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2022 - 2023 Key Dates Calendar
HSP's Online Calendar
Event dates are subject to change. Please always refer to HSP's online calendar for the most up-to-date calendar of school events.
Regnum Christi is hosting monthly morning retreats for women at Holy Spirit Prep! The next one is on November 19th from 8:30-11:00 AM.
The retreats are on the 3rd Saturday of the month through March. Please see flyer below for more details. Mass is in St. Joseph’s at 8:30 followed by breakfast, meditation and practical talk in the boardroom. All women are invited to attend!
Please reach out to Denise Gunderson (denisegunderson@me.com) with any questions.
Come out to the Upper School Football field on November 25th to enjoy some good food and our Annual Alumni Football game!
We hope to see you there-- Happy Thanksgiving to all!
For any questions, please reach out to Catie Johnson (cjohnson@holyspiritprep.org).
On Wednesday, November 30, please join us for Family Advent Night from 5-7 p.m.
Save the date!
More details coming soon.
Picture retakes will be held on December 2nd. If you were not at the previous picture day, you will take your pictures on this day!
More details will be sent soon through HSP Communications.
Please save the date for our Women's Advent Candlelight retreat on December 4th!
The event will take place in Malta Hall from 5:00 - 8:00 PM.
RSVP Link Here
On December 6th, please join us for a Middle School Fireside Chat with Pete Radosta and Michelle Bertany!
We will be convening at 8:00 AM in the LS Library.
Please RSVP: https://forms.gle/w4dbU3Y1TaNvwcreA
Friday, November 18th
Middle School Swimming - AGS Meet 10:30am - 2:30pm • Georgia Tech Recreation Center
Varsity Swimming - AGS Meet 10:30am - 2:30pm • Georgia Tech Recreation Center
Saturday, November 19th
Co-Ed Varsity Clay Targets - GISA State Championship Forest City Gun Club
CMLA Basketball Games - Week #3
HSP's Got Talent
SAVE THE DATE!!! The Lower and Middle School PVA is delighted to announce a new spring event "HSP's Got Talent," a talent showcase for students in grades K through 8 that will take place on Thursday, March 2. More information on this fun event, including auditions and suggested acts, will be shared after we return from Thanksgiving.
Family Advent Night on Wednesday, November 30, 5:30-7:30 in the LS cafeteria. Please join us as we celebrate the start of the advent season. Come have dinner as a community, hear Father Andrew speak about Advent and do a service project. Please register below by Monday, November 28.
https://payit.nelnet.net/form/vyDYqPp7
Middle School Fireside Chat with Pete and Michelle - December 6 at 8 a.m. in the LS Library. Please RSVP:
https://forms.gle/w4dbU3Y1TaNvwcreA
Calling all CHRISTMAS ELVES!
The Secret Santa Shop will be open at the LS/MS from December 5th-9th! We are so excited for the students to be able to take part in this fun and joyful tradition.
In order to make this happen, WE NEED HELP! Please view this sign up genius and offer your time to ensure we can spread the Christmas cheer throughout HSP!
ESPECIALLY pay attention to the slots for 11/30-12/2 which is SET UP! Without help to get this done, the shop WILL NOT OPEN!!
Thank you!
SECRET SANTA SIGN UP: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e48aca82fa5fe3-2022
Next PVA Meeting
The next PVA Meeting will be on Friday, December 2 in the LS Conference Room. All are welcomed.
Teacher's Lounge Stocking - Thank you!
Thank you to the Kindergarten and 2nd grade classes for stocking the teacher’s lounge this week!
Thank you to all of the students, parents, and faculty involved in preparing such a successful evening! A special thanks to Mr. Thomas Cole, for bringing everything together.
Below are some highlights of the event!
Roma will continue accepting donations at the following link: ROMA Donation Page
"Small vessels may hold great gifts."
November Give Thanks Sale!
Throughout November, all uniform items will be 50% off. Come shop for winter uniforms which will begin after Thanksgiving.
Please contact Heidi Harrington at heidiharrington@bellsouth.net with any questions.
Dear Holy Spirit Prep Family, It is hard to believe we are already one month into the new academic year. During the challenging circumstances of the pandemic that we continue to face, our Holy Spirit Prep community has continued to thrive, remaining faithful to the original mission of Holy Spirit Preparatory School - developing a communion of joyful souls dedicated to Catholic discipleship in holistic, classically-inspired education. As of today, Holy Spirit Prep’s 2022-2023 Annual Fund campaign is officially underway! The Annual Fund is our primary annual fundraising effort. If you have not already done so, please watch this beautiful message from Amanda and Rick Kuhlman, our 2022 - 2023 Annual Fund Chairs. Help us continue to improve, grow, and thrive. The Catholic Church has historically emphasized the critical role of parents, and the family in the process of educating the faithful. HSP strives to provide financial aid opportunities to qualified Catholic students who do not have the means to attend. This need-based approach is an effort to provide the highest quality Catholic education to entire families and to recognize the Church’s twin missions of teaching and evangelization. The economic realities relating to the cost of providing this type of education mandate a robust fundraising program and a commitment to proper stewardship of all the resources of the school. Without a community commitment to fundraising, it would be difficult for Holy Spirit Prep to survive as an institution supporting the family. Contributions to the Annual Fund demonstrate the community’s commitment to the proper formation of our children—and allow Holy Spirit Prep to maintain the highest quality Catholic education. We respectfully request every HSP family to participate in the 2022-23 Annual Fund to the best of their ability. Jesus taught us how. “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” Proverbs 11:2 Over the next few weeks, you will receive regular updates and reminders about the Annual Fund. We encourage you to read these messages and reach out to our Director of Advancement, Edward Festa efesta@holyspiritprep.org with any questions. Many employers sponsor matching gift programs for charitable contributions made by their employees. Check if your company has a matching gift policy. The impact of your gift to Holy Spirit Prep could be doubled. Please support the 2022-23 Annual Fund at any one of the following Giving Levels by October 7, 2022. We are all called to make our best gift.
You may notice we added a new giving level, St. Joseph Calasanz. St. Joseph Calasanz dedicated his life to the education of poor and neglected children, including numerous schools where poor children could attend for free. I offer you my sincerest thanks for your support. God bless you and your wonderful families!
In Christ, Michelle Bertany
The Poor Widow’s Contribution. He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.” Mark 12: 41-44
Make your 2023 GOAL Pledge today in support of Holy Spirit Preparatory School!
Applications are still open, and credits are being consumed at a higher rate this year! Secure your credits before they are gone! Apply HERE.
Contact Brittney Bailey at bbailey@holyspiritprep.org or call 678.904.2811 should you have any questions.
Last Friday, the Preschool celebrated St. Cecilia with some of our Upper School musicians! Students spent the morning learning and listening to different instruments up close and personal.
Middle School
This Friday, our Middle Schoolers led “Gratitude Floating Activities” for the elementary students in preparation for Thanksgiving.
Different grades signed up for these activities, and the Middle School students brought them into their classes.
Some of these activities included: “‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving” Read Aloud, Thanksgiving Table STEM Activity, Gratitude Chains, Building the Mayflower, and building the Mayflower.
Lower School
The Lower School enjoyed an afternoon of “Fall Olympics” led by Coach Sam Walker and fellow faculty.
The students in the Lower and Middle School ended the week in friendly competition with events like Distance Throwing, Vertical Leap, Racing, an Obstacle Course, and an Art competition.
What a great way to head into the Thanksgiving break!
Lookout on social media for pictures!
On December 10th, there will be a "Middle School Boy’s Advent Bash" hosted at the Bertany's house!
The event will be held from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM. We hope you can join!
Please RSVP here: http://evite.me/aazrzP4pjJ
Dear High School Parents,
It is hard to believe that the end of the semester is upon us. I wanted to reach out to you with a few reminders regarding the last few weeks of the semester.
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
On Thursday, December 8th, we will be celebrating the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and formal dress uniform will be required for Mass. We will be having our “Flex Day” on Friday, December 9th, which will involve door decorating and other activities! Students may wear their regular uniform on Friday.
Midterm Exams Midterm exams will begin on Monday 12/12 and conclude Thursday 12/15. Below please find the midterm exam schedule.
Exam one
8:30-10:00 am
Extended time or break for students
10:00-10:45 am
Exam two
11:00-12:30 pm
Extended time
12:30-1:15 pm
Monday 12/12
A and B period exams
Tuesday 12/13
C and D period exams
Wednesday 12/14
E and F period exams
Thursday 12/15
G and H period exams
Friday 12/16
Winter House Day
Early Dismissal
Student Requirements:
Students are only required to come to school if they have an exam, and only for the exam block that they have (if they have only one in a day).
Please have your child check their exam schedule carefully to create a plan.
The regular school uniform is required during exams.
Reminders:
We ask that students get a good night's sleep each night and limit the use of technology as much as possible.
Students should also plan to bring in a snack and water to consume during their exam breaks.
Lunch will not be provided during exam week.
Students should be picked up promptly at 12:30 pm or 1:15 pm if they have extended time.
Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions about exams.
At the conclusion of exam week, we will have our annual Winter House Day on Friday 12/16. This will be a half day filled with many fun activities for the students and faculty. Students may dress down in Christmas attire (all dress-down day rules apply: no shorts, sweatpants, pajama pants, or leggings) and enjoy friendly house competitions. Students will be dismissed at 12:30 pm.
Please know that you are all in my prayers, and I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving Break.
God bless,
Michelle Bertany
Holy Spirit Preparatory School • 4449 Northside Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30327 • 678.904.2811
Symphony No. 10 in E minor - by Dmitri Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich
Born September 25, 1906 St. Petersburg, Russia
Died August 9, 1975 Moscow, Soviet Union
Dmitri Shostakovich was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major composer.
Russia's new Leninist government recognized Shostakovich as a valuable political tool. During the 1920s, the Soviet cultural bureau was eager to set new trends and provided him with commissions for the concert hall and stage. By the early 1930s, however, Shostakovich's avant-grade forms, brash harmonies, and sarcastic idioms brought him into disfavor with the regime then headed by Stalin. Although popular amongst Russian audiences, he was forced to suppress new works and remove others from the active repertoire. For the remainder of his life, Shostakovich bore the weight of a hypocritical order that threatened to destroy his life while at the same time decorating him with awards and promoting him abroad as the Revolution's musical prodigy. As he grew increasingly famous worldwide, the physical and mental strains he suffered were great. Shostakovich's reputation has continued to grow after his death. Scholarly interest has increased significantly since the late 20th century, including considerable debate about the relationship between his music and his attitudes to the Soviet government. His compositions are constantly programmed throughout the world to this day.
Shostakovich's music, a collection of works providing the landscape of a torn man, is baldly Russian in style, yet diverse. It contains memorable themes stemming from Russian folk and popular song, jazz, and the traditions of Johann Sebastian Bach. As the musical voice of Soviet life, his output is extensive, having written 15 symphonies, 15 string quartets, various other chamber works, concerti, song cycles, solo piano pieces, operas, ballets, and film scores, the last of which provided a decent income while on thin political ice. His 5th Symphony (premiered 1937), ironically subtitled "A Soviet Artist's Response to Just Criticism," was hailed by bureaucrats and audiences alike, and remains his most popular work; it was the first symphony purely "Soviet" in style.
Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony (considered his best written work) is an astounding achievement in symphonic form at a time when most western composers had abandoned the symphony. It is certainly one of the most powerfully organized and most dramatic in its impact. The first movement opens mysteriously, with plangent echoes of klezmer music in the clarinet and string writing. By contrast, the whirlwind scherzo, lasting only a handful of minutes, is of stupendous violence and aggression. The slow movement is one of Shostakovich’s most touching and poignant achievements, a delicate web of strangely disconcerting allusions and suggestions, while the finale, beginning slowly, bit by bit transforms itself into a Jewish wedding-dance which gets faster and faster until, at the end, the orchestra hurls out the four notes of Shostakovich’s initials, DSCH (in german notation: D, E flat, C, B natural).
Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93:
(program notes excerpted from classical.net, wikipedia and Gerard McBurney)
Recommended Recording: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10 - Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Neeme Järvi (Chandos)
Listen on AppleMusic Listen on Spotify
Further Listening: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 - New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein (Sony)
In Atlanta we are blessed to be the home of one of America's greatest orchestras, the Atlanta Symphony.
Here is a link to purchase tickets to hear Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony performed live by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra December 1st & 3rd. Buy Tickets
Empty Bowls: The National Art Honor Society students and the High School Visual Art classes are creating Empty Bowls to raise awareness of those who are hungry and to help alleviate hunger one bowl at a time. All students, parents, faculty, and staff are invited to come to Room C103 and make their own Empty Bowls on Mondays, Wednesday or Fridays from 8:45 AM-3:15 PM in room 103 whenever they have a “free moment.” Just send Mrs. Stone an email at astone@holyspiritprep.org and let her know when you are coming.
It takes about 25-35 minutes to make a bowl depending on the mold and the design you select. You can come back the next week to glaze your bowl or ask a NAHS student to glaze it for you. No artistic experience is needed. We have all the tools to make your bowl a success! You will thoroughly enjoy this experience and you will be glad you took the time to into your God-given artistic potential. The contribution for a bowl ranges from $15 - $40 depending on the size of the bowl. You can donate to keep your own bowl or donate it to the cause so someone else can select your bowl.
Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to alleviate hunger. The basic premise is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators, students and others work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to make a ceramic bowl and invited to either donate the bowls to the cause or reserve the bowl to keep as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.
The money raised will be donated to St. Francis Table at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for a Thanksgiving and Christmas meal for those who are hungry in Downtown Atlanta.
Regnum Christi is hosting monthly morning retreats for women at Holy Spirit Prep!
The next one is on November 19th from 8:30-11:00 AM.
Dear Families,
The month of November is quickly approaching, and with it comes the holiday season. 2022 is also coming to a close. We are at the final sprint, and it seems to be a very steep uphill. So much going on and so much to prepare for. Each year it seems like we have more to do. We also have new challenges that we have had to face this past year, which create a little bit of baggage as we have family coming into town or we have to go visit. Maybe we have a lot of mixed feelings towards these coming days, from feeling happy to a sense of feeling overwhelmed with all we have to do. At the Lower School, we will be working on gratitude this next month. This virtue can help us live these coming days in the correct disposition.
John Paul II said we should look at the past with gratitude, the present with enthusiasm, and the future with confidence. As anxiety could creep in looking forward in these months, only when we take a moment to look back on this year and take a moment to say thank you for all we have accomplished, can this give us peace to look forward with confidence?
Maybe we hear the word thank you often, but to live this virtue is more than a habit of saying thank you. To be grateful is to have a disposition of heart that when we look back on any object, situation, event, or even person, we can recognize the love that was offered to us in the form of a gift.
Gratitude is considered the most exotic flower in the garden of virtues by Henry Ward Beecher. Seeing our soul as a garden full of flowers helps us envision the beauty of our life. Gratitude as the most exotic, or rare, can help us understand how special it is. When we meet a grateful person, we feel good and recognize something special in that person.
Gratitude requires us to stop and reflect. The flower can only bud when the roots have been grounded in a time of reflection. Rather than just a quick thank you, a person who lives the virtue of gratitude ponders the gift received. The gift given fills them with wonder and awe. Taking time to write a thank you note or saying what we like about the gift can be helpful ways to take more time in our thank you’s.
The flower buds colorfully when the right nutrients are there. Humility is the most important of those nutrients. When our gratitude is nourished with humility, we can acknowledge the good someone else offers to us. When I was a little boy I would go pick clover flowers and bring them to my mom. She was so grateful for those weeds, although I had thought I was offering flowers. She saw in the weed an attempt to show affection. A humble heart recognizes that everything is a gift.
One of the reasons gifts are special is because they reveal the relationship of love that exists between two people. The gift is important because it unites two people in love and when received in wonder and admiration, the beautiful fruit produced is one of gratitude. When we are not grateful we are blind to the love offered.
May the end of this year be a time to remember the love that has been present and may these memories carry us through to 2023.
God bless!
Fr Andrew, LC
Video on Virtue of the Month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFviY6_C9_M&ab_channel=AndrewGronotte
This Week at Holy Spirit
Weekly Bulletin
Our Clay Targets Team heads to Savannah to compete in the state championships! We cannot wait to hear the results from an awesome season of competition!
Good luck to our team:
Dillon Harrington
Brady Van Oss
Kailtyn Hatchew
Bradley Magnusson
Aram Santillan
Luke Craig
Maddie Van Oss
"Saturday, November 12th, six Holy Spirit Clays Team shooters attended practice at Tom Lowe Shooting grounds. The weather was overcast and the temperature a perfect 70 degrees. As this was the last practice of the season, we focused on being ready for the procedures at the State Championships next week. At State, we must not only shoot well, but also, we must be very efficient with our time. Ensuring the equipment was ready – correct chokes, correct ammo, eye and hearing protection, etc., was table stakes. The shooters had to take their time, quickly. That is, while in shooting position, they had to know exactly what to do and to be prepared. They had to rotate positions efficiently and completely on their own initiative. We timed each round and completed within the amount of time we will be allocated at State. Best of all, scores were as good as usual.
Next week, it all comes together. We started the season working on individual skills and eventually built up to working collectively as a team. When this season ends, training for next season begins. Our teammates will practice on their own and get together informally on the weekends. When practice starts again next season, our skills will begin sharp and get better from there. Any Holy Spirit Student 7 – 12 grade is welcome to join the team. You only need to complete the hunter safety course, available online. I encourage prospective team member to complete this course as soon as possible and to get me their completion number. These numbers are used to identify how much ammunition we will be issued by the State of Georgia. Two of our best shooters this season were 7th graders; I encourage anyone interested to reach out to me at davidharrington@bellsouth.net."
- Coach Harrington
3rd Grade Boys - Game Recap and Highlights 2-0
HSP 3rd grade boys beat IHM 48-14. Every player on our team scored thanks to teamwork and some awesome assists!!
HSP 3rd grade boys beat St. Brigid 29 - 12. All players had an opportunity to play point guard. Nicholas Sacco scored 12 points (a season high). Niko & Siler scored 6 points each. We had 7 players.
4th Grade Girls - Game Recap and Highlights: 2-1 on the season
HSP 4th Grade Girls beat St. Joseph’s 10-3. HSP jumped out to an 8-0 lead and held on for victory. Veronica Wingate led the team with 4 pts, while Catherine Meder, Milu Friedrich, and Paular Millsap each had 2 pts.
5th Grade Girls - Game Recap and Highlights 2-0 on the season
HSP beat Christ The King 36-20. Great team win with strong defensive efforts from ALL 5 players. Dynamic Duo of Ansley Behunin (16) and Gabby Cusimano (12) scored 28 combined points in a win against Christ the King Girls Team 3.
5th Grade Boys - Game Recap and Highlights 1-1 on the season
HSP's fifth grade boys basketball team was defeated by OLA's basketball team 16-27. Our team showed very good hustle in a very fast paced game. Karim Santillian showed so much improvement and a great lesson for defense to his other players!
GOOD LUCK this weekend in week #3 games!
Our MS basketball team played great in both games this week vs. Atlanta Classical Academy and Davis Academy though they didn't come away with a victory. They lost to ACA 29-42 and Davis Academy 13-22.
We look forward to watching you play after Thanksgiving at the Lower School on Tuesday after break! Happy Thanksgiving!
Our Varsity girls' and boys' swim team made a splash last Friday at the Atlanta Girls School Invitational. Huge shout out to Lucas Kichler for qualifying for Middle School State in all of the events that he swam! Andrew Olsen had a personal best in the 50 Free! Great swimming everyone! Good luck today at the AGS Invitational down at Georgia Tech!
Swim fast and Happy Thanksgiving!!
Calling all Cougar Fans! It's time to the 2022-23 Athletic Booster Club!
Support our student athletes through joining the Holy Spirit Prep Athletic Booster Club!
The Holy Spirit Prep Athletic Booster Club has one goal - to enhance the experience of our student athletes on all three campuses. The HSP Athletic Booster Club funds will enhance our budget, allowing us to provide supplemental equipment, coaching, and programs to improve the athletics experience for all our students. These funds will be obtained through HSP Athletic Booster Club membership, restricted athletics donations, spirit gear sales, and event ticket and concession sales.
The HSP Athletic Booster Club recognizes that participation in school athletics benefits everyone. In addition to financial support, the HSPABC promotes opportunities to build and strengthen relationships among all constituencies through enthusiastic participation of volunteers, students, coaches, parents, school faculty and staff, sponsors, community members, alumni and grandparents.
Depending on the level of membership, personalized admission passes will be issued to you for a select number or all regular season home games!
For additional information on levels, please click here. On behalf of all students, coaches and fans here at HSP, thank you for your support!
Please contact Kristina Wilhelm, Director of Athletics, for additional information, at kwilhelm@holyspiritprep.org.
3rd Grade Boys Basketball: Teddy Alverson
"Teddy scored 4 points, hustled for several rebounds and played point guard successfully." - Coach Emil Sacco
5th Grade Boys Basketball: Karim Santillian (4th grader)
"Karim showed exceptional defense today! He was motivated, and hustled the entire game, completely drenched in sweat. He had a great attitude! " Coach Whitney Wolf
MS Boys Basketball:
"Roman lead the team in points, assists and steals in our first game this week. He was the leader on offense and vocal on defense." - Coach Darryel Richardson
MS Girls Basketball: MJ Twomey & Gianna Mulcare
"MJ Twomey was nominated for the MS Basketball Cougar Athlete of the week for the gratitude that she shows every day - she says thank you after every practice and game and just really grateful for everything! Gianna Mulcare alsow as nominated for her hard work on the court! Keep it up!" - Coach Sasha
MS Cheer: Gianna Mulcare
"Gianna has shown outstanding teamwork and effort this basketball cheer season! Keep up the great work, Gianna!" - Coach Bailey
MS Swim: Lucas Kichler
"Huge congratulations to Lucas Kichler for qualifying for state in all of his events! What a great way to start your swim career at HSP! Keep up the great work!" Coach Star and Coach Foutch
Varsity Swim: Andrew Olsen
"Congrats to varsity swimmer Andrew Olsen for a personal best in the 50 m freestyle." Coach Star and Coach Foutch
Past Cougar Athletes of the Week:
5th Grade Boys Basketball Arthur Labbe
MS Girls Basketball: Rachel Meder
MS Boys Basketball: Roman Donner
Middle School Cross Country Luke Sacco Evan Craig Catherine Slinkard
Varsity Cross Country - Davis Braun Adam Young Jacob Wilhelm Reagan Neff Keira Jessop Jackson Sacco
Varsity Clay Targets - Dillon Harrington Carlton Martin Keaton Neff Aram Santillian Kaitlyn Hatchew Brady Van Oss Bradley Magnusson Nathalie Anaya-Ruiz Maddie Van Oss Ava Sipos Evan Sipos Luke Craig
Middle School Cheer Evelyn Labbe Camila Castellanos Audrey Nguyen
Varsity Cheer Layelin Zamora Michelle Sande Kira Taylor Sophia Napier
Middle School Volleyball Ariana Lajara Isla Page Camilla Haller Theresa Meder
JV Volleyball Camila Florentino Lauren Wilhelm Mackenzie Manning Marlyn Pineda
Varsity Volleyball Reagan Twomey Ava Sipos Blair Ecker X2 Mary Anna Cumbie Mel Menay
Varsity Football: Jacob Meder
Volume 22, Issue 12 | November 15, 2022
We Are All "One Team"
Over the past century, sports have often been a catalyst for positive change in America's discussion on race. From Jackie Robinson to Texas Western , athletes and coaches have been pioneers, demonstrating heroic character and impacting the world beyond the field of play. Youth sports are no exception. In 1930 the first CYO was founded in Chicago to provide athletic opportunities for at-risk youth; the program welcomed a culturally diverse group of youth and high school students from the very beginning, nearly two decades before Robinson's arrival changed the professional game.
As our modern world continues to combat racism, youth and high school sports maintain an important role. The short video above features Dan Fitzgerald , Director of the Saint Louis CYC. The CYC features a diverse population from across both urban and suburban communities in Saint Louis, MO. When CYC leadership learned that many parents and children did not feel comfortable or welcome when visiting other gyms, Fitzgerald's team went to work. The CYC organized a committee it named "One Team", a group dedicated to addressing racism, discussing issues of race and sport, and educating parents and children alike.
As Fitzgerald notes, sports should bring unity to our schools and communities. We applaud the efforts of the Saint Louis CYC while encouraging all partners to consider what you can do to promote positive conversation and change in your school, league or team. Whether bringing together leaders to discuss issues, developing a task force to address concerns, or taking concrete steps to create a welcoming environment at practices and games, make a commitment to combating racism and be a catalyst for positive change.
For as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ~ Romans 12:4-5
Laureus Grant Aids Efforts to Provide
A Team for Every Child
Play Like a Champion is excited to be a recipient of a Laureus Sport for Good USA grant that will support our efforts to provide training for coaches and parents in the North Lawndale community on the west side of Chicago. Play Like a Champion joins a team of 41 Illinois statewide grantees who will receive funds through the first-ever state funding program, an initiative that supports sport as a tool for youth development. Together, we have an incredible opportunity to demonstrate the unique power of sport while building into coaches, parents and athletes in the North Lawndale Athletic and Recreation Association (NLARA). Our staff has trained local leaders (pictured here) from the NLARA to present ongoing coach and parent workshops and create a sustainable, positive athletic culture in all NLARA programs.
A Prayer for Teams
Holy Mother of God, we ask for your prayers during this practice that you might help lead us closer to God through our participation on this team. We ask that you keep us safe this week and lift up all the prayers we hold in our hearts to God, that we may come to know Him more fully through you. May our practice and play honor you so that it may be worthy of Christ. Amen.
Play Like a Champion Today Educational Series
PO Box 72, Notre Dame, IN 46556 | information@playlikeachampion.org
www.playlikeachampion.org
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Thank you to our current Booster Club Members! Click here for more information on how to join.
Gold Members ($1,000+) David & Stephanie Cusimano The De Santolo Family Chris & Megan Durham The Grubbs Family Nicholas & Tricia Mulcare Ashok & Kim Reddy The Slinkard Family Harold & Lisa Wyatt
Silver Members ($500+) Chris & Alexandra Burris Kelly & Collen Craig Mike & Carolyn Ecker Albert & Sallie Forrester The Hossain-Aguilar Family Kendall Kerew Scott Kerew Peter & Jennifer Manning Erik & Holly Richmond Kevin & Ellen Twomey Ryan & Kristina Wilhelm
Green Members ($250+) Anonymous (1) Mark & Rebecca Bernier The Cabrara Family Brooks & Kate Castellaw The Hutchins Family Joe & Maria Kichler Rick & Amanda Kuhlman Kathleen, Kelly and Bradley Magnusson Chris & Margaret Martin Juan & Mary Martinez Mike & Kathy Prieto Chris & Christian Riley Whitney & Ashley Wolf
Members ($100+) Anonymous (1) Cesar & Clara Olguin Javier & Alanna Oliver The Santillan Family Stacey Weiss The Zelaya Family
The Athletic Booster Club is seeking Corporate Sponsorships!
As we prepare for the 2022-2023 school year, we are seeking corporate sponsorships to support the Athletics budget. Please click here for additional information.
Sponsorship Visual Benefits:
Limited 4x6ft vinyl outdoor banner on the baseball fence on the High School campus, the soccer/football field on the High School campus, and the soccer field fence on the Lower School campus.
Additional Benefits for all Corporate Sponsors
All the benefits included for the highest level of Athletic Booster Club Membership
To learn more about the opportunity to become a Corporate Sponsor, please contact Director of Athletics Kristina Wilhelm at kwilhelm@holyspiritprep.org.