Spring Tau 2011

THE

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SPRING 2011 A MAgAzine for AluMni, PArents & friends of st. frAncis HigH scHool

” ! n i a g A W E N s i D L O g

“Everythin

STORY ON PAGES 4&5

In this Issue Everything Old Is New Pages 4 & 5 Focus on the Fine Arts Pages 6 & 7 Alumni News & Notes Pages 8 & 9

Winter Sports Pages 10-11 Commencement Page 12 Class

1961 Celebrates 50 Years Page 13 of

THE

From The President

“When opportunity knocks”. How often have we heard this statement? Did we respond to that opportunity in our lives? An opportunity has come to St. Francis High School and I am proud to state that we are taking full advantage of the opportunity to reinstate the residency program here at St. Francis. The decision itself was entered into with considerable deliberation, working in conjunction with the School Board of St. Francis on this project for the past eighteen months, we received the approval of the Board of Directors (the Provincial and his Definitory) in March of this year to proceed and re-create a residency program. The residency will be located on the third floor of Justin Hall and will have room for 26 young men in double rooms. Construction has already begun with demolition of three classrooms and storerooms in preparation of room construction to start shortly afterwards. You can get a glimpse of the project on the cover of this magazine.

Fr. Mark David Skura, ‘71’ who helps to design the cover of the Tau Magazine, used a line from a song of Peter Allen, “Everything Old is New Again” to describe this new venture of St. Francis High School. From 1927 to 1988, we had young men whose home away from home was here on our campus. In the late 1980’s we saw a diminished need for a residency program and the decision was made to end the program. Today, we find ourselves presented with a different opportunity. We have received numerous inquiries regarding on campus accommodations, enough to know that we can be successful in this endeavor. Many will be international students from a variety of countries, including Canada, South Korea and China. This year alone we have seventeen international students who attend St. Francis and live with host families. We will continue to have host families for international students as well as the residency in the fall.

SPRING 2011

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A MAgAzine for AluMni, PArents & friends of st. frAncis HigH scHool

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D is NEW Again

“Everything OL

Tuition funds will not be used to implement this program. The Province of St. Anthony of Padua, which the Friars here belong, has loaned the capital to fund the project and has generously given us a $200,000.00 grant for the project. The economic situation of our present day has fermented this new initiative and is one means of supporting ourselves. But we still need the generosity of our benefactors and alums to help with other projects, like tuition assistance. However, this new endeavor is designed to assist local students to defray the cost of a St. Francis education by allowing more funds to be set aside for scholarships, grants and tuition assistance. The Mission of St. Francis has always been to make a Franciscan education affordable to as many as possible. This new project will certainly help us, along with your generosity to Annual Giving, to help others.

STORY ON PAGES 4&5

On

the

Cover:

Everything Old is New again: St. Francis High School brings back the residency

We live in a very global world and exposing St. Francis men to people of other cultures and faiths can only deepen their understanding of the world and help them better understand the work of God in their lives. In a world that is becoming increasingly interconnected by technology and more economic interdependence, an education that fosters understanding and lived experience of other cultures will prepare St. Francis graduates for the world that awaits them in college and beyond. Success begins at St. Francis and our young men will become leaders because of their experiences here.

program

Peace and all good things,

Fr. Michael Sajda, OFM Conv.

President

Tony’s Topics Tony Kosowski’75 Well, another year has flown by – It seems it was just September and the start of the school year. I know the seniors are excited to see it end which means they are ready for the next challenge in their young lives. They will be facing many changes in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

Speaking of changes, as you can see from the cover of this issue of the Tau we are getting ready to re-instate the residence program here on campus, yes we are bringing back the “dorms”. See Matt Gorczyca ’09 article on pages 4 & 5 to hear about what some of the guys who lived in the dorms are saying about this “new” idea.

Members of the Class of 1961 were on campus…..

The Class of 1961 celebrated their 50th anniversary of graduation at the school on Friday May 27th. There was a Mass in the Chapel, a class photo, brunch in the foyer of Alumni Hall, and tours of the The day was capped off by the Class of 1961 processing ahead of the graduating class of 2011 at the Commencement ceremony at Our Lady of Victory Basilica.

This is the 7th year we have hosted the 50th anniversary this event. Since that first occasion it has been great to meet so many of the graduates from our earlier years. The stories they tell – I’m sure they get better each time they are told – about life in the dorms, life on campus, riding “the” bus ( there was only one) to school and of course the classroom hi-jinks, athletic conquests (again like a fine wine they seem to get better with age) are priceless. Each year we have

St. Francis Tau Vol. 2 No. 3

Published three times a year by the St. Francis High School Office for Institutional Advancement 4129 Lake Shore Road Athol Springs, NY 14010-0185 www.stfrancishigh.org 716-627-1200

-

Vice President

for Institutional

Advancement

members of are junior class host the 50th anniversary class members, and I can honestly say that these young men have as much fun, if not more than our guests. The tours – and stories - gives our current students a sense of how life was on the SFHS campus back then, and how it really is now – and for the most part not much has really changed, just the faces change.

Case in point, Mike Reilly ’61 was wearing a name badge with his yearbook picture, and his wife Natalie commented how he looked exactly like one of our host students Nathan Cichocki, Class of 2012 (the likeness was uncanny), everyone at that table was in agreement about the resemblance, it was then that another host Alex Cauley surmised “well Nate now you’ll know what you are going to look like in 50 years!” Of course Mike has aged well – just his hair color has changed – No he didn’t pay me to say this.

FORE! Thursday, July 7, 2011 Terry Hills GC. Preparations for the 27th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament are in high gear, there are still corporate sponsorships available and a spots available for golfers. This event is always a sellout and well run by the Alumni Executive Board under the leadership of Paul Bartell ’88. Call or email Paul if you need any information bartellp@stfrancishigh.org.

There are a lot of changes happening and many more great things to come, but we can’t do it without your support. If you haven’t donated the annual giving appeal there is still time. Thank you for your continued support…

As always if you are ever in the area please stop in for a visit.

We welcome your comments... schaffstalls@stfrancishigh.org

Sue Schaffstall Editor & Director of Communications & Marketing Matthew Gorczyca’09 Feature Writer Cover Design & Fine Arts Fr. Mark David Skura’71, OFM Conv.

Photography Jerry Gorczyca’73 Sue Schaffstall Yearbook Staff Photographers Lifetouch Paul Bartell’88 Pat Kaczmarczyk Kathy Hahn Proofreading Marissa Bruno Intern

Everything Old is New Again

St. Francis High School prides itself on educating young men on the basis of the virtues of Saint Francis of Assisi, while guiding them academically, artistically and athletically. Since its inception in 1927 until 1988, St. Francis High School offered students and families, a residency program that allowed students to live on campus. Back when the school was founded, it was a time when mass transportation was not what it is now, making it difficult for families to transport their sons to school. Not everyone had a car like most do today, so the residency program was a way of helping families fulfill the dream of their sons being educated in a Catholic School setting, without the hassle of transportation or financial restraints.

Over the years more students from the local area began to attend St. Francis and the need for the residency program was not as great. The program ended in 1988, and room was made for more classrooms to accommodate a growing local student body.

But as they say, the world is constantly changing, and in the past several years a renewed interest has been shown by students and families from areas all across Western New York and around the world to study at St. Francis High School. With this new spark of interest, St. Francis High School has made a very important decision and is returning to its roots by restoring the residency program after nearly twenty five years of its absence.

The program is being re-established to accommodate the needs of families who may find it difficult to commute to St. Francis, as well as international families who have shown a growing interest in attending American High Schools with hopes of attending American Colleges and Universities.

Opening up this program to students both near and far is a decision that is a part of St. Francis High School’s history.

I was able to talk with former residents who were a part of the program for a variety of reasons. They told me how excited they were in hearing of the restoration of the

program, and shared some of their memories of their time in the dorms. After hearing their stories it is clear to see what a great chapter St. Francis High School is recreating from its history and revitalizing for the future students and future leaders.

When I talked with a few alumni about their experience during their years as a resident, I wondered why they chose to live on campus. Reasons varied from living a great distance away to being sentenced with living at school in order to improve grades. No matter the reason, the consensus was that the residency program allowed them to have a truly unforgettable experience during their high school years, creating a foundation for the real world that awaited them.

Sean Obrochta’90 lived in the residence as a way to improve his grades from a rocky start his freshman year. With having to catch his bus at 2:20 P.M., his parents decided that staying on campus might help Sean to improve his grades, and the residency program yielded results. Obrochta recalls a time when he saw the results from the mandatory study halls and how the discipline of the program helped improve his grades. “My favorite moment came in my sophomore year when Fr. Mark David told me that for the first time I had a grade above 70 in Mr. Miskey’s French class. That made me realize that the mandatory 90 minute study halls at night were actually paying off and that the dorms were helping me out,” Obrochta said. Obrochta also stated that the program made his transition to college even easier, because he already knew what it was like to live away from his family and on his own.

There were too many favorite memories for John Przybylowicz, class of 1964, but he was able to narrow it down to the camaraderie established with so many people from so many different places. He still has an issue of The Banner which featured an article on his intramural football team’s

For John Kern, class of 1958, his years in the residency program were years of maturing and prepared him for not only the real world, but adulthood.

Kern shared his story of losing his father at the age of nine, and how residing at St. Francis High School helped fill the void of losing a boy’s most important male figure. Kern reflected on what he learned from the many role models and friends he encountered through the residency program, “It is hard to imagine for many, I would think, that I learned to shave watching older boys since I had no father to teach me. A very small thing but for a fatherless boy, it was invaluable.” Kern noted the family atmosphere that was the core of the program. He stated that the residency program is a huge part of the mission of St. Francis High School. At his 50th reunion he saw friends he hadn’t seen in 50 years, but it was like picking up where they had left off.

Whether it was the closeness through new friendships, the discipline of chores, or the preparation of living on their own, the benefits of the residency program for these alumni have been invaluable. These four men have attributed the residency program as a rite of passage into the adult world. Not only has St. Francis High School academically prepared students, but now they are bringing back a program that truly gives deeper meaning to a college-preparatory institution.

Aside from their memories and stories from their time as residents, the joy and enthusiasm these men have for seeing the program return, truly shows how beneficial the program will be to young men everywhere. Przybylowicz said, “I sincerely believe that the program’s return will only enhance the quality of education at St. Francis and further the excellent reputation it has already enjoyed for all these years along with providing an incomparable experience for all involved.”

By reinstating the residency program at St. Francis High School, those who drive from great distances have an opportunity to study without the hassle of early morning and late night commutes. International students can study right on campus and make new friends that may otherwise be more difficult when living strictly with a host family.

Those families who have ties to the area, but have had to move away, now have the opportunity to give their sons the chance to study at St. Francis High School.

In our global world of today, St. Francis is making a quality Franciscan education available to young men from Western New York and from all over the world. The residency program will allow this to happen. It will allow the mission of Fr. Justin Figas to reach many more young men of an even greater number of diverse faiths, cultures and backgrounds. Obrochta put this into words perfectly when he stated, “I think that the residency returning is a great step forward. It is a return to our roots here and it can only be a benefit for the future for our students as well as our school. This will expose our students to different cultures and ways of life. We are an ever changing world and this will only help our students understand themselves better as well as the world they live in.”

BY Matt Gorczyca’09

For Gene Nowak, class of 1966, visiting his cousin John Przybylowicz’64 sparked his interest in St. Francis High School. Since he lived such a great distance away, he had no choice but to study as a resident if he wanted to study at all. He touched upon the reinforcement of his Catholic values, the push for the best academic potential, but the fun along the way as well, from intramurals to late night pranks. Nowak notes that the program will not be the same as the past. It’ll start off on a much smaller scale, but has the potential to grow and reach more and more students. Nowak states, “There are too many distractions in our lives today and this could help students focus better on what is really important to prepare them for the future.”

The discipline and responsibilities of daily life are some of lifes most valuable lessons that the residency program truly teaches a young man. The residency program is life; it prepares students for the ways of college, and the ways of life.

Restoring the Residence

win in overtime for their third consecutive title. That is what John found most beneficial from the program: teamwork. He states, “If nothing else, I learned to stand on my own two feet a lot earlier and got to understand what the concept of responsibility meant as well as the importance of teamwork.” Part of that teamwork dealt with chores and study halls, but also the constant support and encouragement from the Friars.

Fine Arts

March 11, 12 & 13, 2011

The 39th Annual Fine Arts Awards Banquet The St. Francis High School Fine Arts Department honored 181 students for their commitment to and participation in the performing, visual and literary arts at the school’s 39th annual Arts Awards Banquet held on May 15, 2011 at Romanello’s South Restaurant.

A crowd of over 230 persons were in attendance at the banquet to honor students who received minor and major letters and service bars, recognizing their participation in the school’s Fine Arts program.

In addition, twenty six students were inducted into PAVAS (The Performing and Visual Arts Society) and sixteen seniors received Special Senior Service Awards.

2011 PAVAS INDUCTEES

An art show, drama skit and a joint performance with the young ladies from Immaculata Academy were also a part of the evenings’ festivities.

Focus on the Fine Arts

The Annual Spring Concert was held on April 6, 2011 and included performances by the Concert Band, Male Chorus & Chorus classes, the Jazz Messengers, and Senior Schola & K-OS.

Dave Skolen ‘86... as head women’s basketball coach

1960’s

Dan Ziemba ’61… Dan’s grandson Lee was the starting

left tackle for the Auburn Tigers when they beat the Oregon Ducks for the NCAA football championship in January.

Lee was drafted by the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.

Joseph Reynolds ‘63 …At 66 years of age, Joe

Alumni News & Notes

completed a 50 mile race in the New Jersey Ultras in 11 hours, 22 minutes and 22 seconds.

1970’s

Mark J. Finucane ‘74…

was recently appointed by the Governor of Tennessee to his second 6 year term as a Commissioner on the Tennessee Commission on Fire Fighting Personnel Standards and Education. Mark has recently graduated from the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program and continues to serve as the Assistant Chief in charge of Operations for the Johnson City (TN.) Fire Department.

Bob Kuebler ’74… is the Director of Youth With A

Purpose Inc. The organization is starting its’ 10th year as an inner city ministry doing the work of St. Francis in the neighborhoods of Buffalo, New York. The Youth Center is located in the basement of Holy Cross Church on 7th Street in Buffalo.

1980’s

Todd Owen ‘86… Todd and his wife Claudia celebrated the birth of their son Nicolas Henry Owen on December 17, 2010. Todd has recently taken the position of Executive Director of Cargo and Conveyance Security for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection . He will be responsible for supervising about 2,000 CBP officers and employees processing travelers and cargo at Los Angeles International Airport, and Las Vegas International Airport. Owen headed the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program and held other posts during a six-year run at CBP headquarters in Washington. Prior to that tour he was CBP port director in New Orleans.

for the last 19 years at Daemen College he picked up the program’s first-ever win at the NAIA Division II National Tournament. The 3rd-seeded Wildcats (25-7), handled 6th-seeded Concordia University (MI) by the final score of 83-70 . Unfortunately, the Wildcats lost in the Sweet 16 round.

1990’s

Brian Daboll ’93…has been

hired by the Miami Dolphins as offensive coordinator. Brian previously worked for the New England Patriots and the New York Jets.

Thomas Wypych ’98 … Thomas and his wife Jeanette welcomed the birth of their daughter Felicity Marie on April 14, 2011.

2000’s

Jody White ‘00 …On March 24, Jody and his wife

Melanie welcomed twins Brandon David at 8lbs. 9 oz. , and Natalie Susan at 10 lbs. The babies total weight is the largest recorded in Mercy Hospital and the largest ever delivered by the doctor. Big brother Justin, 2 1/2yrs., is happy to have new playmates!

Mark Murphy ‘01… was recently hired by the State of

New York Unified Court System for the position of Senior Court Office Assistant with Lackawanna City Court . Mark will be responsible for assisting with Criminal Matters for the Court.

Timothy Byrnes ‘02 … was recently engaged to Jenifer N. Lessick, of Stow, Ohio. The couple met on the first day of Medical School at LECOM (Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine) in Erie, PA and graduating from LECOM May 2011. A June 2011 wedding is planned in Hudson, Ohio at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.

James DeVoy ‘03… graduated

cum laude from the University of Wisconsin Law School in May 2010 and has joined the Las Vegas office of Randazza Legal Group, a law firm focusing on First Amendment issues.

Jeffrey Brady ’06 …Graduated in May 2010

Jake Rich ‘08 and Bill Musso’09 ...are members of

Tony Gullo ’06… has passed all four parts of the Certified Public Account exam

Vince Scarsella ’07…has signed a contract to play

hockey for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. Vince goes to the Jackals out of Canisius College. He was second on the Golden Griffins with 14 goals, 21 assists, and 35 points in 2010-2011. He collected 40 goals and 93 assists in four seasons at Canisius for 133 points. His 93 assists are good for sixth in Griffins history, while his 133 points are 11th all-time.

Ryan Sobczak ’11… played first alto with Jimmy

Sturr & His Orchestra at a Dyngus Day celebration at the Knights of Columbus Father Justin Council. Ryan played the entire second set with the orchestra. Jimmy Sturr is the winner of 18 Grammy Awards for best polka album. Ryan was a 4 year member of the St. Francis Jazz Messengers.

Josh Violant ’07…was the key figure in the University

Michael Wach ‘07… has graduated summa cum laude

with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University at Buffalo this past May. He has been accepted at and will be attending the University of Buffalo School of Medicine in the Fall.

Submit your Alumni News & Notes Via New Web site- www.stfrancishigh.org Click on the Alumni tab at the top of the home page and then select Alumni News & Notes. You can even upload pictures. You can still e-mail Jerry Gorczyca at gorczycag@stfrancishigh.org with updates.

Alumni Data Base online- visit our website and click on Alumni

by Jerry Gorczyca ’73

of Buffalo Athletic Department’s “Opportunity for Impact” fund raising brochure. The Blue and White Fund piece mentions Josh as the starting center on the football team and a member of the 2010 Academic All-District Team.

Alumni News & Notes

with a BS in Economics from Monmouth University. Jeff served as Captain last year for the FCS (formerly Division 1-AA) Monmouth University football team. He has recently taken a position on Wall Street as an Equity Derivatives Broker at Tradition Financial in Manhattan, New York. Currently living in Hoboken, NJ , Jeff is also pursuing his MBA .

the band “Wellness Exchange” Wellness Exchange was formed in 2009 by five young men with the goal of promoting physical, mental and environmental health. With performance backgrounds spanning hip hop, classical, jazz, hardcore, soul and pop, the members’ professional experiences also include sustainability and educational programs. The band recently began a partnership with Of Rags (ofrags.com), a fair trade clothing company based out of Ghana and also does songwriting & performance workshops with inner-city youth through Urban Art Beat (urbanartbeat.org). With roots in Philadelphia, Boston, Buffalo and New York City, the members now live, write and jam together in three boroughs of NYC.

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the only senior on the team Daniel Bartz (170 ave.). So the future looks brighter for next season.

Varsity Winter Sports Recap

Basketball The 20102011 St. Francis varsity basketball team had only three returning players that saw game experience the previous year. Head coach Ed Hoak relied heavily on underclassmen this season with three sophomores and four juniors seeing a lot of minutes.

The raiders pride themselves on a well balanced scoring attack as eight different players were the team’s high scorers this season. The grueling schedule took its toll on this year’s team as the young raiders played 13 games against WNY ranked teams as well as traveling to Rochester and playing powerful Aquinas and Bishop Kearney. New York City’s Fordham Prep was another playoff team that tested St Francis. Finishing the year with a 9-16 record .

Bowling The Red Raider bowling team went through a difficult rebuilding year after the graduation of five seniors from last year’s team. In addition to the losses from seniors, a broken leg sidelined junior Anthony Rebmann (179 avg) during Christmas vacation for the remainder of the season. Despite the

setbacks the keglers were quite competitive in league play. Junior Andy Vaccaro led the team with a 184 average followed closely by freshman Steven Wong at 182. Also contributing were Ian Prechtl (178 avg), David Kroll (175 avg), and

Federation Hockey The Federation Hockey Team had a very successful year. They finished first in their division and went to the Catholic Schools Championship game for the second straight year. Highlight game of the year was the semi final win over Timon, avenging a mid season loss. Team Captain was senior Mike Menard with assistant senior captains Christian Matthews and Paul Herrmann. Team scoring leaders were juniors Matt Carrig, Alex Vacco and Jess Hackett. The defense was anchored by Christian Matthews and sophomore Matt Muszynski. Junior Dave Nowak and sophomore Bob Bloomfield shared goaltending duties and both were outstanding for the entire season. Coaches Fattey, Murphy and Hannon want to thank all of the players for a great season.

Indoor Track & Field This season marked the 11th year of the reinstallation of Indoor Track at St. Francis High School. Competing in the Western New York Indoor Track Federation, with over 30 member teams, St. Francis relays and individual athletes were consistently ranked in the Top Ten all season long. The Red Raiders were lead by Seniors Alex Neary and Anthony Pivarunas, both 4 year participants of the Indoor program. Three other seniors, Ethan Salem, Arek Janiga and Wilson Yun also made important contributions.

Four school records were broken this year, namely in the Sprint Medley, Hurdles, Hurdles Relay, and 4 x 200 relay.

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Those who qualified for the NYC All Catholics meet included: Seniors Patrick Loecher and Ryan Sobczak, Junior Tyler Roth, Sophomore Lee Kerwin who has dropped significant time in the 100 breaststroke, which is the individual event he made for the NYC meet.

Freshman Ben Anderson, Connor Moses and Greg Wegryn also participated in the NYC meet! All swimmers had excellent personal times, and Tyler Roth made it back to finals in the 50 yards freestyle.

Wrestling After beginning the season with an 0-8 start, the Red Raider grapplers pulled together and finished the season at 8-11. A young team with no 4-year seniors, this year’s wrestlers worked hard to overcome obstacles and enjoyed both individual and team success. Junior Derek Freitas,

Swimming The swim team finished their season at the All Catholics meet on January 31st at the Burt Flickenger Athletic Center. Seniors Patrick Loecher and Ryan Sobczak swam great in their individual events. Ryan Sobczak in the 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke, and Patrick Loecher in the 200 IM and 500 Free. Junior Tyler Roth placed fourth in the 50 yard freestyle with a 22.95, almost making State cut, and the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:02.4.

Junior Alex Cauley had a fast swim in the 100 free with a time of 1:02.9. Ryan Fishback, Garrett Hitzel, Brandon Hackbarth and Christian Cavalieri, also had strong personal events as well as great support in their relays.

Freshman Connor Moses had a personal best time in the 100 free of 1:07.2 and a great swim in the 50 Free, as well as freshman Ben Anderson, who has made outstanding improvements throughout the season, and Greg Wegryn a great supporter in the relays!

sophomore Jarrett Dolegala, and freshman Mike Miller won the All-Catholic championship at their respective weight classes. Freitas was voted the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament after pulling off an upset win with an amazing hip throw. Senior Zakk Packard placed 4th at the CHSAA state tournament and junior Jeremy Boltz placed 6th.

Sophomore Mike Muffoletto won 21 matches, 2nd behind Freitas for the team lead, and Austin LaCrego, Sam Carrocia, Jeremy Boltz, and Tap Tasker reached double digits in the win column. Newcomers Pat Schichtel, Jack Morgan, Zach Galloway, Ben Violanti, Shawn Geary, and Brendan Fitzpatrick each improved throughout the season and came performed well in team competition to provide a base for future success. Next year’s version of the Red Raiders should be equipped to return to its familiar winning tradition.

Basketball, Bowling, Hockey, Indoor Track & Field, Swimming, Wrestling

St. Francis athletes also returned to the Armory for the State Catholic Championships for the first time in 6 years. At this meet, the Red Raiders broke the 4 x 200 relay school record, and also posted the 2ND fastest 4 x 400 time in Western New York. It was a successful season.

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Congratulations Class of 2011

Award Winners

Front row from left to right: Michael Wagner (Athlete of the Year), Kyle Anderson (President’s Recognition Award), Kevin DiMatteo (Man of the Year), Ryan Gueli (Principal’s Recignition Award), Ian Liedke (Artist of the Year). Back Row from left to right: Thomas Braunscheidel (Principal), Alexander Neary (Fr. Justin Figas Award), John Solak (Principal’s Recognition Award), Michael Menard (Creativity Award), Keegan Flynn (Sportsmanship Award) Inset :Soo Wook (Johnny) Kim (St. Francis School Service Award)

Ed Hoak’68 Alumni Recognition Award

Valedictorian- Anthony Pivarunas 103.6 four year G.P.A.

Salutatorian- Alexander Neary 103.22 four year G.P.A

The 100 graduates of the class of 2011 were awarded collectively nearly $13.4 million dollars in Scholarships and Institutional aid to further their education. Seventy-three Advanced Designation Regents Diplomas were awarded of which twenty-four were Advanced Regents with Honors. There were twentyseven Regents diplomas awarded.

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Class of 1961

Front Row (l-r): Colin Michalek, Adam Pasnik, Nicholas Toth, Martin Shaughnessy, Keegan Flynn, Evan Briggs 2nd Row (l-r): John Michalek ’69, Simon Pasnik ’77, Thomas Toth ’78, Martin Shaughnessy ’79, Michael Flynn ’81, Glenn Briggs ‘78 Back Row (l-r): Curran & Timothy ’74 McNamara, Nicholas & John ’79 Luciano, Daniel Howard( Patrick ’82 missing), Thomas ’80 & Michael Hayes, Charles ’84 & Anthony Castiglia, Gene ’77 & Andrew Partridge

Celebrating 50 years - Dads & Grads

Members of the class of 1961 were on Campus May 27, 2011 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation . Special recognition day activities were held including a Mass and brunch. They also attended Commencement, where they received special recognition.

Pictured from left to right- Front Row: Tom Czerwonka, Gil Alba, Larry Simcox & Peter Pomana 2nd row: John Cisek, Stan Popielarz, Mike Reilly, Stan Obijiski, John Moldoch Back row: Larry Jay, Fr. Linus DeSantis, Tom Siepel, Rob Marin and Fr. Michael- President of St. Francis High School

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The St. Francis High School Alumni Association presents the

27TH ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT

Alumni Golf Tourney

WHO: WHEN: WHERE: WHy: COST:

Alumni, Friends, Parents, Alumni Parents, Faculty of St. Francis High School Thursday, July 7, 2011 - 11:15 a.m. Lunch - 12:15 p.m. Shotgun Start Terry Hills Golf Course - Batavia, N.Y. Supporting scholarships established by the Alumni Association for current and future students.

Contributions to the academic, athletic and fine arts departments. $125.00 per ticket (greens fee, cart, lunch, dinner, beverages, gift, prizes) $50.00 dinner only ticket

**Questions? Please contact Paul Bartell’88 (716)627-1200 ext. 465 **Reservations and full payment due by Thursday, June 30, 2011 and taken on a first come, first serve basis.

Single golfers welcome. **Green and tee sponsorship opportunities available.

Number of Golfers_______ ($125 each) Dinner only tickets ($50 each)_______Amount enclosed $_________ Name_______________________________________________Class of _____________ Address__________________________________________________________________________________ City_____________________________________________State_____________Zip Code________________ Cell Phone_____________________________________Alternate Phone______________________________ Email____________________________________________________________________________________ Group Members (if alums, please indicate years)__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Checks should be made payable to St. Francis High School Alumni Association Return this form with payment to: St. Francis High School , c/o Paul Bartell, 4129 Lake Shore Road, Athol Springs, NY, 14010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please remember in your prayers the following members of the St. Francis High School Family who have recently passed away:

+ Margaret Deck Grandmother of Jeffrey Magavern Class of 2012 + Grace Ibarra Grandmother of Christian Class of 2012

+ Bill Jackson Former SFHS Hockey Coach 1979-1986 + Mark Kirsch ’82

+Richard Pytak Grandfather of Michael Mendola Class of 2014 +Joan Ann Pyanowski Grandmother of Neil Behlmaier ’10 & Connor Meyer Class of 2012

+Edward Klemish ’55 + Andrew Rupp ’95 + Anna Piotrowski Grandmother of Brandon ’10 & Ryan Class of 2012 & Jason Covelli ’06

+ Nathan Saab ’94 +Charles J. Streicher Benefactor

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An Evening of Elegance Our Pearl Anniversary Thanks

to everyone who made Justinian a

Success

Justinian XXX

President’s Club

($3150) The Gernatt Family of Companies Great Lakes Concrete Hodgson Russ LLP

Principal’s Club

($2650) Hilbert College Mader Construction Co., Inc. Dennis & Kelly Vacco Vacco Farms, Inc.

Friar’s Club

($2,100) Lawley Construction Solutions

NON-PROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID Hamburg, New York PERMIT NO. 159

4129 Lake Shore Road * Athol Springs, NY 14010-0185

www.stfrancishigh.org

Upcoming Alumni Events July 7, 2011- Golf Tournament Find us on facebook & join the official St. Francis High School Group. You can click on the Facebook icon on the home page of our website at www.stfrancishigh.org

ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES……KEEP US INFORMED………

Please forward any Alumni News to Jerry Gorczyca ’73 St. Francis High School, 4129 Lake Shore Road, Athol Springs, NY, 14010 or e-mail gorczycag@stfrancishigh.org Name ____________________________________________ Grad Yr ______ Address _______________________________________ City ________________________ State ______ Zip _________ Phone - Home________________________ Cell _________________________Work ____________________________ E-mail_________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

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