July 2010

Thanks to the following families who helped recently:
• For sponsoring the Baseball Award Ceremony Reception: Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Aaker, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Chavez, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Le.
• For taking photos during graduation: Mr. Rick Belcher, Mr. Brian Tran.
• For helping with the Parent Bucket Brigade: Chavez Family, LeMire Family, Hanson Family, Lakomy Family, Lim Family, Schardt Family, Schroeder Family, Wheatly Family.
• For helping the book return: Mrs. Jennifer Bonello.
• For coordinating the annual cleaning of the school library: Mrs. Cathy Porretta.
• For hosting guests of the school: Mr. and Mrs. Matt Holke, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Porretta.
• For volunteering at summer camp: Mr. Jonathan Bonello, Mr. Michael Martin, and Mr. Marco Saglietto.

The Year in Review

There is no better way to review the successes of 2009-2010 than by looking at the school year from the vantage point of faith, academics, character.

Faith
While classified as being one of the nation’s 50 best Catholic educators, when it comes to Faith, we are in a class by ourselves. We continue to stand out among our peers with the number of daily opportunities students have to participate in the Holy Sacraments. One junior entered the Church; his sponsor was a classmate. One of our seniors took a step to discern a vocation to monastic life. An alumnus is making his final profession with a missionary group in Brazil. When alumni returned to school they are found in the church praying or going to confession.

Academics
By customizing each student’s education, 40% of the classes consisted of five or fewer students; 64% consisted of ten or fewer students. Latin classes wrote and performed a play in authentic Latin. Fourteen students took advanced placement exams in five subjects. All the students who sat for Calculus and Biology earned the highest possible score. St. Michael’s students outperformed their peers on the ACT and the SAT. The 13 graduates in the class of 2010 received 30 college acceptances and 20 different financial awards.

Character
The Senior Reflections are a wonderful resource for reading in the seniors own words how they have matured. One can read these reflections on the June 6th edition of this online newsletter. Students learned the importance of serving others by serving meals to the homeless, assisting disabled adults, and befriending visually-impaired children. A 2009 graduate was able to graduate from St. Michael’s because a benefactor underwrote his expenses. When his younger brother attended St. Michael’s, half of his expenses were paid by the older brother who, while attending a community college, worked a part time job.

For one school year, this is a whole lot of success.


Fourth Quarter Honor Roll, 2009-2010
First Honors (94% and Above)

Joshua Aaker
Jonathan Bonello
Brendan Bowe
Matthew Brooks
Nicholas Cannizzaro
Adrian Chavez
Esteban Gonzalez
Peter Goodwin
Michael Haeuser
Nicholas Hanson
Luke Holbach
Jacob Holke
James Howard
Marc LeMire
Edward Lim
Spencer Manson
Don Nguyen
Joseph Porretta
Ricky Ruiz
Marco Saglietto
Brian Schardt
Scott Schardt
David Suh
Joseph Terlisner
James Tran
John Tran

Second Honors (88% - 93%)

Jay Hipolito
Alan Le
Thomas Nguyen
Hieu Pham
Daniel Lim
Michael Martin
Anthony Guerra
Conrad Lakomy
Michael Porretta
Tuyen Vu


Advanced Placement Summary of Results
14 students took 22 exams in 5 subjects. 82% of tests taken are 3-or-higher.


Student Leadership, 2010-2011

Roomleaders
 Josh Aaker
 Jonathan Bonello
 Jacob Holke
 James Howard
 Daniel Murphy-Dimen
 Christopher Nguyen
 Don Nguyen
 Hieu Pham
 Marco Sagletto
 Charles Sandoval
 Brian Schardt
 Joseph Terlisner
 Vitalyi Tractenberg
 James Tran

Student Government
 Student body president: Jonathan Bonello
 Vice president: Christopher Nguyen
 Senior class president: Nicholas Hanson
 Junior class president: Brian Schardt
 Sophomore class president: Tuyen Vu


Weekly Homily by, Fr. Chrysostom Baer, O.Praem.
Among other things, Fr. Chrysostom teaches Greek

Here at St. Michael’s Prep School, the best high school in the whole world, we have a graduate named Angel; and he has little brother Mongo, who’s still a student. Their dad is a real life hero: a firefighter. He saves people’s lives and homes by facing the natural power of fire, keeping natural disaster from becoming personal tragedy. But do you think he’s so stupid as to enter blazing infernos in shorts and a t-shirt? Of course not. He puts on special fireproof jacket and pants as well as a helmet. If he didn’t, he’d be burned to a crisp by the very fire he’s trying to fight.

In much the same way, each of us has to save our lives from the eternal fires of hell. Does anyone here want to go there? Neither do I. But unless we protect ourselves, we will be burned forever by the very fires of the enemy we’re battling against.

Fr. Alphonsus mentioned yesterday that Mary is our spiritual mother. She showed God’s love to God by showing it to her Son, Jesus Christ. Since each of us is another Christ through baptism, she continues to show God’s love to God by showing it to us. And the love of God she shows us through wearing the brown scapular is that God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” And His desire is that we be saved through His Mother’s prayers and protection.

Today you will receive the brown scapular from Fr. Patrick, who will then enroll you in the confraternity of the brown scapular. From then on, if you wear the brown scapular faithfully in devotion to the Blessed Mother, then when you die you have the promise of our Lady that she will obtain for you the grace of final repentance and perseverance in God’s grace, which is to say that you will not suffer those eternal fires of hell. The scapular is your fireproof jacket. Wear it, and you won’t get burned.

In publishing this homily, we hope to share a portion of the spiritual treasure by which the students are enriched every day. However, this homily may not be reproduced by the parents or friends of St. Michael’s without written permission of the author.


Prayer Requests
• Mrs. Delores Hasset, godmother of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• Mrs. Maureen Mitchell, aunt of Mrs. Debbi Holke, who is suffering from cancer
• St. Michael’s older priests and those who care for them
• Those who suffer in the current economic crisis
• Those who are in the armed forces.
• Repose of the soul of Fr. Hubert Szanto.