughout my life in so many ways, including the support I had and have through St. Laurence, and I hope I get to give some of that back to the Lord in gratitude through this Jesuit life in the Church.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR

While, of course, religious life and/or priesthood are not God’s call for everyone, my advice for anyone is to put real prayer and effort into answering this question: how can I respond lovingly, in my life here and now, to all the ways God has loved and is loving me? Everyone’s answer is different. Some people put their energy into loving their husband or wife and their children; others are called to diocesan priesthood; and still others to religious life. Whatever kind of love-response God is calling us to, every life is meant to be one of prayer, loving service of others, and joy. Jesuit priest Fr. Joseph Whelan, SJ once put it this way: “Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, falling in love in a quite absolute, final way….Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”

Beau and his siblings: Ryan ‘98, Lindsey ‘00, and Jeffrey. All are products of Catholic education and Ryan and Lindsey are proud Saints alumni!

SCHOOL YEARS

DID YOU KNOW?

In honor of Germaine Guedry’s leadership and service in Catholic education, Dr. Debra Haney, SLCS Principal in 2008, started the GuedryAward of Gratitude. It’s awarded to a graduating 8th grader for unselfishly giving extensive hours of Christian service and exemplifying Christ to others throughout the child’s years at St. Laurence Catholic School. Beau was the first award recipient!

Beau Guedry

Pilgrimage for Cameron Cashiola’ 12

Can you imagine flying to another country and only taking with you one change of clothes and a Bible? That is exactly what Brother Levi Mary Pro (Cameron Cashiola ’12) did in the fall of 2022. This unique journey is known as a Poverty Pilgrimage through his missionary group based in Colorado, the Servants of Christ Jesus. He went to Spain to follow in the footsteps of the Saints, such as St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. James theApostle, and St. Teresa of Avila. While living out this “intensive course in the love of suffering,” he had the opportunity to see the tombs and homes of many Saints who had a major influence on his life. Br. Levi Mary said this of his profound experience in Spain: “Whether it was long nights in hostels and shelters, rejection and ridicule, hunger and weariness, my sufferings were what propelled me to unite myself in love to my Beloved. Like Mary at the Cross, I began learning to stand with Him with an open and tender heart, allowing all He desires in me, and to experience it with Him.”

His consecration of himself to Jesus through religious vows will be on March 25. He feels that in his vocation, he is called to be as “Mary at the Cross of Jesus, drinking deeply from His open side in contemplation and consecration.” Let us all pray for our SLCS Brother, as he follows his path to religious life.

Br. Levi Mary with Saints alumni and cousins Brandon Triggs ‘12 and Christina Triggs ‘09 on one of his trips to Sugar Land!

ALUMNI INSTAGRAM PAGE

Please join us at the Sugar Land Marriott for the Saints Summer Nights Gala andAuction, where we invite you to wear your finest summer white.

Our Gala website offers an opportunity to not only purchase tickets, sponsorships, and tables, but also to donate valuable auction items. So, come and be a part of this great event with us!

VISIT OUR AUCTION WEBSITE

We're thrilled to announce the launch of our new official SLCS Alumni Instagram page! Keep up with the latest news and events, connect with fellow graduates, and stayconnectedtoyouralmamater.

Followusnowat @slcs.alumni.

Wecan'twaittoseeyouthere!

AUCTION GALA- 4.22.23

Saints Girls Basketball Championship 2022

The Saints Girls Basketball Team won the Greater Houston Catholic Athletic Association Championship for the 2021-2022 season! The teamwasledby2022graduatesMaddieHoly, Isabel Rohrig, Rebecca Winzerling, and Emily Tran. The Saints had a good regular season but injuries kept the line-up changing. Caitlin Lardizabal, Maddie Lara and Kendall Messersmith, Class of 2023, stepped up and played well and meshed with the older players to create a formidable team going into the playoffs.

The Saints had to travel to St. Elizabeth Ann Setonforthefirstroundoftheplayoffsbutwon easily. The semi finals were interrupted by anotherHoustonwinterstormsothesemifinal was played on Saturday, February 7th at St. Pius High School. St. Vincent De Paul was a much tougher opponent, but the Saints pulled out the victory to advance to the Championshipgame.

The final was a rematch with rival St. Cecilia who defeated the Saints earlier in the season. The final moved to Monday night, February 9, 2022. The game was close and the lead changed back and forth. As the 4th quarter came to an end, the Saints got one last chance. Kendall Messersmith stepped to the free throw line and made the shot to give the Saints a one point lead. St. Cecilia took a final shot that fell short and St. Laurence became the 2022 GHCAA Champions! It was a great

Saints won the GHCAA Track Championship 2022 Running away

The Saints Boys and Girls Track Teams won the Greater Houston Catholic Athletic Association Track Championships on April 30, 2022! The team was made up of 84 middle school athletes who trained hard from the cold nights of February through the hot weather in April. The girls team outscored the 2ndplaceteamSt.VincentDePaul423to208foraconvincing win. The boys team also won big over 2nd place SVDP 221-124.TheSaintshardwork&dedicationdefinitelypaidoff.

The girls team dominated the competition all year and the Championship Meet was no exception. Multiple runners and field events placed in scoring positions and many athletes set personal bests and some broke school records. New school records include Ellie Jamison in the 5th grade 400m, Caitlin Lardizabal in the 7th grade long jump, Kendall Messersmith in the 7th grade shot put, and Kaitlyn Elackatt in the 8th grade 100m hurdles. Several relay school records were set including the 8th grade team of Isabelle Rohrig, Gabby Darcourt, Angie Young and SophiaYoo in both the 400m and 800m relays.The 7th grade team of Caitlin Lardizabal, Naomi Sabonghy, Madeline Lara and Kendall Messersmith broke the school record for the 400m relay. The team of Naomi Sabonghy, Mayowa Balogun, Caitlin Lardizabal and Kendall Messersmith seta7thgradeschoolandGHCAArecordinthe800mrelay!

The boys team had smaller numbers but still fought hard and hung on to win! They also benefited from athletes having a personal best or setting school records during the season. CarterBilodeausetthe6thgraderecordinbothdiscusandshot put and Zachary Zezatti set the record in the 7th grade 110m hurdles. Two relay teams also set records: the team of Preston Lee, Zachary Zezatti, Jharell Valerio and Emil Maysonet in the 7th grade 800m relay and the 8th grade team of Braydon McCluggage, Wilson Madden, Cannon Aramburo, and Jake Pellegrinointhe800mrelay.

New 5th-8th Grade Assistant Principal

What is your Educational Background?

B.S. in Social Science

M.Ed. Counseling

M.Ed.Administration & Supervision

Texas Certified EnglishTeacher, Counselor and Principal

How long have you worked in education?

23 years

What is your previous experience?

LegalAssistant right out of college, then followed in my mother’s footsteps to become an educator. Spent most of my career as a high school counselor and administrator in Fort Bend ISD.

What attracted you to work at SLCS?

My children attended St. Laurence many years ago, and when Mrs. Guedry retired, it was the perfect time for me to put my name in the hat to utilize my skills at our parish school! My husband Paul and I have five children, and the youngest graduates this year, and returning to administration is a welcomed change of pace.

Tell us what you love about working at SLCS. Excellence in educational standards, the wonderful community we service and the dedicated staff are the greatest draw to this school.

What's your favorite quote?

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love decorating and traveling! When I’m home, there’s some project in the works, and when I’m not traveling, I’m planning and saving for the next opportunity!

ADVICE FOR OUR ALUMNI

What others think of you is none of your business! Enjoy the journey, not everything is leading to something that you will share at dinner with others, but rather pure satisfaction all your own that you set a goal and achieved it. Work like it depends on you, and trust like it depends on God!

On January 22nd, the 30th Anniversary of SLCS was recognized with a special Mass and a stroll down memory lane in the school building. So many people came out for the fun activities of the day and saw an exhilarating basketball game between alumni and the ‘21-’22 SLCS basketball team!

Cardinal DiNardo, pictured with current principal, Suzanne Barto and former SLCS principal, Dr. Debra Haney, who is currently our Superintendent of Catholic Schools.

Celebrated “Twos Day” on Tuesday, 2-22-22. Too cute!

Who knew exercising for a good cause could be so fun? #Steps for Students

Alumni spotted at our 30th Anniversary Mass!

California Dreamin’at the Father-Daughter Dance

It took a village to have a successful Heritage Day!

When the Saints go Marching in… the hallway at SLCS for PTO’s Mardi Gras Parade!

Service Opportunities

Our community let the good times roll at the Mardi Gras themed Auction Gala!

Fun at Hoops & Dogs

Beautiful May Crowning

SLCS CLASS OF 2022

SLCS Library welcomed a guest author and students got to see twoArt Cars!

Tear-jerker tradition of 8th graders

“passing the torch” to 7th graders

1st Grade hosted Mom’s Diner

Cinco de Mayo!

Pre-K & 7th grade Service: Lunches of Love

8th grade Car Parade

FatherTruong Son blessed our students on their 1st day back to school.

SLCS has been blessed with teacher Kathy Strandburg for 30 years!

Check out our beautiful new entry!

Many people, including Dr. Pursch and family, welcomed new Saints at the Ice Cream Social.

Construction started on our new and improved front office space.

2022-23 PARISH & SCHOOL THEME: STILL BEARING FRUIT

Celebrated Grandparents Day!

PREPARING SAINTS FOR HEAVEN!

SLCS Tradition: Students meet in “Saints Families” composed of one child per grade, led by an 8th grader.

PTO’s Family Rosary- a family that prays together, stays together!

Served our Parish Community at the Bazaar

4th grade’s Living Rosary

“Putt” the FUN in fundraising at our Annual Golf Tournament!

2022: A YEAR IN REVIEW

5th grade celebratedAll Saints Day Mass by dressing up as their favorite Saints.

Served for the parish-wide “Share God’s Bounty”

Thanksgiving event

Middle School

Choir rocked!

ECC’s Christmas Pageant

St.Nick’s Day on the ECC Campus

Honored Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Rice & Beans Service Project with 1st Grade

Fall Sports Banquet

By Germaine Guedry,

MS Assistant Principal 1995-2021

What are the attributes that define St. Laurence Catholic School…

being the largest ministry of St. Laurence Catholic Church, ranking as one of the largest Catholic elementary/middle Schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston/Houston, having a staff and school community who have provided a challenging and appropriate education for 20,000+ students over the past 31 years, fostering service opportunities and consistently striving to meet the needs of all students, and also

acknowledging and valuing the voice of its students, parents and staff?

If you are responding “yes” to these defining attributes of St. Laurence Catholic School, then one can truly understand and appreciate the gift of our Parish school as a ministry within the Church community. Yet, there is a more inherent part which manifests itself as the glue that holds the SLCS community together. That glue is the joy experienced by the students who attend, parents who support and educators who strive to educate. All who have been, as well as, those who currently are part of the “Trinity of Student/Parent/School” can examine our experiences and recognize the joy gained as being a part of this trinity at SLCS.

Having been a Middle SchoolAssistant Principal at St. Laurence Catholic School for twenty-seven years and the parent of children who were students there for thirteen years, I can honestly affirm that my family and I appreciate and value the joy shared at SLCS! Some may remember a slogan used in an advertising campaign for Mastercard (1997) which describes its services as “priceless”. This description could similarly be applied to the SLCS experience. It has been this priceless joy that has carried the SLCS community through some tough days/years and through many more great days/years.

Looking back at conversations with some of the main “stakeholders” within the community, I still smile (and laugh out loud) at some of the antics and situations that have taken place at our school. As I want to share some of these stories, I would like you to remember the following: many years ago, there was a television series known as “Dragnet”. In each opening scene of the weekly program, viewers would hear, “Ladies and gentlemen, the stories you are about to hear are true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.” Names have not been used in the stories I share as I wanted to protect the “guilty” as well as those who claim to be innocent. At this time, some of you may be breathing a giant sigh of relief!!!

During my first celebration at SLCS of “Go Texan Day” in 1995, I was asked by the principal to deal with a third grade student who had chosen to bring a Swiss Army knife to school as part of his Go Texan Day attire. When I asked why he had brought this knife to school, he innocently responded, “Because the knife has a toothpick on it and I wanted to use it after lunch to clean my teeth.” As best I can figure, this student is celebrating his thirty-sixth birthday this year.

While doing after school carpool duty on one very hot August day (112 degrees on hot cement), I had set up four stations with large umbrellas where duty staff could stand to load students into their cars. Unfortunately, a parent in a large SUV got a bit too close to the loading station and drove off with the umbrella which had been partially entangled at the top of the passenger door. As we have heard, “Agood intention is meaningless unless it is followed by a good action”. The mother who was driving the SUV returned the remaining pieces of the umbrella the following day during afternoon carpool dismissal.

Then, there was the day that a most outstanding teacher had to step out of her classroom to pick up tests at the copy machine across the hallway in the Faculty Workroom. I happened to be in the area so I stepped into her classroom and the students agreed the perfect natural consequence for the teacher would be to return to her classroom which was now emptied of students. Much to the students’ chagrin, they still would have plenty of time to complete the test.

Twice in my career at SLCS, two bright and calculating students thought that if evidence was destroyed, there would be no repercussions for their poor choices. The students had each been given a disciplinary referral by separate teachers. The students went to the student restrooms and tore the referrals into small pieces then proceeded to flush them down the toilets. In both incidents, pieces of referrals stubbornly did not go down the drains. A couple of “law abiding” students reported their findings to me. I was able to fish out the evidence with a yardstick and discover the rightful owners who were then able to take home clean referrals. One of the witty teachers created a poster for my office door that said, “G. Guedry, Private Detective Extraordinaire”.

One of my favorite smile-maker stories involves a group of eight to ten former SLCS students who were visiting for lunch after they had early dismissal from Strake Jesuit following the Mass of the Holy Spirit. I had lunch duty in the cafeteria this particular day. The boys formed a circle around me and proceeded to tell me about discipline-worthy incidents they had gotten away with while at SLCS. For example, one student told of how he took my keys out of my office door and only allowed them to reappear at the end of the school day. Another tech savvy student admitted to adjusting his own report card to reflect Honor Roll status and excellent behavior. This explained why his father was so astounded on Fall Conference Day when a group of teachers and I met with him to share our concerns about his son’s academic and behavioral performance.

Being a school parent and administrator at the same time, I was once called to “rat” on my own child. The track coach had the team run from the school, downAustin Parkway to the Sugar Land Mall at Lexington Blvd. and then back to school. As fate would have it, my son asked me to drive by the mall on our way home following track practice so that he could buy the new Michael Jordan shoes (with his own money, of course). When I asked how he knew that the mall stores had the new Michael Jordan shoes, he shared that he and his friend took a detour to the mall during track practice and saw the shoes in a store. The following day, I confessed the story to the track coach so she could take the appropriate disciplinary action to deal with the track stars. There is nothing quite like serving after school detention with your best friend…and with your mother.

This last testament to the joy shared at SLCS involves one of my favorite students whom I will not name; however, many may recognize. This student was handicapped by a debilitating illness and was sadly eventually confined to a wheelchair. He was a true gift and joy for our school. All of his classmates wanted to carry his books or push his wheelchair during class-switch times. Often at recess, a caring and devoted parent in our community would come over to school and toss a football to this wheelchair bound student making sure that he had a full experience…not just academically but socially too. This student was so intelligent and had the most exquisite handwriting until the illness robbed him of it. At his Eighth Grade Graduation Mass, he shared his beautiful voice when he sang “Oceans”. He brought to our school community a loving attitude, a determination to make each day matter and quiet joyfulness. He taught us to learn to accept God’s will and to trust in God’s plan.

This is an example of why the SLCS experience is “priceless” and cannot always be categorized or measured but only experienced. This joy is truly the glue that binds and has kept our school community strong in our faith, committed to quality education and joyful in our spirit.

Germaine L.Guedry

PRINCIPAL CLASS OF 2003

Robyn Wethington ‘03

We were excited to see Robyn ‘03 at the Steps for Students Race! Great picture with Mrs. Barto before the run!

CLASS OF 2005

Grace Kwong ’05

CLASS OF 2004

Siobhán Thompson ‘04

Siobhán ’04 is teaching choir at Rodeo Palms Middle School in AISD, and has two daughters.

Congratulations to Grace ‘05, Saints Alumna and Assistant Principal at St. Francis de Sales Catholic School. The Catholic Schools in theArchdiocese of Galveston-Houston recognized her at the Mass of celebration for the new school year held at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Grace received the Archdiocesan Leadership Award from his Eminence, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, and Dr. Haney, Superintendent of Catholic Schools. Way to go, Grace!

CLASS OF 2008

Molly Brown ‘08

CLASS OF 2007

Kevin Thompson ‘07

Kevin ‘07 works at Community Bank of Texas. He and Daniel Perez ’07 play music together at various breweries and venues around Houston.

Molly Brown MPH/MSW ‘08 is in St. Louis working for Optometry Cares, the foundation of the American Optometric Association. She is involved in many projects but one of the main Public Health initiatives she helps carry out nationally is the InfantSEE program. The program provides no cost comprehensive eye and vision assessments to infants regardless of family’s insurance or ability to pay. The goal is to improve the child’s quality of life by identifying and correcting vision problems early in life. Molly was also able to visit her brother Jake ‘11 in Japan where he is teaching this year.

CLASS OF 2011

Jake Brown ‘11

Jake ‘11 spent three years teaching High School biology in Alief. In 2021, he applied to a program to teach in Japan. For the 2022-2023 school year, he is teaching English at Shingu Senior High in the Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan. According to Jake, the biggest difference in high school in Japan is that the students stay in the same room all day and the teachers move. The students get very close to the people in their homeroom class. The students are all very polite and teachers are treated with great respect so it is a good place to teach. Jake likes living in Japan because he has met many new people from many countries and also had many new experiences. He plans to stay for next school year.

Tyler Tumbleson ‘11

Tyler ‘11 currently works for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. He got engaged in October. His fiancé, Paige, is a nurse in the NICU at Memorial Hermann Hospital.They plan to get married in the spring of 2024.

CLASS OF 2012

Paulina Kardoush ‘12 and Jonathon Murray ‘12

Congratulations to Paulina Kardoush ‘12 and Jonathon Murray ‘12 on their 1st wedding anniversary! What a beautiful love story of two kids who grew up together at St. Laurence Catholic School from PK-4 through 8th grade, continuing through high school at St. Agnes and SJ College Preparatory, and Baylor University.

SPRING 2019

CLASS OF 2013

Kylie Tumbleson ‘13

Kylie is a 4th grade teacher at Bluebonnet Elementary in Round Rock ISD.

CLASS OF 2014

Thomas Le ‘14

Thomas ‘14 graduated from UT McCombs School of Business and will be joining the team at JPMorgan.

Colton Marks '14

Colton '14 visited our school! He began his religious life and entered the Hermits of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Monastery. Colton gave a presentation to Mrs. Gomez's 4th grade class about the contemplative order he is entering. He asks that everyone pray a daily Hail Mary for him. You are in our prayers, Colton!

CLASS OF 2015

Catherine Cashiola ‘15

Catherine ‘15 is graduating in May from Baylor University and will graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Education specializing in Middle Grades Science. She is engaged to her high school sweetheart, Bruno Rodriguez. They will be married on November 18, 2023 at St. Laurence Catholic Church.

Avery Tumbleson ‘15

Avery is in her senior year studying Criminal Justice at Tarleton University and will graduate in December 2023. She works at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bryan, Texas, where she runs the after school program and is a substitute teacher. She is a member of the College of Liberal and FineArts Student Advisory Council for the College of Criminal Justice at Tarleton University. She is also the representative for the Rellis Campus in Bryan/College Station.

CLASS OF 2015

David Gutierrez ‘15

David Gutierrez ‘15 graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas in May of 2022 with a degree in Computer Science. He has since started his professional career as a Software Engineer at Google. David currently resides inAustin,TX, where he is pursuing his passion for software engineering and technology.

CLASS OF 2016

Alex Garcia ‘16

Alex ‘16 is in his second year at the University of Oxford, Balliol College, studying a joint honors degree in History and Politics.After a successful stint in student politics in the world’s second oldest debating society, the Oxford Union, Alex has turned to events photography to fund travels to South America, Europe, and North Africa. He has become involved in the Oxford University Economics Society and the Oxford University Strategic Studies Group, which he hopes will compliment his study of international relations and global history, as he looks forward to a future in the realm of international affairs.

Natalia Kardoush ‘16

Natalia ‘16 celebrated her 21st birthday in September! She is a junior at Baylor University Business School. Natalia is studying marketing and entrepreneurship in the business school and vice president of member development for Kappa.

CLASS OF 2017

Josie Reyes ‘17

Josie ‘17 is a sophomore at Texas A&M. She is active at St. Mary’s in College Station and is a group leader this year for John 15, which is an organization at the church for freshman and transfer students to find community and to grow in their faith in college. She also helps out on retreats for high schoolers, as a member of S.M.Y.R.T.

(St. Mary’s Youth Retreat Team). During the summer, Josie will be a missionary for LifeTeen International at Camp Covecrest inTiger, GA.

Nathan Cashiola ‘17

Nathan ‘17 is currently a sophomore at Baylor University, where he is pursuing a degree in Health Sciences.

CLASS OF 2017

Piper Bratton ‘17

Piper ‘17 is a junior studying Landscape Architecture with a minor in Environmental Sustainability. She recently accepted a summer internship in Charleston, South Carolina.

CLASS OF 2018

Margaret Riebe ‘18

Margaret ‘18 from St. Agnes Academy in May 2022 and is studying Engineering atTexas graduated A&M.

Lilianna Garcia ‘18

Lilianna ‘18 is in her first year at Durham University in Durham, England, near Newcastle. She is studying Biological Sciences and loves learning about animal behavior. This summer, she sang with the St. Laurence Choir and the Houston Choral Society in a tour around Italy. She is an active member of the Women in Stem Society and enjoys practicing aerial arts in her free time.

Kathryn Reynolds ’18

Kathryn ‘18 graduated in May 2022 from George Ranch High School in the top 5% of her class. During her high school years, she completed a total of 258 hours of service for many organizations, such as leading horses during a disabled rider’s therapy session at SIRE Therapeutic Horsemanship. Kathryn is currently a freshman at Texas A&M in College Station, pursuing a double major in Forensic Investigative Science andAnthropology.

CLASS OF 2019

Bryce Fucik ‘19

Congratulations to Bryce Fucik on signing his National Letter of Intent and committing to continue his athletic career in college! Bryce signed to play football at TexasA&M Kingsville.

Grace Kardoush ‘19

Grace is a junior at St. Agnes and is a JV Cheerleader at Strake Jesuit.

CLASS OF 2019

Lynley Pace ‘19

Lynley ’19 was named a 2023 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist! She was chosen among over 16,000 semifinalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, and she got a perfect 1520 score on the PSAT, which is incredibly exciting. Read more here!

We are blessed to have had Lynley coaching cross country and track at SLCS for the past three years! She loves helping out our athletes. Here is a message from Lynley to her Saints family:

“I'm extraordinarily grateful to all the teachers who have helped me along the way. I'm looking forward to using my blessings to better the world as I major in bioengineering next year.”

CLASS OF 2020

Whitney Bratton ’20

Whitney is a junior at Incarnate Word Academy. She is a member of the National Honors Society, National Spanish Honors Society, as wellasanIWAAmbassador.

Darci Purdy, Jamie Reyes andAllison Riebe ‘20

Darci,Jamie,andAllisonrepresentedSLCSclass of2020attheSt.Agnes/StrakeJesuitMixed ChorusperformanceofHandel’sMessiah.

CLASS OF 2021

Michelle Nguyen '21 and GabbiArenas '21

Michelle ‘21 and Gabbi ‘21 visited us!They are sophomores at St.Agnes Academy and active members of the Robotics team, Spectrum 3847.They were previously Robotics students at SLCS and discovered their passion for STEM through their involvement in Robotics.They wanted to give back to SLCS, where their curiosity was first sparked, and shared their experience with the 7th grade Robotics class.They talked about what they do at Spectrum and inspired the students to pursue their interests.Thank you for your visit and your fantastic presentation!

Saints supporting their fellow Saint! Taylor Le ‘18, Trinity Le ‘15, and current SLCS student Theresa Le watched alumna Emily Nelson ‘15 playing at the Trinity vs St. Thomas University basketball game! Once ASaint,AlwaysASaint!

SLCS Class of 2019 and Strake Jesuit Class of 2023 football players are pictured on Senior Night! These boys have played football together since 7th grade. What fun it has been watching them grow up as young men. From left to right: #8 Bryce Fucik, #90 Gavin Ortega, #38 Gavin Cruz, #9 Kale Dolar, #47 Stephen Murray, and #18 Gabrian Maldonado.

We love to see many SLCS alumni at Life Teen Covecrest Camp in Georgia. What an amazing group!

Allison Riebe ‘20 and Margaret Riebe ‘18 at St Agnes/Strake Jesuit DoubleTripleTrio Performance at theTexas Renaissance Festival.

During a recent SAA Varsity team game, St. Agnes students Hadley Boudreaux ‘19 and Maddie Holy ‘22 were awarded the Hustle shovel for their exceptional work on the court. Hadley's impressive performance was highlighted by her playing the entire 32-minute game. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication that both Hadley and Maddie have demonstrated as key members of the team.

With heavy hearts, we share the passing of SLCSAlumna Lori Dickinson '02. Her funeral was Friday,August 19th, 2022. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.

We also share our deepest condolences with the family and friends of SLCS Alumnus Brice Wolters, Class of 2001, who passed away at the age of 35 on May 20th, 2022. His funeral was held at St. Laurence on June 8th.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace.