St. X-Press
Volume I,   Issue 9      April   2004

The Archives

Inside this issue:

St. X Presents Students in Who’s Who
St. Xavier Auction a Huge Success
Eisenhower League Band Clinic
Computer Classes
Theology Updates
Junior High Scholars’ Bowl
Kindergarten: Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
First Grade
Preschool News
Forensics Team
A Reflection on the Seniors’ Theme for Catholic Schools Week
Thanks
Early?, Late?
Athletic Director’s Corner
What’s happening in the library!
Grade School Awards Ceremony
Box Tops for Education
AfterCare
Most Improved Student of the Month
St. Xavier Honor Roll for the 3rd Quarter
In Memoriam
Prayer to the Risen Lord

Check out our SCHOOL HOME PAGE: http://stxavier.net ,
Parish Home Page: http://www.saintxaviers.com
or The School Calendar: http://www.calsnet.net/stxavier

And Increase Your Abilliy To Help Your Child Learn by reading the material offered via
Love and Logic Parenting:
    www.loveandlogic.com

St. X Presents Students in Who’s Who

    Who’s Who Among American High School Students is an annual publication that honors outstanding students for their achievements in academics, athletics, school and community service. St. Xavier has been honored to have three of its students; Garrett Boller, Stefanie Kane, and Clifford Crites; included in this year’s publication.

Garrett Boller...attended St. X since Kindergarten. He participated in football, basketball, forensics, Scholars’ Bowl and golf 4 years and track, 3 years. Garrett was a member of the National Honor Society 3 years and Student Council 4 years; he was secretary in his junior year. During his freshman and senior years he was class president. Garrett was chosen “Athlete of the Weeks” 4 times, twice in basketball and twice in football. He was chosen Student Achiever once. Garrett plans to attend KSU and major in philosophy and specialize in pre-law. From there, he plans to go to law school at Washburn or Kansas University.

Stefanie Kane...attended St. X since Preschool. She participated in volleyball and forensics one year. She has been a member of the National Honor Society for 3 years. In her sophomore year she was class president and was Student Council treasurer in her junior year and is a representative this year. Stefanie received the University of Kansas Crowell Book Award because she ranks in the top ten percent of her senior class.

Clifford Crites...attended St. X since Preschool. He participated in soccer, basketball, and track 4 years; forensics, 3 years, and golf, 2 years. In 2003 he made Second Team of the I-70 League. Cliff plans to attend college and will major in Liberal Arts.

St. Xavier Auction a Huge Success

    We would like to thank everyone for their incredible support of the 18th Annual School Auction that was held on Saturday, March 13, 2004. Everyone involved made a huge difference for St. Xavier Schools by helping raise more than $61,500. We were overwhelmed once again by the generosity of our parishioners, alumni, community, businesses and all of the people involved. For this, we are truly thankful.
     Barbara Houser, in charge of decorations, developed a completely different design than the national Catholic Schools’ Theme. To save money she cut out all the churches and children by hand rather than buy an expensive stencil.

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Eisenhower League Band Clinic

by John Weber
     The Eisenhower League Band Clinic was held in our gym on March 9th. About 200 students, grades 7 through 12, from small schools in this area participated. The clinician was Dr. Frank Tracz, director of bands at Kansas State University, who not only did a splendid job working with the players, but also told some great stories about his own Catholic school experiences.
     The sound of 200 students playing together was awesome, and so were the efforts by Mrs. Jensen and Mrs. Halsey in putting together the program, and the efforts of our Parent/Teacher Organization in providing refreshments and serving 400 slices of pizza.
     Our next planned music program is May 12, where Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grades will sing a series of songs, the 3rd through 6th Grades will perform a musical titled “I Need a Vacation,” and our bands will perform.
Dr. Frank Tracz directed

Computer Classes

    We have done a lot of exciting things in computers the last couple of months.
Kindergarten-2nd Grade have been working on computer programs in the computer lab room. They rotate to a new computer program after 3-4 weeks. They are having a fun time doing that.
3rd and 4th Graders have been learning how to do Power Point and have constructed their own autobiographies, Venn diagrams, built their snowmen and other constructive projects.
5th and 6th Graders have been working on Word Processing formatting, their autobiographies and researching various states. We have been working on “positive thought” posters, which are located throughout the school building. We will be participating in other cross the curriculum projects during the next two months of school.
7th and 8th Graders have learned a lot the last two months. They know how to input information in an Excel spreadsheet, construct graphs, work in the Access database management program, work on Power Point projects, and do research on the internet besides work on MS Word. Until the end of the school we will work on MS Publisher and learn how to put together a travel brochure, newsletter and other fun projects.
In Computer Applications, we have learned how to construct a Resume and cover letter, a poster, MLS style reports, and Excel spreadsheets. We will cover Access and Power Point before the end of the school year.
The Introduction to Business class has been taking a break from the regular textbook to work on our “NEFE” (National Endowment for Financial Education) workbooks on budgeting, taxes, insurance, careers, etc. The State of Kansas is pushing for more educational classes like this because many high school graduates do not know how to balance a checkbook or unwisely spend their money with no thought of saving for “old age.”
Needless to say, this has been a busy time. A round of applause for parents/students who purchase computer software from Scholastic. I have been able to procure several new software titles such as Clifford’s Phonics, Let’s Go Read, Math Mission, and Thinkin Science. The children have really enjoyed those programs.
Anne Jardine

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Theology Updates

Debra Breidenstein
    11th Grade Theology:   Israel has fallen into idolatry and forsaken the One True God. He has allowed them to be conquered by the Assyrians and the Babylonians. We continue studying the history of Israel and will learn more about the period of the Babylonian captivity and the Persian invasion that followed.
12th Grade Theology:   We have just completed an examination of the basic philosophy and doctrines of Hinduism. We’ll be looking at Buddhism and Islam next, comparing them to Christianity.

Junior High Scholars’ Bowl

     On March 8 the JH Scholars’ Bowl went to the Tri-County League Tournament. The schools participating were Luckey, Centre, Wakefield, Prarie Heights, and St. X. Our varsity team placed third with Centr placing first, and Luckey placing second. Eric Holley, Allison Coy, Leslie Matthews, Autum Conley and Justin Becker were the participants from St. Xavier. The St. X Junior Varsity Team also placed third with Luckey placing first and Centre placing second. Ethan Silovsky, Tyler Ross, Alex Stinnett, and Ronel Brillante are on the St. X team. Both teams represented St. Xavier well. This is the first time that St. Xavier has placed in the Tri-County Tournament.
Brenda Kelley

Kindergarten: Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

    Kindergartners had a grand time celebrating Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2. Mrs. Becker, Lunchroom Manager, came to the classroom and read the story, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. As a follow-up activity, students got to make “oobleck” which is a mixture of water, cornstarch and green food coloring. Students had a blast conducting “oobleck” experiments. In Library Class, Ms. McConnell had students make Dr. Seuss hats and bowties. Mr. Diepenbrock surprised students by reading Dr. Seuss books during library time.
     In all, Kindergartners experienced a Dr. Seuss day that will be remembered for years to come!
Rosemary Kane

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First Grade

    First Graders have been learning about butterflies. We were able to observe how they develop from caterpillars into butterflies. Our next area of study is seeds and plants. In reading we are concentrating on comprehension and putting our answers on paper using QAR (Question, Answer, Response). During Lent we are saying the Stations of the Cross every Friday and are learning the Ten Commandments. Learning how we receive the food we eat and what wants and needs are is the topic in Social Studies. Adding double digit numbers and working story problems have kept us busy in math. I want to thank all of you who have donated to our garden basket for the auction.
Rhonda Millard

Preschool News

by Lindy Rubash
     First of all we would like to thank our elementary school secretary, Sandy Leistner, for looking after the entire preschool program (and its teachers) so thoroughly and thoughtfully.
     Sincere thanks to parents who generously contributed towards the auction travel bags!
     March highlights two favorites: a return to the outdoors to play after the cold weather and Dr. Seuss’ Birthday. It’s amazing how many children wore that favorite striped paper hat and red tie back to school the next week (a little worn out but very important).
     The preschoolers have been busy showing us what they know through alphabet letter-naming, number counting, identifying drawing houses and family members and drawing pictures and telling their own personal stories and favorite events.
     All of their work and play add up to experience and confidence and lots to share at Parent-Teacher Conferences!

Thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to the Spring Auction! God bless you for your generosity!

Forensics Team

     On March 13 the St. X competed at Junction City High School. The team placed 8th out of 10 teams, which is great since most of the schools competing were larger schools. Placing at the tourney were: Mike Crabtree, 4th Solo Serious; Lee Bassett and Anthony Whitaker, 4th in Duet Acting and Scott Breidenstein and Mike Crabtree, 4th in Impromptu Dual Acting (IDA).
     The team will compete next at Centre on April 3rd and in the League Tournament on April 7th.
     Three groups are already qualified for State Championships in Salina on May 1st. Those groups are: Lizzy White and Katie Beeson—Duet Acting; Lee Bassett and Dan Zoeller—IDA and Mike Crabtree—Solo Serious.

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A Reflection on the Seniors’ Theme for Catholic Schools Week

     The head of the “Suffering Christ” intrigued me when I first saw the poster hanging up at the Mass the first day of Catholic Schools Week. All the other classes had submitted more lively posters with footprints, flowers, photos of children, etc. to illustrate the theme, “A Faith-Filled Future.” However, seeing the seniors’ poster at the auction made me think more deeply of the meaning. Perhaps, their poster is prophetic of the age to come. We know that there were more martyrs in the 20th Century than in the previous centuries. What lies ahead in this century? We know that those who follow in Christ’s footsteps can expect no better than He—persecution and suffering, even death! In our age, if we follow the Church’s teachings on what constitutes a marriage and follow a consistent life ethic in resisting the evils of abortion, contraception, euthanasia, and bioethics, we will encounter rejection and perhaps persecution.
     The seniors’ poster also follows the theme of the recent blockbuster movie of the year: The Passion of the Christ. This film invites us in the 21st Century to imagine what Jesus suffered but also to reflect on His great love for His persecutors. In reading the saints’ lives, many of them were helped to live holy lives by contemplating Christ’s passion. It seems that we are being nudged to do the same.
     What affect will this film have on our youth? Some St. Xavier students have gone twice to see this movie!
Please note that I am not recommending that all our students see the film; this is up to the parents since the content is rated “R.”
Sandy Leistner

Thanks

 for the cards and concern I received while recovering from surgery. ...Since we are nearing the end of the year, please keep your lunch accounts paid up and do not overpay. In next month’s newsletter I will give more details to help you plan how much to pay. Thanks again, Pam Becker (Lunchroom Manager)

Parents and Guardians

Please sign students in at the office if they are late. Also, sign students out at the office when they are leaving early.

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Athletic Director’s Corner

    The high school boys basketball team finished up the season in the semi-finals of regionals with a loss to Hope in overtime. Their final record was 14-7 and 6-2 in the league, winning co-champions of the Eisenhower League.
     Spring sports include high school golf, track, and junior high track. Also, we have a few students participating in a cooperative agreement with Junction City High School in baseball and girls soccer. The competition begins in early April for all of the activities. We are looking forward to an enjoyable and successful spring sports season.
GO RAMS!
Kevin Turowski

What’s happening in the library!

  Hello once again from the Library,
    We had a fast, fun-filled month in the library! We had some fun on Dr. Seuss’ birthday. The Kindergarten through 2nd Grade made Dr. Seuss hats and bowties. The 3rd and 4th Grades made doorknockers and worked on some worksheets about Dr. Seuss. The papers are hanging in the hallway for everyone to see.
     The students are getting closer everyday to reaching the reading goal of 2500 books. As you know, they must reach this goal before Mr. D will don a purple K-State shirt. I have bought the shirt, and Mr. D is getting nervous. I think he would look rather good in purple (don’t you??). As of now they have read 1650 books. I am so proud of them! “Book It” was an incentive for them to read books, but that has ended. We still have to encourage them to keep reading.
    I am also proud of students for returning books on time! I have to send only a couple of reminders home, which is great!
     Currently, there are some great books on Kansas to check out. Hopefully, next year we will also have some books on tape available. The teachers have been a great help in choosing books for the next year. We are slowly but surely getting the library updated and a fun place to come.
     Reminder: If you come across any old beanbag chairs, I would be willing take them off your hands to put in the reading nook. Also, we are looking for VCR’s; some of ours “died’ this year. The teachers use them on a daily basis; right now, we are learning to share. If you could help us with this, we would be very appreciative. Well, until next time!
Come check us out!!
Susan McConnell

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Grade School Awards Ceremony

    There will be an awards ceremony on April 5 at 7:45 a.m. in the Assembly Room of the newer building. Students of the Month, Terrific Kids, and students on the Honor Roll and with perfect attendance will receive awards.
     The following are the March Students of the Month:
Kindergarten: Audrey Fortner, First Grade: Isabel Miller, Second Grade: Alexandra Wood, Third Grade: Madison Miller, and Fourth Grade: Lene’ Keating.
     The following are the March Terrific Kids:
Kindergarten: Paige Dacus and Katheryne Hager, First Grade: Ashley Paredes, Second Grade: Joseph Balderrama, Third Grade: Evan Griffis, and Fourth Grade: Rachell Bohl,
The following students’ names were drawn from the St. Theresa Basket and recognized for their good deeds: Chris Blair, Rachell Bohl, Alycia Cardamone, Victoria Castillo-Conn, Chelsea Clark, Evan Griffis, Rhianna Griffis, Brianna Hall, Lexie LaMonica, Jacob Montoya, Lily Thornberg, and Erika Wahle.
Parents and guardians are welcome to attend!

Thanks to the Second Grade Class for trimming and counting Box Tops for Education. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents.

AfterCare

by Ms McConnell
    We are glad basketball is over, and the weather is getting nicer so we can get out and run! The kids have really enjoyed being able to go up to the gym to run and play (so are the teachers!). Things are going really well, and we have settled into our new room. We are now meeting directly after school and serving snacks in our room rather than eating in the lunchroom. It is working nicely this way.
     Please remember to send your checks to Mrs. Pam Becker so she can credit your account. And as always, if you have any concerns, please let us know!

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Most Improved Student of the Month

:
Congratulations to Joseph Moseley in Kindergarten and Annie Wolford in 8th Grade who were chosen as the Most Improved Students in March. The Junction City Human Relations Commission was to present Joseph and Annie with engraved plaques during the monthly ceremony at the municipal building on March 18. (Ceremony postponed).

St. Xavier Honor Roll for the 3rd Quarter

January 5 - March 12
Grade School Junior and Senior High
PRINCIPAL’S HONORS (All A’s)
Bailey Brenn—1st Grade Allison Coy—7th Grade
Emily Carney—1st Grade Melvin Nededog—9th Grade
Sean Kimball—1st Grade Jennifer Gfeller—11th Grade
Isabel Miller—1st Grade Stefanie Kane—12th Grade
Joseph Balderrama—2nd Grade
Thomas Pollock—2nd Grade
Katelin Silovsky—2nd Grade
Rachell Bohl—4th Grade
1st HONORS (A’s & B’s)
Sarah Higby—1st Grade Allison Cyr—5th Grade
Lexie LaMonica—1st Grade Dalton Dacus—5th Grade
Steven Matthews—1st Grade Haley Lundblad—5th Grade
Tucker Moloney—1st Grade Victoria Castillo-Conn—6th Grade
Eli Noa—1st Grade Mitchell Brenn—7th Grade
Peter Paras—1st Grade Autum Ritchie—7th Grade
Ashley Paredes—1st Grade Justin Becker—8th Grade
Jim Wright—1st Grade Nick Fields—8th Grade
Kate Avery—2nd Grade Leslie Matthews—8th Grade
Keon Jackson—2nd Grade Walter Jarnot—11th Grade
Kimberly Keating—2nd Grade Garrett Boller—12th Grade
Alexandra Wood—2nd Grade
Yvonne Engelhardt—3rd Grade
Madison Miller—3rd Grade
Lily Thornberg—3rd Grade
Erika Wahle—3rd Grade
Christopher Blair—4th Grade
2nd HONORS (A’s, B’s, 1 C)
Austin Bohl—1st Grade Ronel Brillante—7th Grade
Gage Mayberry—1st Grade Tyler Ross—7th Grade
Brennan Booth—3rd Grade Ethan Silovsky—7th Grade
Lene’ Keating—4th Grade Becky Keating—8th Grade
Jacob Montoya—4th Grade Brandon Stinnett—8th Grade
Gary Thurman—4th Grade Brandon Quinton—9th Grade
Killian Wood—4th Grade Yale Taylor—9th Grade
Lisa Mayle—10th Grade
Jesse Wimberley—10th Grade
Katie Beeson—11th Grade
Liz Hernandez—12th Grade
Lizzy White—12th Grade




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In Memoriam

O Lord, Jesus Christ,
We ask your mercy for
Joseph Brungardt and
Celicia Dixon
whom You have called from this life.

We offer our condolences to Father Brungardt whose brother died March 8 and to Mr. John Weber whose mother-in-law died March 12.

Prayer to the Risen Lord

Dear Jesus, as You triumphed over sin and the grave, help me to triumph over my own weaknesses and failures. Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly obedient to Your Will.
Grant dear Savior, that I may line in You and for You. Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions; give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs, Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a happy death. Amen.


“Educating the whole person-body, mind, and spirit”
Phone: 785-238-2841
Fax: 785-238-5021
Email: robert_diepenbrock@yahoo.com

St. Francis Xavier Catholic School
200 N. Washington
Junction City, KS 66441



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