Issuu

System Administration

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Friends,

Deacon Ray DuBois President

Welcome to the Summer 2020 issue of X, the Xavier Magazine! And what an unexpected end to the school year it’s been! The focus of this issue is transitions.

Mr. Bob Biebel Vice President of Advancement Mr. Tom Candell Vice President of Finance and Administration

Transitions. The final three months of the semester saw our teachers and students valiantly transition from in-person learning to online learning. It came with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Our great teachers stepped up to the challenge and found ways in which they could reach their students in new ways.

Mrs. Tara Pearce Vice President of Admissions Dr. John Ravizza Superintendent

Transitions. In this issue you’ll read about 11 of our longtime faculty members who are retiring from the Xavier school system. At the McDonald St. elementary campus alone, five retiring teachers leave after an amazing, collective 132 years teaching in our schools.

Mr. Mike Mauthe Principal Xavier High School

Transitions. On July 1 we welcome Mr. Phil Riley as the new president of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Schools. After a nationwide search, we were blessed with the moment when Mr. Riley said “yes” to the challenge of leading Xavier into the next decade.

Mr. Robert Bires Principal Xavier Middle School Mrs. Laura Barnett Principal Xavier Elementary School Marquette Campus Mrs. Alena (Lange) Tapelt ‘97 Principal Xavier Elementary School McDonald Campus Contact Emily Gandara, Communications Specialist, for magazine submissions and corrections. (920) 735-9380 or

xmagazine@xaviercatholicschools.org

To honor our seniors, and the unique ending to their high school career, the cover of this magazine is dedicated to them. Each senior had the opportunity to submit a photo in his/her cap and gown to be included on the front page.

Transitions. On June 30, I retire from Xavier after eight years of service as your president. I was privileged to be at the helm as Xavier weathered challenges in many different areas. We consolidated our four elementary campuses into two; restructured our middle school; re-branded all four campuses as part of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System; and became state leaders in implementing the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program, enabling more families to take advantage of a premier Catholic school education. We fine-tuned our mission and vision, resulting in our fiveyear strategic plan: Building Schools of Missionary Discipleship, 2018-2023. Finally, in April, our corporate board endorsed a master facilities plan for education, athletics, fine arts, long term maintenance, and early childhood. I am truly blessed and humbled to have had the opportunity to serve you. I will continue to keep all of you in my prayers, and ask that you would do the same for me, Mr. Riley, our students, faculty, and staff. Onward and upward!

Deacon Ray 2

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

WHAT'S INSIDE

4 5 12-15 20-22 23 24-25 26-27 45 46-47

FEATURES

New! Xavier Business Directory Thank You! Celebrate Results Hawk Strong through COVID-19 Staff Retirements XHS Chapel Windows Transitioning Leadership Where are they now? Don & Gladys Wisnefski Fr. Bill “Hounded” by the Lord! Xavier Alumni Parents Influence New Scholarships

ALUMNI

6-9 7 9 10-12 16-17 18-19

Updates Freshman Letter Request In Memoriam & Upcoming Reunions COVID-19 Public Health Heroes To the Moon... The Journey and the Destination

@xaviercatholicschools

HIGH SCHOOL 28 29 30-31 32-33 34-35

Educator of the Year Finalist / A Bigger Message All in the Family School Highlights Congratulations Class of 2020 Legacy Graduates

MIDDLE SCHOOL 36-37 Flex Farm Arrives at XMS 38 Future Media Consumers 39 SBA: Because REAL Basketball is Played Before Noon 40 CREATE Teacher of the Year / Congratulations 8th graders!

@sfxavierhawks

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

41 42 43 44

What's On Your Wall? "L" Is for Literacy On Your Mark, Get Set, READ! What a Difference Ten Years Can Make! / VIP Day

@sfxavierhawks xaviercatholicschools.org

Board of Directors Most Reverend David L. Ricken Chair, Diocese of Green Bay Very Reverend Daniel Felton Vice-Chair, Diocese of Green Bay Todd Blahnik Diocese of Green Bay Reverend James Jugenheimer St. Pius X Parish Reverend James Leary, OFM Cap. St. Joseph Parish Deacon Lincoln Wood St. Thomas More Parish Reverend Jude Egbuna St. Bernard Parish Reverend Ryan Starks St. Therese Parish Reverend William Swichtenberg St. Mary Parish Reverend Joseph Donner St. Bernadette & Sacred Heart Parishes Brian Wierzbinski Board of Trustees Chairperson

Xavier Business Directory The Xavier community is comprised of many business people from a wide variety of sectors. In an effort to support local and family businesses as well as share the wealth of knowledge, products, and services available directly through our Xavier community, St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System has launched the Xavier Business Directory. The Business Directory currently has over 110 businesses listed in twenty-three categories, and supporters are encouraged to check the directory first when a good or service is needed or wanted. The directory is open to any Xavier-affiliated alumni, current parents, parents of alumni, and employees. To view and/or register to be a part of the directory, visit https://www.xaviercatholicschools.org/about/xavier-business-directory

St. Francis Xavier School System Mission Statement St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System is a Christ-centered community dedicated to faith formation, academic excellence, community engagement, and individual growth of our students in a safe environment.

Thank you to everyone involved in making Celebrate 2020 a huge success! We are grateful to our 44 sponsors and the 170 donors who helped make the evening come to fruition. The Fund Our Future portion of the event challenged the 510 attendees to donate $115,000 in order to unlock $185,000 in matching funds from two amazing benefactors. The extreme generosity of attendees and our benefactors yielded a Fund Our Future total of $361,750! Overall, $550,000 was raised to support Xavier Catholic Schools!

Please save the date and plan to join us for Celebrate 2021 on January 30, 2021.

Thank you 2020 Celebrate Sponsors! 2020 Celebrate Sponsors PREMIER Miron Construction Orthopedic & Sports Institute of the Fox Valley PHILANTHROPIC Hand to Shoulder Center FAITHFUL Agropur, Inc GLK Foods BOUNTIFUL Cranky Patâ€™s Pizzeria Fox Valley Surgical Associates Gunderson Family Companies Marco NAI Pfefferle Nicolet Bank

DEDICATED Associated Bank Association of Hospital Anesthesiologists Badger Plug Bergstrom Automotive BLC Community Bank BMO Harris Boldt Elite Smiles Dental EPS Forefront Dermatology Fox Communities Credit Union G2 Paper Josh & Michelle Hermus Eric & Mari Kessenich Liberty Tax Service McMahon (2) Northstar Dental Orthopedic Sports Medicine Specialists

Polzin Family Dental R. Sabee Secura Insurance Companies XCS Board of Trustees XCS Foundation Board LOYAL Apple Creek Orthodontics Bassett Mechanical William & Terri Bittner Building Services Group Hammett, Bellin, & Oswald Konz Wood Products Menn Law Firm Dave & Vicki Schultz Family Chris & Debbie Wagner

Alumni Updates

1960s

Jim Bohren ’66 was re-elected in the April 2020 election to his eighth two-year term on the Sheboygan

Wisconsin City Council. He serves as Alderman for District 10 in the City of Sheboygan. The Mayor of Sheboygan appointed him as Vice Chairman of the Finance and Personnel Committee, the Alderperson representative on the City Planning Commission, and Chairman of the Board of License Examiners.

1970s Julie (Schwaller) Ryno ’76 was honored with the David McCurragh Distinquished

Service Award from the ED Market Association in October 2019. The award is the association’s highest honor. “Julie has been a tireless volunteer in her time in the industry for close to 40 years,” said Greg Moore, 2019 EDmarket Chair of the Board. “She is always the first to volunteer and remains focused on creating a brighter future for the association.” Julie’s acceptance speech said, “It is a great honor to be recognized by the industry that I love. I stand on the shoulders of giants in our industry.”

Diane Richardson ‘77 continued her education

after Xavier at UW-Oshkosh where she earned a BS in Special Education and also earned some graduate credits. She taught K-12 special education for 23 years in most subjects. It was truly her love! Diane is also an antique dealer in Green Bay and Appleton. For the past six years Diane has pursued her biggest passion of all, which is acting. It all began at Xavier High School with the lead in "No, No, A Million Times No" directed by Mary Stumpf. Her acting continued in community theater and she eventually auditioned for Actors, Models, and Talent for Christ (AMTC). She trained in Chicago and graduated in 2014. Diane has acted professionally in films and commercials. She's had roles in “The Author, the Star, and the Keeper”, “The Field”, “From the Furnace”, and “Bucky and the Squirrels”. She's appeared in “The Reliant”, “John Light”, and “The Unmiracle”. Diane received a supporting role in the TV series “Messenger of Light/The Calling of Lizzy McBride” which is currently in production. She also received a role in “Honest to God” which is in pre-production. She's been in commercials for Marshfield Clinic, Meijer Grocery, Ho-Chunk and Menominee Casinos, Verizon, State Farm, and the Green Bay Packers. Currently her focus is Christian film because her goal is to shed the light of Christ on a dark industry. Her faith seeds were planted by her parents Jack and Kathy Richardson, St. Mary's, and Xavier High School. Her success is attributed to her blessings from God.

1980s Colleen (Long) McFarland ’83 has made a career of working with leaders to prepare and manage the impact that a business change will have on their customers and employees. She recently added author to her resume with her book "Disconnected," which was released in April and has already reached #1 on Amazon. In the book, McFarland summarizes what employers need to know about iGen, including how to welcome, support and impress them. The book explores how companies can use a resource they already have - their people data - to signal to younger workers that they can be part of their company’s future and have time for a healthy and purposeful life. Order "Disconnected" by Colleen McFarland on Amazon today! 6

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

1990s

2000s Amanda (Vanevenhoven) Camacho ’05 and

husband Esteban welcomed baby girl Reyna Lupe on March 4th. Reyna joins her big brother, Elias at home in Waukesha, WI. After graduating from Xavier, Trent Duerr ‘09 attended University of Wisconsin Whitewater majoring in Business Management and Legal Studies. This January, Trent was named President of MillTown Paper, Inc., a company he has worked for since 2005. His father, Greg, served as President over the last two decades. Trent began as a machine operator and has worked in sales and management since 2013.

In March, the Appleton Fire Department announced the promotion of Ryan Weyers ’97 to Deputy Fire Chief. Ryan spent the last two years serving as Battalion Chief supervising training, the hazardous materials team, and emergency medical services. He has been with the Appleton Fire Department since 2001.

2000s

AlumniWe need your help!

Recognized as one of the best goalies in Winona State University’s soccer history, Katie (Kramer) Krueger ’02 was inducted into the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a result of her achievements. While playing for the Warriors, she ranked nationally in multiple save categories including an impressive 10 total goals allowed in the 2005 season. Katie’s parents, husband, and four children joined Katie at the induction ceremony this past fall.

Kelly Wilda '00

married Jacob Waters on June 13th at St. Mary Parish in Appleton. A reception followed at Butte des Morts Country Club.

Do you remember your first day at Xavier? Starting high school can be an exciting, but also nerve-racking experience. We’re counting on our alumni to step up and write a letter to an incoming freshman to ease that transition. We would love for every incoming freshman to receive a letter from a Xavier alum when beginning his/her freshman year. That means we have a lot of letters to collect, especially since this is an extra-large class! Please encourage fellow alumni to participate! Any alum can do it and it doesn’t take much time. The goal of this letter-writing campaign is to encourage and support incoming Xavier High School freshmen as they begin these formative years. Share words of wisdom, general advice, fond memories and friendly words. Letter Guidelines

· The letter is limited to one page handwritten or typed (most will be shorter).

· Please address the letter generically. · Our overall goal is to encourage incoming freshmen and

welcome them into the XHS community where they can thrive, get involved, and feel supported. Please email your letter no later than August 10, 2020 to lpfaff@xaviercatholicschools.org or mail to Xavier High School, Attn: Lisa Pfaff, 1600 W Prospect Ave, Appleton WI 54914. xaviercatholicschools.org 7

2000s

Alumni Updates Financial Advisor. He works primarily with individuals and families from all over the country to help them achieve their long-term financial goals through disciplined asset management and financial planning. Andrew thoroughly enjoys his job and is always open to discussing the ways in which he and his team can help.

2010s The class of 2009 celebrated their 10th reunion at Appleton Beer Factory on December 21st.

In December 2019, at an awards dinner in Charlotte, NC, Andrew

Andrew Conley ’11 married his wife,

Audrey, in 2018. They were incredibly blessed to welcome Clare Therese into their lives in October 2019!

Cencula ’08

was named a recipient of the prestigious Global Diversity & Inclusion Award at Bank of America. Bank of America employs more than 200,000 people worldwide. Over 2,500 employees were nominated for this distinction, with 500 finalists, and just over 50 award winners. The awards brought colleagues together from around the world, including London, England, Delhi, India, Tokyo, Japan, to name a few. Andrew is pictured above (middle) with Cynthia Bowman, the company’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Andrew’s nomination was attributed to his volunteer efforts and partnership with area businesses (Procter & Gamble, General Electric, Kroger, etc.) and non-profits in the Cincinnati area (Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and Human Rights Campaign) with the goal to strengthen the region's diversity and inclusion initiatives through education and collaboration. Andrew was president of his class at Xavier. After high school, he attended University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with a degree in Economics. He moved to Cincinnati to be closer to family. Andrew has worked for Merrill Lynch, a Bank of America Company, since the fall of 2014 and currently serves as a Senior 8

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

Ali Baehler ‘13 married Tom Porter on July 20, 2019 at Gesu Church in Milwaukee. This photo was taken at St. Joan of Arc Chapel on Marquette University’s campus, where they first met. Ali was valedictorian of her graduating class at Xavier High School. Ali is an English teacher at a high school in Milwaukee. The wedding party from (left to right) included Maggie O’Keefe, Katie Porter, Ashley Galarneau, Lindsey Baehler ’24, Reed Evers ’13, Ali '13 and Tom, Neil Jindal, Jack Porter, Danny Baehler ’14, Riley Sadlon, and Grant Becker.

IN MEMORIAM

2010s Abby Wagner ‘17 spent

spring break in Cusco, Peru volunteering with community health organizations through Creighton University’s MedLife chapter. MedLife works hand in hand with low income communities to bring health care, education and a safe home to families in Peru, Ecuador, and Tanzania. Her team was able to visit Machu Picchu on the last day of the trip.

Tell us what’s new:

Started your first job, went back to school, found your calling, got married, had a baby, saw the world, started a business, finished your last job, welcomed a grandchild, whatever you have been up to, we would like to hear about it! Share your story via email: xmagazine@xaviercatholicschools.org, by mail to 1600 W Prospect Ave, Appleton WI 54914; or on our website xaviercatholicschools.org/alumni/ share-your-story. We look forward to hearing from you!

Class Reunions

'70

'81

'85

Xavier Catholic Schools offers its condolences to the friends, family and former classmates of alumni who have recently passed away.

Susan (Pleier) Ascher ‘64 Jackie (Dungar) Bertram H’03* Ted Bouressa ‘67 James Bricco ‘62 Daniel Calmes '66 Steven Collar ‘68 Anna (Vosters) Donnermeyer ‘90 Larry Dorn ‘80 Kevin Flynn ‘85 Patrick Kiley ‘63 Ann (Grootemont) Liebzeit ‘77 Anna Martin '24 Steven Millar ‘00 Jim Noffke ‘66 Dennis O’Connell ‘65 John Paltzer ‘69 Thomas Peeters ‘63 Jean (Pritzl) Schricker ‘64 Luann (Heid) Steffen ‘63 Tim VanSusteren ‘66 Patrick Verbrick ‘74 Gary Wassmann ‘69

St. Francis Xavier, pray for us. Live Jesus in our hearts, forever. * Honorary alumni

Does your class have a reunion-year milestone coming up? If you have a committee already planning your reunion, please contact us so we can post the details. Please contact Lisa Pfaff at lpfaff@xaviercatholicschools.org for information and assistance with reunions. Class of 1970: 50th Reunion Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainties of hosting large gatherings, the class of 1970's 50th reunion that was originally scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2020 has had to be postponed. This event will take place at Stone Arch at Riverview Gardens on an undetermined day in August 2021. Contact Barb Hass Pirner 920-739-3015 to update your contact information, or with questions. The reunion committee hopes to have more information to share in the winter issue of X, the Xavier magazine. Class of 1981: 40th Reunion in 2021! The Class of 1981's fun-filled 40th reunion weekend is coming in late summer/early fall of 2021. Please send your name and email address to Lisa Roach at packerchick@att.net so our fabulous committee can reach out to you. This one is big! Please join us. Class of 1985: 35th Reunion Members of the class of 1985, save the date and plan for a reunion the weekend of Homecoming 2020 (October 9-10). Contact Kate Geenen for more information at kgeenen11@gmail.com. xaviercatholicschools.org 9

COVID-19 Public Health Heroes COVID-19 has obviously had dramatic effects on all parts of our lives. Through periods of adversity, heroes rise to the top. This Q&A session highlights two such heroes working on the front lines in public health. Though they would prefer not to be called heroes, we believe they are deserving of the title. We salute and thank them and all of the frontline workers going above and beyond during this pandemic. JP Heim ‘98 and Claire (Vanden Wymelenberg) Evers ’98 both have fulfilling jobs in public health. Both took some time out of their extremely busy and chaotic schedules to answer some questions regarding their jobs, their responsibilities and some changes as a result of the pandemic. 1. Can you briefly describe your current role and job responsibilities and how these have transformed since the COVID-19 outbreak? JP: I am currently the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Planner for Outagamie County. In this role, I work closely with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to identify, plan for, and mitigate public health related emergencies here in Outagamie County. Additional responsibilities have included public information and communications guidance. While the “emergencies” are almost never in the headlines the way COVID-19 is today, public health is responsible for assurance and prevention roles in our communities, which includes disease surveillance and investigations of all communicable diseases and outbreaks. The effects of COVID-19 on my work continue to unfold nearly every day. The impact is real-time and will profoundly impact our future planning and response. Specific response planning I have helped to lead include isolation centers, community testing sites and point of dispensing sites. Not since the last flu pandemic over 100 years ago has the world seen an event such as this and the what-ifs of a repeat outbreak were just that, what-ifs. Claire: I am the Deputy Commissioner of Environmental Health for the City of Milwaukee Health Department. Before the COVID-19 response I spent a lot of my time planning for the Democratic National Convention 2020 in my role overseeing Emergency Preparedness and Consumer Environmental Health. I put in a lot of hours but was able to take off for my kids’ school events, vacations and had my weekends off. Since we began the COVID-19 response, I am working 10-12 hours a day, 7 days a week. Additionally, most of my time is spent on Zoom meetings collaborating with other local health professionals, developing policies and procedures, as well as outreach. 2. Obviously, this has been a trying time on both a personal and professional level. What do you feel have been the most difficult challenges you have faced and at the end of the day what, if any, have been the rewards? JP: The what-ifs mentioned above lead to one of the main challenges to response and mitigation efforts with a situation like this. Effective planning efforts by public health experts throughout the world can only account for so many scenarios. With the fortunate infrequency of pandemics, the plans of today are based on scenarios from 100 years ago adapted for today. Candidly, anticipating how a virus that was unknown just months ago will affect our lives here in northeast Wisconsin has been mentally exhausting. Further compounded by variables such as misinformation and

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

an impatient/need-it-now society that makes mitigation tactics like social distancing and stay-at-home orders not as effective as they could be. What I do know is that there are incredibly capable and talented individuals here in Outagamie County who have been working tirelessly the past few months, spearheading the local public health response and uniting together around an even more common purpose. Through long hours, highs and lows, the efforts to help the community and residents remain steadfast. Claire: The most difficult thing I am dealing with is the shear amount of work that needs to be done. I don’t have the time I want with my family. It is very difficult to homeschool my kids (ages 5 and 7) as well as just keep up with regular home life. Before COVID I made a very concerted effort to not work while my kids were awake and I was spending time with them, I saved that for late nights and early mornings. Now with us all home, they see me working constantly and I can tell that is starting to wear on them. I am rewarded when I hear that what we are doing is making a difference. I constantly respond to concerned citizens and business owners who are worried and confused. Providing them the information on what we have done and are planning to do to help them stay safe is meaningful. 3. Being on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic on a daily basis requires a unique skill set. How have you been able to persevere through this difficult and stressful time? Are there any specific character traits that you feel Xavier helped instill in you to help prepare you for this crisis? JP: There are three things that have enabled me to get through this situation. First and foremost, faith. In taking a leadership role for the county’s response, there is a significant importance on maintaining calm and clarity while navigating uncharted waters…and it is my faith that has allowed me to pause and find the safe harbor at just the right moments. There is zero doubt that the faith formation provided through the Xavier system helped to develop and shape my faith into what it is today. Second, my family…the past months have brought long hours and without the constant love and support of my wife, Katie, and our girls, stepping back into the arena every day would be difficult. Lastly, my experience. Not professionally, but as a volunteer thanks in no small part to the service hours and mission trip during my time at Xavier. Much of my volunteer work has been with Team Rubicon, a disaster response organization. Joining as a general member and advancing to a leadership role in communications across 10 states has without question enabled me to be more prepared in my COVID-19 response role as a professional. Working with communities during their most difficult times provides an incredible dose of renewed perspective and drive to continue to do good no matter the circumstances. Claire: Xavier leads its students in a way to be selfless and instills the importance of caring for your community. If I didn’t find that to be one of the most important things I do, I couldn’t carry on in this response. It is rewarding to me to serve others and my work at the health department is directed at addressing the social determinants of health. The COVID-19 response is no different, our vulnerable community is suffering at a great rate.

Continued on next page

xaviercatholicschools.org

(continued from previous page) 4. On behalf of the entire Xavier community, we thank you for your leadership and service. Are there any words of wisdom or reflections that you would like to share with our Xavier Family? JP: If you would have told me back in 1998 that 22 years from then I would have a professional career that started with an NBA Championship with the Detroit Pistons, to experiencing the largest bankruptcy in history while with General Motors, to eight moves across four states, and a global pandemic, I’d have said nothing out of sheer disbelief. I share this because none of us know what truly lies ahead…but what I do know is that each of our experiences leads to the next. Good and bad, each of these are moments to learn from and reflect upon. Leaning on faith and knowing when to trust in that faith will provide us with rewards never imagined. Claire: The Xavier community provides just that, a community. It is so important for all of us to take care of each other and support each other. That is the foundation of my career in public health and what I do every day is rewarding.

Hawk strong, even when we are apart... this is the

#XavierXperience! Our New (and Hopefully Temporary) Normal

March 17, 2020. The last day Xavier students attended class in-person. Most had no idea the day had so many “lasts”. Since then our world has changed, our lives have changed and we continue to live in unprecedented times. Technology, aided by amazing faculty and staff, has made it possible for our students to continue to learn at every level. At Xavier we deeply care about each and every student and have a responsibility to teach them, not only academically, but about faith and social development. We are proud to say that we have worked at each one. What follows are some unique ways we have pivoted to online learning, to providing faith opportunities, and to providing social development while celebrating what makes Xavier special. On page 14, enjoy portions of unsolicited appreciation letters written by an international student and a parent. It is moments such as this that make us proud to witness our staff and students shine through this challenging time.

Academics • Teachers learned quickly and proficiently how to conduct class virtually (1).

• Students were still challenged, tests still administered, and grades still earned.

• Our guidance, learning services, and support staff took the roles of learning coaches. They met often, sometimes daily, with students to provide the support needed to succeed. Faith • Children continued to pray as a class.

• Daily prayers along with prayer intentions and a weekly rosary were done at XHS.

• Each school continued to offer virtual Mass and prayer opportunities (2).

Social Development and Celebration • Teachers made videos and photo collages to send to their school families.

• Google Meets allowed students and teachers to interact to learn math problems and also to sing a classmate “Happy Birthday”. • XHS students recorded bedtime stories for XES students to view (3).

• XHS students started the “Connect Project” (read specifically about this on page 15).

• Elementary staff held a reverse parade where families drove through the parking lots while staff smiled, laughed and waved (4, 5, 6, 7). • Teachers held award programs online and personally delivered some awards (8).

• Campuses held online talent shows.

• Middle school teachers lined the middle school parking lot to cheer graduating 8th graders on during a drive-thru graduation ceremony (9, 10). • High school staff visited each graduating senior’s home to hand-deliver bags including caps and gowns, awards, honors, and letters (11).

• High school staff invited students to drive through and pick up a carnation to carry on the flower tradition portion of the Baccalaureate Mass (12, 13).

• Graduation was postponed until August to honor graduating seniors’ wishes of holding it in person so they can be together.

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xaviercatholicschools.org

Dear Xavier Community, I want to write just one more essay to give thanks to each and every single one of you for how amazingly you have affected my two-year experience in the United States. Everyone, from teachers to the staff, has impacted me and my time as a Xavier student in many positive ways, and that is something I really need to thank you for. Every single teacher I have had the pleasure to be a student of, counselors, and every member of the Xavier Community has bettered my days…. And even though you have taught me many things related to class, I believe I have learned much more about myself and others from you. Thanks to all of you, I have learned things I could not have learned any other way and I will take those lessons with me forever. Thanks to you, I will forever keep this amazing memory. And thanks to you, I am a better, happier, and wiser version of myself. Every day, I am thankful to my parents for giving me this amazing opportunity, but I am also grateful for having this experience at Xavier because it could not have been any better somewhere else. I will always and forever remember and be thankful for all of you and all the memories I have made as a Xavier student. Warm virtual hugs for everyone, God bless you, Martina Olaizola ‘20 International student from Spain

To the Xavier School Community, I feel compelled to write this letter, in appreciation for the support and efforts put forth by all of the faculty and staff of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System during these unprecedented times. Faculty and staff at Xavier did an exemplary job of making the transition from teaching in the classroom to teaching from a living room or a dining room. Teachers were given the Herculean task of changing how they deliver their lessons to students, and of making sure that their students felt like they were still very much having an experience as close as possible to being at school, knowing full well that so many aspects on the receiving end of their efforts was out of their direct control. Everyone worked as a team, and the Catholic faith remained front and center through it all. …When I look back over the past two months of distance learning, I see how truly rich of an education my children are getting. They have had so much support from their teachers, both on an educational and an emotional level. My kids were encouraged to not give up on learning. My kids were still exposed to the Catholic faith through online prayer services led by people in our school community. My kids learned that they can adapt to change and not only survive, but thrive. I know that my children have been able to grow and develop just as much, if not more, during this time of distance learning, because they did have to remain conscious of what it means to be a proud, successful student. Not only were they held to the same standards as when they were all learning in school, but they also got indirect lessons on how to be more self-sufficient, personally responsible, and self-determined. The Xavier school system understands and stresses the importance of a well-rounded, faith based education, and not even a global pandemic can stop them from doing their job, and doing it well. God Bless, Katie Leicht

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

CONNECTING XAVIER STUDENTS

Connecting During COVID As the decision was made to close Xavier schools in March, students emptied their lockers and gathered their backpacks to go home to begin e-learning. Jonah Blohowiak ‘21 quickly realized that socially, this was going to be hard. It would be extremely hard for many Xavier students who are very involved in their churches, sports, theater, dance and clubs. This was going to be a drastic change not seeing their teachers, coaches and friends.

Jonah, within the first few weeks, came up with an idea. Why not be available for kids who may be lonely or scared or bored? He proposed the idea to Mr. Mauthe and Xavier counselors, got approval and put together a group of students who were approachable and could talk to anyone. With the help of his mom, Mary Blohowiak of b.creative design, he created a logo, graphics and student videos that would be distributed via middle/high school emails and though social media. Students are available for one-on-one conversations. They also take turns setting up Zoom meetings where they host dance, trivia and game parties. “It has been so fun seeing everyone and just laughing!“ said Blohowiak. “We are all going through this together. Everyone is feeling isolated, and it is a great way to connect. Right now we are focused on the difficulty of coping with isolation and remote learning, but my hope is that we can expand the Connect Project to include suicide prevention, family counseling, victim assistance, food aid, academic support and more.”

To the Moon... Matt Kuhns ‘02 is helping lead a mission to the moon. Yes, you read that correctly. A Xavier alumnus is helping lead a mission to the moon. Since leaving Xavier, Matt has been busy and now finds himself leading a group of engineers whose mission is to be the first to land on the south pole of the moon. Back to the beginning…

Upon graduating from Xavier, Matt attended UW Madison with Melissa Meyer '02, also from the Xavier class of 2002. The two were married in 2006. Last year they were blessed with their daughter, Anna. Melissa graduated with a degree in Molecular Biology in 2006 and Matt with a degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2008. Jobs took them briefly to Cleveland before they landed in California. Matt joined Masten Space Systems in 2015. Matt considers himself fortunate, working his dream job with rockets and on the space program! He is the Chief Engineer and Engineering Manager at Masten Space Systems, which specializes in vertical takeoff vertical landing (VTVL) rocketry. The company really took off (pun intended) in 2009 when Masten won the NASA Centennial Challenge Northrop Lunar Lander Challenge X-Prize for multiple simulated lunar landings.

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

Achievements and Activities: The moon…

Masten's XL-1 lander was selected for a NASA Commercial Lunar Payload System (CLPS) mission to the south pole, landing in 2022. As Chief Engineer and Deputy Project Manager on the program, Matt is involved in almost every aspect of the lander design as well as carrying out the mission. He admits it is a daunting responsibility, and recent landing failures show just how difficult it is to land on the moon, but he is up for the challenge. Masten has over 600 rocket landings to date, so they are confident they can do it. Shout out…

Matt wishes to give a shout out to Mr. Bartman and Mr. Lohse. Matt feels Mr. Bartman had an immense impact on his success. He firmly believes the first engineering job he got was “100% due to the drafting skills he taught me”. Matt will need the precision Mr. Bartman taught more than ever to get to the moon. He also lauds Mr. Lohse and credits him with helping Matt learn how to build things in his Engineering course. He said that both were incredibly supportive and he is eternally grateful.

5 patents and 25+ publications

• Award winning photographer with a successful photography business exhibited in several galleries in Los Angeles.

• Helped build the first prototype for C-Thru, which lets firefighters see in smoke-filled environments, helping to save lives.

• Founded Skyfire, which forecasts beautiful sunsets for photographers. Skyfire has an app that works as part of The Photographer’s Ephemeris, one of the most widely used photography apps in the world. • Helped map Mammoth Cave, the longest cave in the world.

• Helped with real rocket sounds (from Masten) for the “First Man” movie about Neil Armstrong’s life. The sound for the film was nominated for an Oscar.

• Volunteer work includes mentoring for FIRST Robotics and Engineers without Borders, recently helping with low-cost ventilators for COVID-19 patients.

• Recently awarded the title of NASA NIAC Fellow for inventing a new way to safely land on the moon. • Helped build a hydrogen fuel cell car, which won awards at Tour de Sol.

xaviercatholicschools.org

The Journey and Literature is full of quotes describing the relationship between the journey and the destination. For Xavier alumna Elizabeth Gregorski '19 the last three years have been a tribute to its meaning. Overcoming two major injuries, while wearing the Xavier Blue and White, Elizabeth persevered and through hard work and dedication fulfilled a childhood dream of playing for a National Volleyball Championship. Along the way she learned countless lessons about life, sport and herself.

Journey:

…While diving for a ball, Elizabeth shatters her finger and is forced to sit out her high school junior season. After healing, she is cleared to play her club season and in her first game back lands on an opponent’s foot and tears her ACL, meniscus, and calf muscle. According to Elizabeth, “I felt so discouraged, I was in the best physical shape of my life, jumping the highest I’ve ever jumped and now I’m out for another whole season. My rehab was a physical battle, and the mental battle was even tougher.”

Destination:

NCAA Division 1 National Volleyball Championship Pittsburg, PA December 21, 2019 Redshirt outside hitter for the University of Wisconsin volleyball team Elizabeth Gregorski and her Badger teammates take the court in their quest for Gold versus perennial powerhouse Stanford Cardinal…

…Senior season awaits and with it the unknown of actually being able to play. “I was so motivated to get on the court and in a Xavier jersey one more time. I would go to CrossFit every day and when I was feeling down would draw my thoughts back to my dream.” …Elizabeth gets cleared to play the last five matches of the year. “I played Libero the last five matches of my senior season and although we lost our last game, it will still be one of my best memories because I poured all my passion into the journey to get there. It was bittersweet. Going through my injuries changed my outlook on life, I now am more optimistic, more empathic, I value relationships more, have more confidence and I attack challenges harder. I definitely am a different Elizabeth than I was my junior year. If I could go back and

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

The Destination for me. It was definitely a privilege to attend a school where the faculty and staff care so much about you. Lastly, I believe I have the best family and friends in the entire world.” …Despite an incredible effort the Badgers fall short of a title.

change my experiences, I wouldn’t.” … There were so many people who helped along the way. “Encouraging family members, teammates, coaches, friends, physical therapists, doctors, teachers, and strangers - is what really carried me through. One of my biggest motivators was to play for Coach Herriges. I respected him so much, and wanted to win a state title for him. I wanted to play so badly for my teammates, especially the other seniors who were so supportive. My Xavier teachers especially Mrs. Schuh were always there

“Being a part of a team that played for a national championship was something that will shape my character for the rest of my life. The Journey leading up to the final match was very rewarding. It was all the little things that made us so great. Every touch in practice, every defensive hold, every hand contact behind the service line, every grunt in the weight room mattered. The best part of all, was that we did it for each other! I can promise you that won’t be the last time we are competing for a National Championship. We are very hungry for a Gold medal.”

Epilogue:

The COVID pandemic cuts short the Xavier 2020 winter sports season and forces cancellation of spring sports season. “I truly am devastated for all of you because in some way, I can relate and there is no justification for why this happened to you. My advice is to try your best to gain something positive. Maybe it’s appreciation for your health, your abilities, or empathy for people who are sick or have experienced hardship.”

Mrs. Ellen (Gloudemans) Baisden ‘73 10 years at XCS Pre-K through 2nd grade Dear St. Francis Xavier families, As a product of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System, I felt privileged to work with a group of teachers who care deeply about their students and families and who stop at nothing to meet their needs. This will always be my home and I feel fortunate to have come full circle and end my career with so many wonderful students, families and staff members. My heart will always hold a special place for all of you. I will miss you dearly.

Mrs. Kay Breuninger 31 years at XCS High School Guidance Counseling Assistant During my career with St. Francis Xavier Catholic Schools, I worked at St. Bernadette and Catholic Central in the library and as a teacher aide before moving to the high school in the guidance department for the last 17 years. I have had the privilege to work with many people who are filled with the qualities of kindness and friendship. Besides my many memories of the students and their families, I will cherish the wonderful friendships I have made over my many years in the system. It was Great to be a Hawk!

Mrs. Sue Briski 23 years at XCS Music teacher Pre-K through 8th grade Dear St. Francis Xavier families, I have been blessed to call the Xavier community and especially St. Bernadette and the McDonald campus family for the past 23 years. The support and love I have received warms my heart and humbles me beyond measure. I will miss the daily interaction with the students, but I plan to stay involved in the community in the future. I look forward to seeing what lies ahead for our students and may they all continue to find joy in the music that surrounds them. I love and will miss you all! Mr. Denny Ferron ‘73 25 years at XCS Middle School Physical Education Instructor & Athletic Director It is bittersweet, saying goodbye to a career I have known for 40 years. I feel blessed to have been able to be around so many amazing Xavier community members. The whole Xavier atmosphere is so special. Through the years this has been my family—the faculty, the staff, the parents, and of course, the students. I look back with sincere gratitude. I entered the teaching/athletics profession dedicated to helping young people achieve their potential, finding their best selves, and accomplishing things they did not know they could. As I leave, I take many of you with me. You will live on in my memories. My job in the Xavier Catholic school system constantly encouraged me to be authentic in my relationships with my students, and to be a positive Christian role model. If through my years I was considered not only a fair teacher, but a friend, mentor, and nurturer, then my goals have been met. I am grateful for all the young men and women I have had the honor of teaching and coaching over the years and appreciate the support of so many parents. Thank you all!

Mrs. Lisa Pierre 27 years at XCS Instructional Aide Dear Xavier Community, After 27 years of a job I love, I have decided it’s time for me to say good-bye. It has not been an easy decision and even though I believe the time is right, it is with a heavy heart because of all of you; the staff, the students, and the families. I started my career as an instructional aide 27 years ago at the St. Bernadette Campus. I had the honor and privilege of helping in every grade from preschool through fifth. I have worked with the best and learned much from observing others. It truly has been a blessing to get to know so many wonderful families over the years. I know without a doubt, I’ve gained far more than I’ve given and I will be forever grateful for everything. I look forward to spending more time with our grandchildren and volunteering in the community but I hope that I’ll be invited back to sub in classrooms. It makes it a little less sad knowing that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each of you for making my job such a joy and a blessing. I will truly miss the hugs and smiles as I greeted you each day, “on the sidewalk”. With sincere gratitude and appreciation~

Mrs. Sandy Oudenhoven 31 years at XCS Care Program My Dearest St. Francis Xavier Family, I will always cherish my experiences made over the last 31 years of working for the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System. Being a part of this wonderful Catholic school community has truly been an answered prayer for me. My gratitude for my time spent here with the children, their families and the entire staff, is beyond compare. What a blessing you all are to me. I am so proud to be a part of the Xavier family where all know Christ is the reason for that school, the unseen but ever-present teacher in its classes, the model of its faculty and the inspiration of its students. It is that ever present faith that excites me to volunteer here in the future. All of you will continue to be in my prayers and in my heart always. Mrs. Judy Sokel 17 years at XCS Care Program Dear families and co-workers, My teaching career has been an awesome and amazing journey for me. All the daily blessings of the children, who have marked a spot on my heart, are treasures I will keep close to my heart. I have walked down memory lane in my head…through pictures, projects, files, etc. I have in the school section in my basement (a good amount of space). The carnivals, Polar Express days, graduations, Thanksgiving feasts, holiday parties, Mother’s Day breakfasts, Fathers Nights, and so much more… Now I look forward to the next chapter in my book of life… yes…the daily routine will be different but the Lord will guide me through, and new open doors…I’m ready to see what’s waiting for me…in this new chapter called retirement. Thanks for letting me share this journey with you.

continued

Mrs. Mary Whitman 21 years at XCS 2nd grade teacher

Miss Susan Mahoney 41 years at XCS 1st through 3rd grade teacher

Dear families,

Dear St. Francis Xavier families,

I first became a part of the St. Francis Xavier family in 1987, when our daughters began preschool at St. Pius. I was very blessed to become a teacher at our campus thirteen years later. The Xavier staff is an amazing group of people to work with, and the students and families are so kind and loving. I am grateful for all of the wonderful memories I have made. I will dearly miss everyone. You will always remain in my heart and in my prayers.

Mrs. Cindy Winkelman 20 years at XCS High School Learning Specialist St. Francis Xavier High School will always be my home community of "Learners, Believers, and Friends." I was welcomed here with open arms the day after I moved to Wisconsin, in 1999. I will never forget the warm hospitality that I received from the administration, faculty, and staff, and the amazement I felt finding out how great the students are here! They are a pleasure to teach. It is absolutely, hands-down, the BEST place that I have ever taught. It has been a pleasure and one of life's greatest blessings to work in a community where Jesus is physically present in our building; the day begins and ends with prayer; the year is centered around spirituality and worship; and the communal goal of all is working to develop the best in each other. I am extremely grateful to have called this community home for 21 years. When you leave home, you always leave part of your heart there; so part of me will never leave St. Francis Xavier High School. St. Francis Xavier, pray for us. Live Jesus in our hearts, forever!

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

I treasure my 41 years of teaching your children. Your families and the amazing staff I work with are an extension of my own family. I am grateful for the prayers, support, and love shown to me and also to my mom as I went through my cancer journey three years ago and my mom’s various health concerns over the past six years. I will miss all of you, but will take with me many wonderful memories. You will remain in my heart and my prayers forever. Mrs. Lynn Zetzman 26 years at XCS High School Fine Arts Teacher I have taught art K-12 plus Art Methods for Lawrence University over a 4-decade career. I began at Xavier HS in 1993 so the majority of that experience has been with the Xavier HS Family. The vocation/environment pushed me to continue learning new technologies, new art skills, new teaching skills, new people skills, and to grow my faith deeper. I am forever grateful. Highlights include: designing the new Xavier HS chapel stained glass windows, taking Art Club trips with students every other summer, three stints with the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Master Teacher Program, a Fulbright Hays Fellowship to Morocco the summer of 2007, over ten years of sharing UW Madison’s Center for Humanities Great Text grants with Xavier art students, 13 years sharing service learning via The Memory Project with Xavier art students, being honored with a Kohl Foundation Teacher Award, having the opportunity to bring in visiting artists to Xavier with Christmas Stars profits, being proud of my students winning numerous awards at various juried art competitions, and seeing what my seniors came up with every year for a mural in Honors Art Class. For 20 years, each fall I helped create giant parade puppets with students for the downtown Appleton Holiday Parade, 400 hours of work was put in each year.

Chapel Windows When the Xavier Chapel was built in 2006, it was time to increase its beauty and add some personalization. Xavier High School art teacher, Lynn Zetzman, was asked to design and create stained glass windows to adorn the chapel. A donor paid for the materials and services provided by Coventry Glass Works and Mrs. Zetzman donated her time. Mrs. Zetzman sketched out her vision. After a couple of iterations, Coventry Glass said they could carry out her vision in glass. (A couple of her original ideas couldn’t be done in glass.) Once they approved her drawings, she made life-sized patterns. Mrs. Zetzman then picked out the glass and Coventry Glass cut it and soldered the lead. Mrs. Zetzman did some research on St. Francis Xavier and a map of his travels became her inspiration. As a world traveler herself, this became her muse, and a plan to explore the worldwide spread of Catholic Christianity of St. Francis Xavier took root. She liked the idea of including the Americas on a small globe with a hawk to represent Xavier but leaving Europe and Asia large. Her interpretation was that a lot of young people view their experiences at Xavier High School as central and she wanted to put St. Francis Xavier’s life’s work as central. This is an imagining of God’s gift of Jesus, of redemption, as so powerful it propelled St. Francis Xavier to live an extraordinary life— one which could include or encompass students at Xavier High School. After having taught at Xavier High School for many years--often thinking about the life and mission of flesh

and blood St. Francis Xavier--Mrs. Zetzman relates that she wept upon praying in an Indian Grotto on the grounds of a cathedral St. Francis Xavier had prayed in to determine if he had a mission to the Far East. Xavier ultimately did believe the Far East was his calling. He spent three years preaching in India and Sri Lanka before adventuring further east. St. Francis Xavier is one of the saints to which Mrs. Zetzman feels closest. In large part this is driven by her 27-year tenure at Xavier High School! Mrs. Zetzman did extensive research, called on earlier studies, and wove symbolism throughout the project. She researched the kind of sailing ship on which St. Francis Xavier would have traveled. She also knew that the Jesuits purchased the very first of Gutenberg’s printing presses in order to publish Bibles in the languages of the countries to which they brought the gospel. During a Masters of Theological Studies program at St. Norbert, Mrs. Zetzman was attracted to the social justice issues important to many Jesuit Catholic thinkers. That led her to the larger “Gospel Justice” text that scrolls across the very top of the windows. Throughout the project, she was looking to create contrasts to enhance visual interest. That is why land forms are geometric and warm colors and water are organic shapes in cool colors. The carved glass circles are visual markers where St. Francis Xavier spent longer periods of time. The entire process, from inception to installation of the windows, took approximately a year to complete. Since then, we have all been blessed to enjoy these magnificent windows in the chapel.

TRANSITIONING Returning from a pilgrimage to Ireland in June 2012, Deacon Ray DuBois had the opportunity to incorporate a fresh perspective on Celtic spirituality as he took the reins of the (then) ACES Xavier school system the following month. “A key component of Celtic spirituality is hospitality of heart,” he said. “That means that we welcome God into our heart each day, and we also welcome others because that person could be Christ.” That concept, combined with a commitment to mission, set the tone for connecting with all members of the Xavier community: building relationships, exploring spirituality, embracing our Catholic faith, and living our mission.

As he prepares to retire from Xavier after eight years as president, Deacon Ray leaves a record of improvements to the System that set the stage for his successor, Phil Riley. “Probably the most significant event during my time here is consolidating all campuses into the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System. Through our re-branding we encouraged a stronger sense of belonging to a System for students and families from preschool through grade 12. We are all Hawks!” After consolidating the elementary campuses, the middle school restructured into a grade 5-8 campus. Xavier was an early entrant into the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program, and continues to be a statewide leader. It helps us achieve part of our mission: providing a quality Catholic school education to students who cannot afford one. Through aggressive admissions strategies and community outreach, Xavier increased its measure of diversity from 2.1% in 2012 to nearly 22% in 2020. In addition, the System is embracing initiatives to emphasize cultural competency and education among faculty and staff. That initiative extends to curriculum development. During this time, the school system strengthened relationships with our supporting Appleton parishes. “The Appleton pastors welcomed me with open arms,” he said. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet at least monthly with our priests and pastoral leader. It’s been a terrific two-way means of communication in which we can understand each other’s needs and wants. This strong connection to our supporting parishes and parishioners is critical to our long term success.” Words of wisdom to his successor? “Stay strong in your relationship with God. Value and respect the work and opinions of those around you. Strengthen relationships with our parishes. And never lose sight of our mission: Xavier is a Christ-centered community focusing on faith, academics, community, and individual growth of our students in a safe environment.”

“I will continue to keep the Xavier community in my prayers and would ask that you do the same for me. May God continue to bless you abundantly,” - Deacon Ray DuBois

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

LEADERSHIP Organizational change is always challenging. A transition in the midst of a pandemic has its own set of new challenges…and opportunities. When Phil Riley assumes the reins as fifth president of the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System on July 1, he brings a unique background and varied experience to lead the System into the next decade. No stranger to Midwest winter weather, Phil is a native Nebraskan. He grew up in the little town of Creighton, and attended Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, where he studied history and military science. After graduation, he served as an Air Defense Artillery officer in Operation Desert Storm. Following his service, Phil began his career in education. While a teacher in the Diocese of Dallas, he completed his master’s degree in Educational Administration at Texas A&M University, Commerce. He has been a teacher and administrator in that diocese for the past 27 years, serving in three very different and very diverse schools. “Each school provided me with the opportunity to work with incredible communities that are dedicated to the same mission of Catholic school education that is so evident in the Xavier system,” said Phil. He recently completed the Emmaus Leadership Series at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. His wife, Terri, has been a math teacher in the Diocese since 1991, so the couple is very engaged in the business of Catholic school education! They have two sons, Ben, an officer in the United States Army Chemical Corps, and Will, a junior at Stephen F. Austin University. Phil is pleased to be just a few hours away from his father, who is a retired judge living in Eau Claire. Reflecting on the task of leading Xavier Catholic Schools, Phil said “I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to join the Xavier community in this new endeavor. The Xavier system is strong, and Deacon Ray and his team have built an incredible foundation for the future. Our strategic and facilities master plans give us a clear roadmap to a vibrant and successful future.” As he begins work in July, Phil will meet with the various constituencies to gain knowledge about the four campuses, our eight Appleton parishes, and regional parishes. “Harnessing the energy of both the Catholic and civic communities of Appleton will be the key to our continued growth and success,” he said. “COVID-19 and its fallout will, of course, have an impact on our community in the coming months. However, I believe that we are prepared to meet any challenge. We will continue to provide the finest Catholic school education to every student.”

Welcome, Phil, and may God bless you in your vocation moving forward!

"We will continue to provide the finest Catholic school education to every student.” - Phil Riley xaviercatholicschools.org

Where are they now? Don and Gladys Wisnefski Like the Packers in the sixties, Xavier High School boasts an impressive team whose influence continues to reverberate both here and around the globe. Don and Gladys Wisnefski brought worldliness and passion to their work -Mr. Wisnefski as band instructor from 1968 to 1985, and Señora Wisnefski as a Spanish teacher from 1969 to 1990. Their instruction transcended their classrooms and left a lasting impression on students. “Mrs. Wisnefski was a very dedicated teacher in not only the Spanish language but dialect, history and culture,” said Brenda (Werner) Fritsch ‘86. “Her instruction has stayed with me for my whole life….So appreciative of those times. Great memories! Once a student of hers, always a student of hers.” Kelly Kewley ‘82 agrees that the Wisnefski influence extended well beyond both the classroom and the years their students spent in them. “These two teachers have had a profound and lasting influence on my development,” she said. “…I have picked up my flute so many times during isolation and run through the sheet music that I still have from band and state competitions. I recall what it felt like to put in so much time and effort to prepare for a concert and somehow Mr. Wiz would work his magic on us and the feeling was unexplainable...to be a part of one of his bands was to be a part of something very special. He was a musical wizard!” “He challenged you to be better,” said John Berglind ‘82. “Whether it was a piece of music that was difficult or a solo for the solo ensemble that was difficult, he knew better than we did we could play it. In doing so he taught me to continue to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone.” Though they retired from Xavier more than 30 years ago, both Mr. and Mrs. Wisnefski have fond memories of the time they spent there, the faculty members they called friends, and the students with whom they continue to connect. They still live in their Appleton home, and Gladys is still doing workshops for Spanish teachers, researching, writing and presenting papers

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• Summer 2020

at Modern Language Conferences. “Since the 2020 conference in Puerto Rico has been canceled due to the virus, I am looking forward to the 2021 conference in Atlanta,” she said. The Chilean native passed along her love of educational travel to her students and said she considers the exchange programs she launched to Guatemala and Colombia some of her proudest accomplishments. In recognition of those innovative programs, the Appleton Rotary Club presented her with the Cutting Edge Award. Mr. Wiz also enjoyed an award-winning run, and he said his fondest memories include directing the band at football and basketball games, and the concert band successes with first division awards at district band festivals. “I tried to make the musical experience joyful for my students,” he said. “This was worth repeating - the more you work at it, the more you will enjoy it.” From left to right: Don, grandson Leo, daughter-in-law Patricia,

Immediately following their years at Xavier, Don grandson Maximilian, son Stephen ’86, and Gladys accepted a position at St. Mary High School. “An old friend offered me a full time position,” he said. “One I couldn’t refuse.” Gladys, meanwhile, introduced and taught for 21 years the Spanish CAPP (Cooperative Academic Partnership Program) of UWO at both Oshkosh North and West high schools. Today, they are spending time traveling and enjoying their grandsons. Don reads and listens to music, while Gladys enjoys Zumba and daily workouts. She also gets a big kick out of running into former students, and the feeling is mutual. “When she sees you, she always has a story to tell about you,” said Kathy (Kostelnik) Finley ‘86, who went on to become an educator as well. “Many teachers struggle to put a name to a face when they see a former student, Mrs. Wiz does more than put a name to a face. She adds a story too. They may be stories you forgot, but she always remembers.” And, though she especially enjoys having those conversations with former students in the language she taught them, Gladys said the most important lesson she taught had nothing to do with verb conjugation. “I hope I conveyed our strong connection with the global community, respect, understanding and acceptance of other cultures,” she said. According to Kewley and most of the pair’s other former students, lesson received. “The Wisnefskis opened me up to a world of culture, music, language, travel, a world outside my bubble….I am so grateful to them for their passion and grateful for how much they truly care about us and sharing their love of their profession, their love of life.” One of Mr. and Mrs. Wisnefski’s former students is also their son, Stephen Wisnefski ‘86, now the Wall Street Journal’s Deputy Managing Editor. He said he enjoyed the opportunity to have been taught by his parents. “They were both so passionate and capable. They were demanding and didn't suffer fools, but they were always fair and compassionate. They only wanted students to do their best and to respect the coursework and the classroom,” he said. “But mostly I remember that my parents were well-respected for their teaching prowess and dedication, and that they were well-liked by the students who had the good fortune to be in their classrooms. I would say my parents were at the top of the list of extraordinary educators at an extraordinary school. I was genuinely proud of them then, just as I am today.” Written by Laura (Kostelnik) Biskupic ’82. Visit Laura’s blog at https://anotherslice.life/ Cheering on the Packers with grandson Maximilian, Gladys, Don, son Stephen ’86, and grandson Leo

xaviercatholicschools.org

What’s happening

HIGH SCHOOL

1600 W. Prospect Avenue Appleton, WI 54914 (920) 733-6632

Educator of the Year Finalist! In March, Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce named Mrs. Monica Jones (social studies teacher), an Educator of the Year finalist at their Excellence in Education SHINING STAR Awards program. Three finalists were recognized for this award that honors an educator (grades K-16) who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to improving the quality of education in the Fox Cities region, and who has an inspiring presence that motivates and influences students, colleagues, and the community. Congratulations to Mrs. Jones who has impacted thousands of Xavier students over the last 18 years!

A Bigger Message

If you happen to be driving past Xavier High School these past few months you may notice something new and it’s not just the Prospect Avenue road construction! Through the generosity of Bob and Becky Weiske, Xavier now has a new digital marquee complete with digital images and messages. Gone are the days of standing outside in all types of weather to put up individual letters and words. On behalf of the entire Xavier Community we express our thanks to the Weiskes and also to Mr. Reynebeau and Mr. Mauthe for their years of braving the elements to keep the Xavier faithful updated and informed.

Congratulations to seven of our Xavier High students on their athletic offers! From left to right: Mackenzie Kirwan '20 - lacrosse at University of Akron, Vanessa Laundrie '20 - track at UW-Milwaukee, Annie Higgins '20- cross country and track at Xavier University, Christian Casimir '20 - soccer at UW - Eau Claire, Ellie Arndt '20 - soccer at UW-LaCrosse, Chris Vanden Huevel '20 - baseball at UW-Milwaukee, Andrew Schermerhorn '20 - lacrosse at Canisius College, Buffalo

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

All in the Family

It would take quite a scholar to calculate the likelihood of lightning striking in the same place twice. Perhaps the members of the Hahlbeck family would be willing to help. Recently, Ethan ‘21 joined his brother Nick ‘12 in the elite fraternity of students who have earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT. While the odds of such a rare achievement being repeated multiple times in the same family would seem enormous, a closer look at the values and attitudes promoted at home may provide the secret to success. When Ethan first received his ACT score, “ I immediately thought that we had somehow logged into Nick’s account and that we were seeing his score, not mine. Once I found out that it was actually my score, the disbelief gave way to pride and relief.” Ethan describes Nick as a role model in his life, so he was proud to follow in Nick’s ACT footsteps. Of course, he was also pleased to have taken his last ACT. “I hoped that studying specifically for the test was superfluous if I had truly paid attention during my classes, and my years at Xavier had prepared me well, so I was happy when I learned that I would only have to take it once.”

Brothers Ethan '21 and Nick '12 both earned a perfect score of 36 on the ACT

What did Nick think upon hearing his younger brother’s news? “I was excited for him, and proud, but honestly not surprised. Since we were drooling babies, my parents relentlessly taught us to value curiosity, critical thinking and perpetual learning. But I was especially unsurprised because it's Ethan; he's maybe the most voracious learner of all.”

“We are most proud and thankful that they have all embraced our philosophy of having a heightened sense of curiosity, that every moment is Those values have served all four of the Hahlbeck children well, both at Xavier and beyond. Nick graduated from the University of Miami with a double major a teachable/learnable moment, in Biology and Marine Science. He studied in the Galapagos Islands, earned a that we should never stop prestigious Hollings Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and is completing his PhD in Fisheries Science from Oregon learning, and that it is equally State University with plans to pursue ecological research. Sydney ‘15 graduated important to be a good person.” from UW-Platteville with a double major in Criminal Justice and Psychology, will -Kathy Hahlbeck graduate from Ball State University next May with two masters degrees (Clinical Psychology and Quantitative Psychology), and plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology before a career in psychological assessments. Alex ’19 attends the University of Minnesota and is studying Biochemistry and Pharmacology. Ethan plans to pursue a career in Biochemistry after his graduation from Xavier. As parents of this impressive quartet of achievers, Kurt and Kathy Hahlbeck focus more on the process than the result. According to Kathy, “We are most proud and thankful that they have all embraced our philosophy of having a heightened sense of curiosity, that every moment is a teachable/ learnable moment, that we should never stop learning, and that it is equally important to be a good person.” The Xavier community celebrates the Hahlbeck family as learners, leaders, and people of exceptional character. Perhaps lightning strikes aren’t as random as they seem. The Halhbeck family (left to right) Ethan '21, Kurt, Sydney '15, Kathy, Nick '12, and Alex '19

xaviercatholicschools.org

School Highlights: Back-to-Back State Champs!

Girls Hockey: Congrats to the Fox Cities Stars girls who are repeat WIAA Division 2 State Champions! Xavier seniors Alaina Schauf ‘20 and Maddy Meyer ’20 played on the co-op team which consists of 16 area high schools. The Stars beat top-seeded Middleton co-op 5-3. The team also received the girls' hockey 2020 WIAA winter State Tournament Sportsmanship Award.

Wrestling: The Hawks had the largest team ever. Jacob Earle ’21 and Mac Strand ‘21 competed at sectionals.Mac qualified for the state meet, placing 4th, improving his 5th place finish as a sophomore. Strand’s sister, Anna ’22 (above left), competed at the unofficial girls’ state meet, and was champion in her weight bracket.

Powerlifting: Xavier had 15 athletes qualify for state: nine boys and six girls. Three lifters took 3rd place: Alan Jimenez ‘21, Anna Strand ’22 , and Mac Strand ‘21. Vanessa Laundrie ‘20 (right) was the state champion!

The Mock Trial team took first place at regionals in February. They would have competed at State in March.

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

Bowling: The varsity boys' bowling team qualified for state and placed 17th, the best performance at state in Xavier history. Players included Ian Mettelman ’20, Ben Drees ’20, John Bertello ’20, Garrett Lorge ’20, Jimmy McGovern ’20, and Logan Nevins ’21. Garrett had 16 strikes (53%) and Ben had three opens (90% fill). Ben and Ian also qualified for state as individual bowlers. The top five finishers in conference play are invited to participate on an All Star Team. Ian was third in the conference, but due to the pandemic, the All Star Tournament was canceled.

FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) is a nationally recognized organization - students compete at regional, state, and national levels. Students can participate in over 80 different events ranging from tests on financial investments to presentations about product inventions, mobile app development, and social media campaigns. The top three performers in each group move forward to state - from there, nationals. Over 30 Xavier students worked and studied to prepare for regionals, many qualified for state. Congratulations to those that qualified for the state competition which was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. State Bound: Andrew VanDerKolk ‘21 - Advertising, David Wolske ‘22 - Information Technology, Jack Biesterveld ‘22 Information Technology, Rachel Cops ‘21 - Organizational Leadership, Ashley Michels ‘21 - Sales, Jacob Cops ‘21, Will Wanty ‘21, Gabe Gonzalez ‘21 - Sports & Entertainment Marketing, Josef Koupy ‘21 - Spreadsheets! Alternates: JiaJia Chen ‘22 - Social Media Campaign, Ruijia Sun ‘22 - Social Media Campaign, Brendon Rochon ‘22 - E-Business, Emilee Peters ‘22 - E-Business, Michelle Lopez ‘22 - E-Business

VEX Robotics: Members of Team 536E; Jimmy McGovern ‘20, John Bertello ’20, and Ben Drees ‘20 won the State Championship! They are the first team in Wisconsin to win back to back to back state championships, qualifying them for the World Championships. Teams 536B and 536D also qualified for Worlds making it the first time that Xavier High School has had three robots qualify for this competition. XMS Team 2626T and XES Team 2626Y were World Championship qualifiers as well. The competition, scheduled in April, was later canceled. xaviercatholicschools.org

Congratulations Class of 2020! The final weeks of senior year are bittersweet; it is the ending of an era and marks the beginning of a new chapter. During this time, there are many countdowns and “final” moments: days until prom, the final sporting event or musical performance, Baccalaureate Mass, the last day of high school, the last walk down the halls, and the biggest moment, graduation. The class of 2020 did not get to have these experiences, at least not in the traditional way. Their graduation ceremony was originally planned for May 27th. As the date approached, it became apparent that the celebration would have to be postponed in order to follow social distancing guidelines. In the words of Mr. Mauthe through an email written to the senior class at the start of the pandemic “…there will be a graduation for the Class of 2020. You deserve it… Just know this - I plan on calling your name as a graduate of Xavier High School. We are all in this together and I look forward to honoring you at Graduation.” The seniors were asked how they wanted to be honored, from a virtual graduation, drive-thru ceremony; every possible ceremony option was discussed. Their vote- to wait until they can celebrate together. Of all the things they missed out on, an in-person graduation would not be one of them. The Xavier community was not going to allow a pandemic to ruin or postpone the celebrations and accomplishments these 137 individuals have worked so hard to achieve. In mid-May, faculty and staff split up and went to the house of each graduating senior to personally deliver his/her cap and gown, along with honor cords and any awards they earned. Also included were videos and notes written to the seniors by faculty, staff, alumni, and underclassmen. Over 1500 letters were received leading up to the deliveries! We are happy to announce that as of this publication going to print, the seniors will get their wish of attending graduation together. On August 5th, at the Fox Cities Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers baseball team, Xavier will celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2020. We congratulate you all and welcome you as alumni of Xavier Catholic Schools!

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

24.9 average ACT score

13,516

service hours performed (average

impacted by COVID-19)

23 graduates earned a 4.0 or higher GPA

graduates have a sibling that are also an XCS alum

Transitioning to...

Charlotte Introcaso Valedictorian

Yasmin Mirhashemi Salutatorian

Augustana College Benedictine College Bowdoin College Brandeis University Brown University Butler University Canisius College College of Charleston College of Western Idaho Creighton University DePaul University Doshisha University - Imadegawa Fox Valley Technical College Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Iowa State University IPR College of Creative Arts Lawrence University Luther College Marquette University Michigan Technological University New York University Northern Michigan University Occidental College Palm Beach Atlantic University Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University

Queens University of Charlotte Saint Louis University St. Norbert College Syracuse University Tennessee State University The University of Akron Main Campus The University of Alabama University of California, San Diego University of California-Davis University of Connecticut University of Iowa University of Minnesota-Duluth University of Minnesota-Twin Cities University of Rhode Island University of St. Thomas University of Utah University of Washington, Seattle University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire University of Wisconsin-La Crosse University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh University of Wisconsin-Platteville University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point University of Wisconsin-Stout University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Partial list of colleges attending in the fall. Some are still determining school of choice.

xaviercatholicschools.org

Our 2020 Xavier Xavier legacy graduates represent children and grandchildren of Xavier alumni. This year, 26 of our graduating seniors had a parent and/or a grandparent who attended Xavier. Seven legacy graduates had both parents attend Xavier, and three are third generation legacy graduates. Due to social distancing, we were unable to take a photo of this group together. Instead, we had our senior graduates and their alumni relatives take a photo at home and submit to the magazine.

Christopher VandenHeuvel '20, with sister Madeleine '16. Parents Chris '89 and Carrie (Nowak) Baum '89 not shown.

Taylor VanDeHey ’20, grandmother Ann (Knight) Vander Wyst ‘74.

Will Hodgkiss ’20 with father Bill ‘84.

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Sarah Ryno ’20 with mother Julie (Schwaller) Ryno ‘76.

Emma Strick ’20 and Madeline Strick ’20 with parents Greg ’93 and Elizabeth (Welch) Strick ‘93.

Anna Ebben ’20 with mother Nicole (Vande Hey) Ebben ‘94.

Andrew Schermerhorn ’20 with mom, Jayne, and dad, Jim ’91.

• Summer 2020

Claire Kaufman ’20 with father Paul ‘90.

Emma Oelhafen'20 with parents Eric Oelhafen '88 and Amy (Pfefferle) Oelhafen '91.

Legacy Graduates

Isaiah Schmitz ‘20 with his family, from left to right: brothers Staff Sergeant Jacob Schmitz, USAF (XMS ’07), Isaiah ’20, Noah ’16, Andrew ’14, and mother Heidi (Schafhauser) Schmitz ’83.

Lauren Stoeger ’20 with her family of Xavier graduates. From left to right: brothers Jonathon ’18, Ryan ’15, Michael ’12, father John ’80, aunt Jean ’74, and uncle Mark ’70.

Garrett Lorge ’20 with parents Lynn (Fischer) Lorge ’88 and Gary Lorge ‘88.

Elizabeth Coolidge ’20 with grandfather Michael Siddall ’66, mother Robin (Siddall) Coolidge ’90, and grandmother Lynn (Erickson) Kiser ‘67.

Molly ’20 and Morgan ’20 Voissem with father Ted ’85 and brother Matt ‘13.

Zachary Weisgerber ’20 with grandmother Helen (Sachs) Coughlin ‘67.

Sean O'Shea '20 and mother Kelly (Rushkofske) O'Shea '87.

Ben Drees '20 with mother Amy (Lee) Drees '86 and Adam '17.

Legacy graduates and their relatives without a photo: • Elisabeth Bradshaw ’20, mother Shelby (Ewald) Bradshaw ‘88 • Seth Clark ’20, mother Jill (Zanzig) Clark ‘82 • Elizabeth Meyer ’20, parents Paul Meyer ’85 and Kate (Myers) Meyer ‘85

• Jenessa Miller ’20, father Mark Miller ‘66 • Kailey Moser ’20, father Keith Moser ‘98 • Carolyn Popelka ’20 and Kate Popelka ‘20, father Paul Popelka ‘77

xaviercatholicschools.org

What’s happening

MIDDLE SCHOOL

2626 N. Oneida Street Appleton, WI 54911 (920) 730-8849

Flex Farm Arrives at XMS

Gil Shaw (Fork Farm staff), Anna Zampaloni '22, Mrs. Chris Goulet, Mrs. Jennifer Boyd, and Mrs. Cindy Foss assemble the Flex Farm which took several hours.

Staff assemble the snaps for the Flex Farm walls . Each snap holds one seedling of lettuce and each Flex Farm contains 288 snaps.

Students in Cindy Foss’ 5th grade class have something very exciting growing in their classroom! Thanks to a generous donation by a Xavier family, they are the proud recipients of an indoor hydroponic growing system known as a Flex Farm. It uses only water and nutrients, holds 288 plants, and can provide over 300 pounds of produce in one year. The parent company, Fork Farms LLC, an agricultural technology company based in Appleton, has received several awards for their hydroponic products. They were recently the cover story of the local Insight Magazine. At the end of February, Fork Farms delivered the farm which took a few hours for assembly and training. Mrs. Foss’ students were fascinated by the unit when it was wheeled into her classroom. A few days later, students began planting lettuce seeds in the rockwool medium which was then placed under a grow light to encourage germination. On March 13, the rockwool plugs containing lettuce seedlings were planted into the Flex Farm. Mrs. Foss’ class is the first at XMS to grow fresh leafy greens using the Flex Farm, but eventually all students at the middle school will have an opportunity to learn about hydroponic farming. Teachers will use the STEM curriculum provided by Fork Farms and students could use the scientific method to design their own experiments based on concepts that they might be curious about. The XMS Flex Farm, which students affectionately named Brooke because of the soothing, babbling brook sound it makes, was able to continue growing while we were all working and learning from home, thanks to the care of Joe Linsmeier, XMS Facilities Director. Mr. Linsmeier checked the water pH and level, and added nutrients as needed. He also sent photos to Mrs. Foss so that she could send them to her students. After 28 days of growing, the 20 pounds of organic lettuce was ready to harvest and donated to the St. Joseph Food Pantry to help support the needs of families within our community. “A good farmer always grows as many crops as he can in a season”, said Mr. Linsmeier. So a second batch of lettuce was started and will also be donated to the food pantry when it is ready to harvest. There are several noteworthy Xavier connections to Fork Farms: Xavier parent and Bassett Mechanical CEO, Kim Bassett, helped the founder, Alex Tyink, build and field test the first stainless steel Fork Farm prototype; Xavier parent, Maria Totzke, is the accountant for Fork Farms; Xavier parent, Marybeth Matzek, is the managing editor of Insight magazine; Xavier student, Anna Zampaloni ‘22, will be working with the XMS Flex Farm to help create and teach lessons to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award.

Flex Farm growth as of March 31st (thanks to Mr. Linsmeier's care).

Jackson Verbrick â€˜27 planting a rockwool into the Flex Farm snap

Example of lettuce ready to harvest from a visit last fall at Menasha schools farms

Flex Farm growth as of March 31st, the seedlings were planted on March 13th

Seedlings in the rockwool, almost ready for planting

Example of different varieties of lettuce grown at Menasha schools farms. Flex Farms grow leafy greens and herbs and the list of capabilities continues to expand.

Photo taken before seedlings were planted

The class created a promotional video for this year's Celebrate fundraiser.

Gracie Gonzalez '24 is using a green screen to do the weather for a class newscast.

Media is the main means of mass communication: it includes all of the ways people choose to communicate other than talking to each other. Most of us regularly search out credible media for updates and critical information. Communication, in general, has taken on even greater importance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers quickly learned to communicate with students differently and to use various means to communicate. Classes still go on, albeit differently. One such class is the Introduction to Media and Film-Making class, a literacy elective offered to eighth graders.

bullying prevention or drug and alcohol abuse prevention, newscasts, adventure films and music videos. In addition, the class has created promotional videos used by the System for its annual Celebrate and Xavier Day fundraisers. In addition to the above, significant learning objectives include following a rubric and learning to work effectively in groups, both skills that are vital in our world today. Students also learn quickly that quality planning is a huge part of creating a good project, as is using time wisely. Every project created has to have a written script, which further integrates the writing component.

The class is a very popular, project-based class that has students explore various forms of communication. Students learn that the purpose of all media projects is to grab the audience's attention, hold its attention, and be remembered. With that in mind, each specific media class project has a different purpose: a commercial’s purpose is to get the audience to purchase the product and public service announcements (PSAs) are intended to raise awareness. Class projects include commercials for student-created products, biographical VLOGs, PSAs about

Students also engage in independent writing. They write a news article, a speech, and personal narratives. The students write about whether something is or is not a good form of media. They are asked to give their opinions quite often, but they also use facts to support their thinking. Additionally, they read articles online about fake news, media literacy and questions we all should ask ourselves whenever any of us see something in the media. Lastly, Mrs. Benthein hopes all students really think about their media consumption, also important in today’s world.

Ben Olvey '24 is using a green screen to show how his group’s product, Transit Trinkets, allows purchasers to travel anywhere, super fast.

Lucas Verbrick '24, Maggie Donovan '24, Mandy Phee 24, and Luke Krull '24 create a commercial for their class project of creating a product and making a commercial for their product, Zoom Shoes.

Media Consumers

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

SBA: Because “REAL” Basketball is Played before Noon Many middle school families know Mr. Joe Linsmeier as the Facilities Director or the former Associate Principal. Fewer have the privilege of knowing him as the head of SBA. What is SBA? Saturday morning Basketball Association because, according to Mr. Linsmeier, “’REAL’ basketball is played before noon!” The philosophy of SBA is that for some middle school students, sports are becoming too competitive. Mr. Linsmeier offers the SBA for students who do not want the highly competitive atmosphere or are not able to commit the required time to the traditional sport programs, but still want to experience the fun and excitement of playing in an organized game with their friends and classmates. Players show up when they want and teams are formed when players arrive, so there is no pressure to be there every week and there are no practices. Athletes having fun is the number one goal and that is stressed repeatedly. There aren’t coaches and players call the fouls. All participants in the SBA, regardless of ability, play the entire game.

SBA started when the middle school opened. Originally there were both boy's and girl's programs, but SBA has changed with the times. Now girls and boys play side by side and Mr. Linsmeier has instituted what he believes is the great equalizer: “The Gentleman’s Rule”. “The Gentlemen’s Rule” states that a gentleman never blocks a lady’s shot or steals her dribble. If a gentleman does this, he earns a foul and usually some good-natured ribbing. Mr. Linsmeier takes pride in the fact that the first game is very different from the last game of the season. Confidence levels are up and more fun is being had. Parents enjoy watching the games and cheering for ALL of the players. The season ends with a parent-child game each year, which undoubtedly supplies additional memories for players and parents—and definitely some laughs too. Mr. Linsmeier enjoys each of the weeks. He gets to interact with the players and parents on a different level and he is thanked by at least one parent and one player every week, making it even more worthwhile. He gives up his Saturday mornings, but he gets a lot out of them too. Look for the SBA sign-up in the XMS newsletter next fall.

SBA League Rules

• Technical foul = automatic two points (or more!) and the ball

• Intentional foul = automatic two points (or more) and the ball • Gentleman’s Rule applies ALWAYS (a gentleman NEVER blocks a lady’s shot or steals her dribble)

• There is absolutely no arguing with the referee!

xaviercatholicschools.org

CREATE Foundation's Teacher of the Year! Congratulations to Mr. Brian McKinnon who was recognized in April as the CREATE (Competitive Robotics Enhancing and Advancing Technology Education) Foundation Teacher of the Year! Mr. McKinnon teaches 6th grade math, is co-coordinator of the middle school VEX Robotics Club, and coach of the 2626C “The Pirates”, an all-girl robotics team which he has coached to the CREATE U.S. Open for three years in a row. The CREATE Foundation assists educational organizations in advancing the education of youth through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). CREATE hosts seminars for teachers and team mentors, robotics camps, scrimmages, and robotics competitions including their own CREATE U.S. Open Robotics Championship.

Congratulations to our 8th graders! Graduation for the 8th grade class was celebrated in a different format this year, “drive-thru”style. On June 2nd, the 122 graduates and their families were offered a four hour window in which they could come to the middle school parking lot to pick up their diploma and other awards that normally would have been recognized at a traditional ceremony. As students arrived, Mrs. Sara Meyer announced their name over a speaker system, their driver then proceeded down the front lot with teachers and staff cheering for the student as they passed. Deacon Ray DuBois (System President), Mrs. Sara Meyer (XMS Associate Principal), Mr. Robert Bires (XMS Principal), and the eighth grade teachers were at the end of the drive to greet each student.

Grandparents and other family members parked across the street and sat in chairs, holding balloons, waiting for their grad to drive by. 40

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The middle school staff powered through the record high temperature (95 degrees) to honor the students.

• Summer 2020

What’s happening ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Marquette Campus 500 W. Marquette Street Appleton, WI 54911 (920) 733-4918

What’s on Your Wall? Back in the day when one walked into our elementary or our local grammar school classroom on the first day of school, they were greeted by an old chalkboard or maybe a white board complete with scented markers. Perhaps for some younger Hawks, it was a then state of the art Smart Board. That certainly wasn’t the case this past fall when our third and fourth graders entered their new classroom. Not only were they greeted by a new teacher but by a surprise package on the wall in the form of brand new Promethean Boards. While the name may sound intimidating or mysterious, a Promethean Board is a specific brand of interactive whiteboard that allows you to project an image from a laptop or computer. In addition, anything that can be done on a computer monitor can be replicated and viewable by an entire classroom. You can also interact with the board through touch or specialized pen. These boards have proven to increase student engagement, stimulate learning and boost achievement. Many classroom applications for using the boards include:

• Multimedia lessons and presentations including both audio and video • Collaborative problem solving

• Showcasing student projects and presentations • Virtual trips

• Recorded lessons that can be used for students not present and substitute teachers • Documentation of student achievement

Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, all elementary classrooms kindergarten through fourth grade will be upgraded beginning in August 2020. The system goal is to also upgrade all 5th grade classrooms and science and math classrooms at the middle school by 2021.

“The versatility that the Promethean Board has brought to teaching and learning in my classroom is the greatest asset. I love that I can project textbooks to mark up, project student work to share with the class, model activities, access textbook websites for all to see, lessons can be recorded for future teaching or absent students, the possibilities are endless. I would be lost in the classroom without it!” -Mrs. Katy Masak (below)

What’s happening ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Xavier Elementary Schools have joined with a network of educators from multiple Wisconsin School Districts in working together toward the common goal of achieving student success. Through Partnership in Comprehensive Literacy, a program designed to encourage cooperation between schools, educational foundations and universities for the purpose of aligning instruction, interventions and assessments, Xavier seeks to promote teamwork among all teachers and students to foster deeper understanding and greater student success. This partnership enables leaders to guide school improvement and develop a unified mission as we look to meet the literary needs of all students. Comprehensive Literacy strives to inspire a passion for reading and writing. It allows for individual, small group, and whole group instruction with less teacher talk and more student engagement. Students' voices are embraced in book selection, conferencing, editing and literature discussion groups featuring peers of all reading levels. The workshop approach allows students to excel one on one with teachers at their own pace, but additionally allows the opportunity to work together while collectively contributing to teaching and learning. This year, the program was called the “highlight of the day” by Xavier’s third grade students and teachers. Concepts, strategies and skills overlap throughout the curriculum as students recognize and master learning targets. As opposed to teaching concepts isolated in silos, the students grow in knowledge and confidence as concepts are repeated through various subjects. The love of literacy shines through not only in the students’ reading and writing but also through science, social studies, technology and religion. The complex texts and rich literature provide endless opportunities to read and write about life, communities, interests and our faith.

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

As educators it is our responsibility to recognize that, “Our collective futures are in our hands. The children and young adults whom we serve today will be serving the world tomorrow” (York-Barr, et al., 2016, p 311). Comprehensive Literacy certainly serves our students well and reflects a bright future as it inspires a lifelong love for literacy!

McDonald Campus 1810 N. McDonald Street Appleton, WI 54911 (920) 739-7826

On Your Mark, Get Set, READ! This winter, our elementary campuses found ways to celebrate their love for reading. In January, Marquette Street hosted â€œPajamas and Popcorn Story Timeâ€? and in March, students at the McDonald Street campus celebrated Read Across America Day, also known as Dr. Seuss Day. Both events featured teachers and staff dressing up as their favorite book characters, while students wore pajamas. They played bingo, listened to teachers read, participated in a book walk, and even had the opportunity to read to a dog and our very own Xavier Hawk. These events are designed to encourage students to read more books and get them excited about the fabulous world of reading. Judging from the response of students, staff, and parents each was a huge success.

What a Difference Ten Years can Make! Not all schools even have an orchestra program in their high school anymore, but Xavier Catholic Schools is blessed to have orchestra starting in fourth grade! The blossoming of Xavierâ€™s strings program over the last ten years has been incredible. Ten years ago the System orchestra teacher contracts combined to 100% (one teacher worked 60% time and the other worked 40%). The program has now grown to necessitate two full-time orchestra teachers. Currently, Mrs. Melissa Gurholt teaches 4th, 5th, and 6th grades, all of which have seen average class size growth of over 200%! Melissa started in 2012 at 40% time and is now a full-time teacher who spends her day at three campuses. Mrs. Laura Kenney started in 2010 at 60% time and now teaches 7th-12th grades full-time, as those grades have averaged 250% growth! Strings students meet two to five times per week (depending on the grade) and also have a weekly lesson. Beginning in 7th grade, students can also participate in chamber ensemble if they desire. Students at all levels showcase their talents at several concerts each school year. Many students also have the opportunity to participate in solo & ensemble competitions and senior recitals, learn from and play with guest artists, and participate in other orchestra opportunities.

Marquette Street hosted their annual VIP Day on January 29th. VIPs visited the campus, joining their student(s) for Mass, breakfast treats, classroom activities, and tours of the school. The students and their guests returned to church to end this special morning with the sharing of songs.

Father Bill Swichtenberg: "Hounded" by the Lord! Growing up in Menasha, the son of a selfemployed home builder, young Bill never really took to swinging a hammer! A member of the Class of 1973 at St. Mary Central High School, he graduated from UW-Madison in 1977 with a degree in biochemistry. Not a conventional path to the priesthood, right? “As a sophomore in college I was ‘hounded’ by the Lord and couldn’t get away from his call to ministry as a priest. It was a dramatic moment, which I remember like yesterday, when after receiving Communion at Pentecost Sunday Mass at the St. Paul Newman Center, kneeling down and crying, I surrendered my life to the Lord. From that moment, it was pretty much clear sailing.” He studied at the School of Theology at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN. During that time, he had the privilege of studying for a semester in Jerusalem. “It was a grace to be so close to the land and water that were so important in the life of Jesus,” he said. As a priest, Father Bill loves being with God’s people. He considers it a privilege to accompany engaged couples, new parents, children, and young people, and people who are grieving the loss of loved ones. “It is in these real human moments of joy and sorrow that Jesus is so close to us. It is a privilege to be inspired by the faith and deep-down goodness of so many people.” Father Bill views the Church as a field hospital, truly a place of hope and healing for people who are marginalized. “More important than rules,” he says, “is sharing the love of Jesus, from which no one is excluded.” Prior to the pandemic, Father Bill was a regular visitor to our campuses, presenting a lesson, sharing a prayer, singing a song, or preaching at our Masses. “I am most impressed by Xavier Catholic Schools,” he said. “Our children and young people, our parents, our teachers, administrators, and staff are truly trying their best to be open to Jesus’ call to holiness.”

“Be grateful. Believe in your goodness. Live your lives for others. Trust in the Lord. Never take your family or friends for granted. Treasure those moments of being with others in person. Set aside your cell phone maybe just a little bit more often. Jesus loves you and is always with you!” Father Bill’s advice to our 2020 graduates? - Fr. Bill “Be grateful. Believe in your goodness. Live your lives for others. Trust in the Lord. Never take your family or friends for granted. Treasure those moments of being with others in person. Set aside your cell phone maybe just a little bit more often. Jesus loves you and is always with you!” That’s good advice for us all!

Xavier Catholic Schools Foundation Welcomes Three New Scholarships

Alumni Siblings Honor Late Mother In memory of Joan M. Streck an endowed scholarship has been established to support tuition assistance for students attending Xavier Catholic Schools. Catholic education and Xavier were very special to Joan and her late husband Don. All four of their children were Xavier graduates: Debra (Streck) Wilz ‘69, Steve ‘72, David ‘76, and Stacy ‘83. Xavier is truly blessed by the generosity and support of the family for creating the Joan M. Streck Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will help provide the gift of a faith-filled education to many deserving students in the years ahead. Joan’s zest for life and her passion for golf also serve as true examples to the Xavier Community. Her years as a teacher of dance and an active volunteer for the Salvation Army made a difference in the lives of others as will this scholarship. Please remember the Streck family in your prayers.

Remembering Xavier's #1 Fan Many alumni and benefactors would describe themselves as “lifelong Xavier fans,” but few can rival the level to which Arnie VandenBoomen H'16 embodied such a description. From his days as a Xavier dad to his decades of support for Xavier student-athletes, Arnie never hid his allegiance. Arnie passed away on December 11, and the Xavier community mourns his loss while celebrating his extraordinary life. Arnie and his wife, Joanne, were married for almost 60 years. Their three sons Michael '68, Rick '72 and Dave '75, all graduated from Xavier. In those years, Arnie was running his own business (Appleton Vault Works) while also supporting Xavier in any number of ways, from his founding of the Booster Club to finding bleachers to use for football games each week to helping with concessions. Arnie even drove a school bus for a while so that students from Little Chute and the north side of Appleton could get to Xavier. If there was work to be done, Arnie was always there to help. Over the past 50 years, Arnie was in the stands for countless sporting events. His spot in the top corner of the bleachers in the Torchy Clark gym is reserved with a plaque and has been adorned with flowers and a candle since his death (photo top right). Arnie was generous in his support of the teams; it was common for him to show up after a game with ice cream or burgers or Mr. Reynebeau’s cookies for the student-athletes as a treat, regardless of the outcome. He became Xavier’s “#1 Fan” and he will be sorely missed by students, alumni and staff. Arnie with his sons at the 2016 Xavier High School Graduation

Arnie VandenBoomen was named an honorary alumnus of Xavier in Ceremony where Arnie was named Honorary Alumni 2016. From 2016 and a scholarship fund has been established in his name. left to right: Rick' 72, Arnie H'16, Dave '75, and Mike '68. 46

X, The Xavier Magazine

• Summer 2020

Biese Family Establishes Scholarship The John J. Biese Jr. family (Anne ’86, Katie ’02, John ’03), in memory of their spouse and mother Agnes M. Biese H’11, have made an initial contribution of $20,000 to the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School Foundation, Inc. in order to establish an endowed fund to support tuition assistance at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Schools. This fund shall be named the Agnes M. Biese Memorial Scholarship Fund. The primary purpose is to provide tuition assistance for students attending St. Francis Xavier High School (10-12th grade) who qualify for tuition assistance and have a record of extra-curricular participation, academic excellence, and have participated in Christmas Stars for two years. A selection process will be determined and an award winner will be determined through an internal selection process. Xavier Catholic Schools is very grateful for this generous gift and asks that our Xavier community remember Agnes, who passed away on September 23, 2019, in their thoughts and prayers. To honor and support these scholarships, or any scholarship within the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School System Foundation, please contact Bob Biebel at bbiebel@xaviercatholicschools.org

Thank you to our supporting parishes! We are blessed to receive 19% of our financial support from our eight Appleton parishes and 15 regional partner parishes. Appleton Parishes and Pastors: St. Joseph Parish, Fr. James Leary St. Mary Parish, Fr. William Swichtenberg St. Pius X Parish, Fr. James Jugenheimer St. Thomas More Parish, Deacon Lincoln Wood St. Bernard Parish, Fr. Jude Egbuna St. Therese Parish, Fr. Ryan Starks St. Bernadette & Sacred Heart Parishes, Fr. Joseph Dorner Xavier High School Chaplain, Fr. Adam Bradley Regional Partner Parishes: Holy Cross Parish, Kaukauna, Fr. Don Everts & Fr. Kyle Sladek Holy Spirit Parish, Kimberly/Darboy, Fr. Carl Schmitt Most Precious Blood Parish, New London, Fr. John Kleinschmidt

SS. Peter & Paul Parish, Hortonville, Fr. James Jugenheimer St. Clare Parish, Wrightstown/ Greenleaf/ Askeaton, Fr. Brian Wideman St. Denis Parish, Shiocton, Fr. Michael Thiel St. Edward Parish, Mackville, Fr. Walter Stumpf St. John Nepomucene Parish, Little Chute, Fr. Ron Belitz St. Katharine Drexel Parish, Kaukauna/ Hollandtown, Fr. Don Everts & Fr. Kyle Sladek St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, Greenville, Fr. Michael Warden St. Mary of the Seven Dolors Parish, Stockbridge, Fr. Michael Betley St. Mary Parish, Black Creek, Fr. Don Zuleger St. Nicholas Parish, Freedom, Fr. Walter Stumpf St. Patrick Parish, Stephensville, Fr. Michael Thiel St. Paul Parish, Combined Locks, Fr. Andrew Kysely

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