Blueletter: March 13th, 2009
Saint Roderick
Dear Families:
Crusaders Win! VYBA Super League Champions! Undefeated, perfect Season!
The Crusaders completed their undefeated season with a hard-fought 48-39 victory over the Nads at Buena High Saturday night. Several hundred Crusader fans, who made the team feel at home, were kept on the edge of their seats by a game the Crusaders led from early on but only put away in the final minutes. Early game jitters led to turnovers and a 5-4 Nads lead when ZH hit a three-pointer off GM’s screen to give the Crusaders a lead they would never relinquish.
Defense was the name of the game for the Crusaders. Led by G’s three blocks, the Crusaders controlled the inside, while seniors Z (23 points) and M (12 points, 7 rebounds) found ways to score against a packed-in Nads’ zone designed to neutralize G. A double-technical foul against the Nads gave the Crusaders a 29-20 lead entering the fourth period. But the Nads hit some threes to trim the lead to 45-40 entering the final period.
Then the Crusaders and their fans had a heart-stopping few minutes after Z received a large cut on his forehead from a inadvertent Nad elbow. The game proceeded while Z’s forehead was quickly bandaged by Team Mom (and Z’s Mom) RH. Z returned looking like a wounded soldier and led his team home to victory! The Crusaders clamped down on the Nads in the final period, allowing them just 4 points.
ZH was named MVP of the game, then went to the hospital for stitches!
Thank you to all those who have followed the Crusaders this year. It has been special!
GOLF-A-THON
The Golf-a-thon has consistently raised around $35,000 – $40,000 for the school each year. What is it? Well, I like to call it a Jog-a-thon for dads (or moms). I begin by pledging myself for $1 per hole, and then commit to “playing” 100 holes in a day. In short, I am committing a $100 donation. I then ask friends, bankers, insurance man, relatives, etc. to match my pledge. This non-sectarian activity will often result in gifts from non-Catholics or businesses. Why? Because people give to people AND because it is a novelty, 100 holes of golf. Now that I have done this for years, it is easier and most people just give a flat pledge. The night of the kick-off last week, I called a friend in Phoenix who has pledged me each year. I asked him if he and his wife would be able to sponsor me again, for what they did last year. Just like that, the school will get $1000. I am off to call others. Golfer or not, everyone can do this – you can give the golf a whirl or be a pledge partner, raising pledges for a teacher, or headmaster or one of the two priests that play, or one of the other parents that play. The two things that make me able to pick up the phone and get past the uncomfortableness of “ASKING” is remembering that
1. People give to people and,
2. Everyone gives to charity, so I want to give people a chance to include our charity in their giving. Therefore, I let them know how great the school is (Catholic, family, classical, Top 50, etc.) and our need – especially these days.
Please call the school 672-0411 if you have ANY questions. We are over $60 per hole – or $6,000…..just over 10% of our goal.
WASC UPDATE – Please send in surveys, etc. Also, please come to the Sunday Meeting, if you can! Sunday, March 22nd from 4:00 – 5:00 PM.
Parent/Teacher Conference, NEXT Mon. – Wed. – See enclosed for Parent Teacher Conferences.
CONGRATULATIONS:
AO, LO, AS and TS for your efforts at the Regional Championships for the Basketball Skills Competition. Note- there were 2000 young people at the regionals – 2000!!! Our students were among the top performers out of all these children – A, 1st Place, and a trip to the National Competition in Florida. T, the odds-on favorite of the day, finished 2nd among the toughest group. A and L also finished in the top tier. Wow!
Jr. Olympic Skills Competition is next. We had a number of students qualify for the Regionals. The categories they will compete in are Track and Field, Tennis, Basketball and Soccer.
LENTEN CHARITY DRIVE - Keep filling your Charity Envelopes or jars! “Extend mercy toward others, so that there can be no one in need whom you might meet without helping.” St. Vincent de Paul
Center on Ethics and the University – The Schreyer Summer Seminars
The Schreyer Summer Seminars are a collection of intensive summer programs exploring vital moral questions in various aspects of social, philosophical, legal and political thought. They constitute the core of the Witherspoon Institute’s effort to encourage and inform outstanding young men and women at the high school, undergraduate, graduate and professional level who aspire to academic careers.
The Moral Life and the Classical Tradition Seminar – Princeton University | June 21 – 27, 2009
The Moral Life and the Classical Tradition is a week-long program for advanced high school students interested in the origins of Western moral thought and its influence on Christian ethics, with an emphasis on the writings of Plato and Aristotle. Michael Sugrue (Ave Maria University) leads the seminar in collaboration with Seana Sugrue (Ave Maria University) and Paul Macdonald (Bucknell University).
http://www.winst.org/seminars/classical_tradition/MLCT2009%20Flyer.pdf APRIL 15th DEADLINE
GodSpace: Books and Gifts in Thousand Oaks is in dire need for a full time employee. The “ideal” candidate MUST be computer literate, have recent retail/marketing experience and be available T – Sa 10-5. Thanks for taking the time to read and prayerfully consider who would be best suited for this job.
Literature Read Aloud – Sponsored by Florida’s Educational Technology Clearinghouse, this site can be used to aid students in learning how to read or, just for fun listening! http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/
St. Sebastian’s annual St. Joseph’s Feast Day Italian Dinner and raffle (including $1000 Grand Prize and a 200+ pound pig and butchering services!) Sunday, March 15th at St. Sebastian School Hall.
Ora Pro Nobis: For consolation for the Wall family whose baby died in utero. For BH, the S’s grandpa, who is having eye surgery due to cancer. For TH, the 8-year old we have been praying for who has cancer, as he is being taken home from the hospital today so he can pass away in his own home. We pray for T and his family. For KL’s grandmother, AA, who is dying. For R, A, S and J. For an end to abortion and FOCA. For the continued grace of generous benefactors. We pray for all those who serve our country to protect our freedom. We also thank God for all priests and religious. We pray for one another.