XHS News & Notes - December 2022

December 2022 Volume #413

Dear Xavier Family-

Sit down before you read the next sentence I don’t want the shock to overwhelm you. High school students are, as a rule, not really morning people. Whether school starts at 8 or 8:30, dozens of students roll in barely conscious, often with their hair still in the same shape it was as they lifted it from their pillow (that’s admittedly more of a guy thing), and usually not much in the mood for conversation. For every “Good morning” I deliver, the response is somewhere between a grunt, a mumble, or the infamous “walk past, then realize someone said something to me, then look back and see it was Mr. Mauthe, then just ignore him and keep walking” strategy. I suppose that’s high school for us. Maybe they’re all staying up late studying, doing community service, or spending time in quality conversation with their parents! So what does it take to change the vibe in the halls at 7:45 am? There are only two things that have ever seemed to work. One is free food. The leftovers from Food Fair were the equivalent of gold bars in their time. The other, a much more sustainable solution, is the Christmas music produced by the Xavier Jazz Band and HawkSwing during these weeks of holiday cheer.

In this Issue:

Business/Attendance 02 Campus Ministry 03 Upcoming Events 07

St. Francis Xavier High School 1600 W. Prospect Avenue Appleton, WI 54914 920 733 6632 Fax: 920 735 1787 www.xaviercatholicschools.org

On the day before Thanksgiving Break, the first of these special mornings commenced. I sat peacefully in my office when suddenly I could hear the Jazz Band warming up in the commons. Immediately, my excitement peaked. As their first Christmas tune began, teachers started to come down the hallway from their rooms. Students who were mindlessly thumbing through apps on their phones stopped to applaud as the song ended. Then, as if we were not already blessed that morning, we watched as HawkSwing strolled in and began their own performance. Imagine entering your high school, a little groggy and perhaps slightly apathetic about the day of learning ahead. Before you know what is happening, you are surrounded by the angelic voices of your peers singing Christmas carols, followed by the talented members of the Jazz Band following suit. By the time this impromptu performance is done, the commons is full of onlookers, classmates and adults posting this joy to social media, and even some members of administration quietly singing along, hoping not to disturb the quality. For those thirty minutes, the rest of the world ceased to exist. Our Xavier community just relaxed in peace and calm, alive and ready for the day ahead. That’s the power of the Christmas season and the gift of music.

In the weeks ahead, there are all kinds of things to do to prepare for Christmas. It’s a busy time for adults and a chaotic time for students. We fill Advent with service, reconciliation, Mass, and all kinds of other things to get ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There are so many things we can do to get in the Christmas spirit. Here are a couple of things to make a priority join us on December 14 and 15 for the band and choir Christmas Concerts. You’ll be awed by their performance, impressed by their spirit, and transformed by their holiday cheer. We are so blessed to be a school of exceptional academics which also wins state championships in athletics and boasts one of the finest fine arts programs in the area. Never is that more evident than in November and December, when our fall musical brings thousands to Xavier and then our performing arts ensembles move us with their concerts. If you can’t be here at 7:30am to watch the way music affects cranky, overtired adolescents, I invite you to join us at the concerts. I guarantee you that it’s a perfect way to prepare for Christmas.

Christmas, Mike Mauthe Principal

Xavier High School is a proud member of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System, and has been accredited by AdvanceED (formerly the North Central Association) since 1970.

Merry

From the Business/ Attendance Office

Thank you to all parents for reporting all absences by 8:15 a.m. Our telephone system allows you to call in as early as convenient, leaving a voice message for attendance (be sure to use the 6903 extension or dial 882 6903 directly.)

The policy at XHS for any type of early dismissal is to write a note specifying the time your student must leave class or a phone call to Attendance. That note is exchanged the Attendance Office for an early dismissal slip. Students are asked to bring their parent notes in either before school or during X period.

Reminder- when a student will miss school for an appointment, the student is expected to return an “appointment note from the provider, to the attendance office to be filed with the absence records.

Lunch accounts should have a positive balance at all times. You can check your student(s) accounts through PowerSchool/PowerLunch. Please contact Karen Bendall at Central Office with any questions, 735 9380

ACT Fee WaiversAvailable

ACT allows eligible students to take up to two ACT tests free of charge. If you believe your family might qualify for a fee waiver, please contact your child’s counselor or have your student stop in the counseling suite.

Sophomore Parent Conferences

Sophomore parents and guardians should look for information via mail and email in late January about the meeting that will occur with you, your child, and your child’s counselor. In this conference, which is tailored to address the needs of students at the midpoint of high school, we will discuss your child’s talents, educational development, and career interests. We will also share information helpful in your planning for the rest of high school, including graduation requirements, standardized testing, course selection, and post secondary options.

The conferences generally last 45 to 60 minutes and occur during the school day. Your involvement is very important and we hope for 100% participation by the parents/guardians of our current sophomores.

When you receive the letter in late January with details about scheduling your conference please contact Beth Carpenter, our registrar, to set up a meeting sometime during the second semester. We look forward to seeing you.

From the Counseling Office

Seniors & Scholarships

Seniors are reminded to regularly check the scholarship list on Naviance Student. Log in and click ‘college’, then ‘scholarship search’ to see local scholarships. Students may also visit the scholarship portion of the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley web page.

College Fair

Xavier's annual Spring College Fair will be taking place on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Visit our website for more details. This site will be updated regularly leading up to the event in March. Browse through our growing list of colleges and universities that will be joining us or search by keyword to find schools offering the major in which you're interested. It's going to be a fantastic event!

ACT Test Prep

ACT Test Prep will be offering a class prior to the December 10th national ACT test. We are only able to offer this course to a limited number of students, so be sure to sign up ASAP! This is the last class offered of 2022. To sign up for the class, go to www.act testprep.com or you can contact Mrs. Monica Jones via email mjones@act testprep.com or phone (920) 475 6567.

The class is at Xavier December 5 8th. Time: 4:00pm 7:15pm each night.

Campus Ministry

Ethel Moehring Help Your Neighbor Day THANK YOU!

Thank you to all of our students and chaperones for an excellent day out serving in the community. We have received so many wonderful compliments about your students and couldn’t be prouder of how hard they worked and how well they represented XHS. Well done, Hawks!

All School Mass

Our next, all school Mass is Thursday, December 8 for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conceptions at 10:45am at St. Bernard. All are welcome!

Friday Mass

Please join us on Fridays for 7:15am Mass...a great start to the day and weekend!

Eucharistic Adoration

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held the first Friday of each month in the Chapel from 7:45am 3:00pm. Please contact Katie Wesolek to sign up. (kwesolek@xaviercatholicschools.org).

Service Hour Opportunities

New parish and community service opportunities are posted on the bulletin board outside of the SPIRIT Center and on Instagram (xhscampusministry). Students also receive a weekly email update with new service opportunities.

Spring Retreat

Students will get to participate in an all school retreat on Friday, April 21, 2022! Please avoid scheduling appointments or time away from school that day this will be a day your student won’t want to miss! If you should have any questions, please contact Mr. Mauthe.

March for Life in DC

The Xavier 4 Life Club will be heading to Washington DC on January 18 22 for the annual March for Life. Any interested students or parents can contact Ms Wesolek at kwesolek@xaviercatholicschools.org for more details.

Spring Break Pilgrimage to Rome

Our school chaplain, Fr Patrick Costello is offering a spring break pilgrimage to Rome for Xavier students from March 3 11, 2023. There are many beautiful Lenten traditions in Rome that will make this a spiritually inspiring experience. Planning is underway and interested students or parents can contact Fr Patrick or Ms Katie Wesolek for more information.

Upcoming Events

December 1 11 Christmas Stars

December 6 Reconciliation Freshmen (9 10am)

December 8 All School Mass Immaculate Conception

December 13 Reconciliation Sophomores (9 10am)

December 14 Band Concert (7pm)

December 15 Reconciliation Juniors (9 10am)

December 15 Choir Concert (7pm)

December 20 Reconciliation Seniors (9 10am)

December 23 Christmas Break Begins

January 3 School Resumes

January 6 XSC Blood Drive

January 13 No School End of Term 2

January 18 All School Mass

January 30 31 Incoming Freshman Registration Nights

February 1 All School Mass

February 1 Orchestra Concert (6:30 pm XHS Theatre)

February 2 Jazz Benefit Concert Dan’s House of Hope

February 4 Celebrate

February 8 14 Valentine’s Day Revue

February 15 Half Day Parent Teacher Conferences (4 7pm)

February 22 All School Mass Ash Wednesday

February 25 District Solo and Ensemble

YoungArtist Competition Winner

Congratulations to Nolan Henckel (junior) for winning the Lakeshore Wind Ensemble's Young Artist Competition. Nolan competed against high school students and college music majors from throughout the area to win a $1500 scholarship and a solo performance opportunity on March 4, 2023 (at the Capitol Civic Centre in Manitowoc). Congratulations, Nolan!

Eagle ScoutAward

Congratulations to Luke and Logan LaViolette for earning their Eagle Scout award. Way to go!!