volume 16, issue 3

tiger’s mouthSt. Vincent de Paul Catholic School

MARCH/APRIL 2014

MARCH | PAGE 2 | 2014MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 2 | 2014

Dear Parents,

We are in the process of finishing this school year and planning for the next. This 70th anniversary year has been one of great accomplishment in academics, sports, technology and the advancement of the school. We look forward to the next school year as we pause to appreciate the present one.

We have been reminded all year of the countless number of parents and students who have gone before us and have enabled us to become the great school we are. To those parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles of our current student body I say thank you for all the support you have given to St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School for so many years. Without you we would not be where we are today.

One of the accomplishments this year is the establishment of an endowment to ensure the viability and sustainability

of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School for at least another 70, and hopefully more, years. The paperwork is being developed and we hope to make the initial funding at the end of this current fiscal year. If you are interested in more information on the endowment you may contact Elizabeth Yoder at 713-666-2345 or eyoder@svdp-edu.org.

On May 9, 2014 we will dedicate our new Tiger patio and bury a time capsule to be opened on the 100th an-niversary of the school. The students, teachers and administration have been collecting items for the capsule. More information on the ceremony will be sent via the weekly news. The PTO and School Board have been instru-mental in bringing both of these proj-ects to fruition. It is with deep gratitude that I thank them for their dedication and support of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School.

It is with great excitement that I an-nounce the renovation of the current maintenance building and scout house. It will be become a fine arts building which will house the band/music de-partment in the back and the art room in front. The plan will allow for the expansion of both programs and free up the current art room for a new lower school science lab. We anticipate that these spaces will be available at the start of the 2014-2015 school year.

Thank you to all of who have been so generous and supportive of the school this year. It is a wonderful community and I feel blessed to be a part of it.

Yours in Christ,Carolyn Sears M.Ed.

From the principal...

PTO Executive Board:President - Heather MontoyaVP, President-Elect - Teresa BogattoPast President - Michelle BickhamCommunications VP - Jennifer RosenfeldSecretary - Stephanie BourgTreasurer - Claire Hughes

PTO Directors:Auction - Katy Antill & Maggie GarzaAuction-Elect - Cathy Hollerbach & Ana PatrickBook Fair - Cathy Hughes & Jody McDanielBreakfast with Santa - Maribel Nola & Esmer ValeCabrini Festival - Soledad Aguirre Duffy & Carolina FerranteConcessions Coordinator - Laura SageEnrichment - Alexis Kennedy & Elaine WhitleyHospitality - Dani Bass & Kari ClayOrientation - Karen Haysley & Kelly HoganPerformance Programs - Suanne BouvierParty Packs - Wendy Johnston & Leanne SchneiderPublic Relations - Janet Cunningham & Mary PolnauRoom Parent Coordinator - Kristina DroneSports Parent Coordinators - Kris Little & Tiffany LeyendeckerStyle Show - Kim Burrow & Victoria MattioliTiger Bucks - Mary Helen O’Leary & Patricia RitterTiger Market - Erin Ayers & Graciana LinardiTiger’s Mouth Newsletter - Rachel PartenUsed Uniforms - Eryn Elliott & Colleen WalshYearbook - Valerie Cortez & Mel Iero

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From the PTO President...

We did it! With your generosity, and the work of the “Reach for the Stars” Auction and Gala committee, we were able to meet and exceed our fundraising goals for this school year. Katy Antill, Maggie Garza and their Auction committee organized an outstanding gala on January 25th full of great food, finds, fun and fellowship, all in celebration of our school’s 70th anniver-sary!

Through the proceeds of all the PTO efforts, we are able to support the school in many ways, including the following:

• $53,000 to support the school’s operating expenses • $53,000 to support the faculty through bonuses and

incentives • $5,800 to support our teachers through various hospitality

functions• $6,100 to support our library programs + over 600 books

donated to the school• $23,800 to build the new Tiger Patio outside the cafeteria

We are now in the fortunate position to partner with Mrs. Sears and our School Board to designate the remaining unallocated funds towards strategic school enhancements. More informa-tion to come…

Since the last issue of Tiger’s Mouth was published, we’ve had many events and services organized by the PTO, all made possible by the help of many, many volunteers. Thank you to the Directors and committee members:

Cabrini Festival: Thank you to Directors Carolina Dondi and Soledad Aguirre-Duffy, who organized an informative and fun festival, highlighting the birthplace of Pope Francis, with their focus on Argentina. Thank you to all the volunteers, to the 3rd grade dancers, and to eighth grader, Francisca Linardi, who beautifully sang, “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” at the opening ceremony.

Hospitality: With the help of the Hospitality Committee, Directors Dani Bass and Kari Clay work tirelessly to organize monthly teacher birthday celebrations, assist with Catholic Schools Week, orchestrate Teacher Appreciation Week, and provide refreshments and coordination for numerous other events throughout the year. Many, many thanks for all your hard work!

Public Relations: If you have opened up a local news publi-cation this, year, you’ve probably seen articles featuring SVdP students. PR Directors Janet Cunningham and Mary Polnau have done a fantastic job, regularly submitting photos and

articles highlighting the accomplishments of SVdP students. Between Village News, the Examiner, and the Texas Catholic Herald, at least one article or photo featuring SVdP students has appeared in 27 different issues so far this school year!

Looking forward...Kim Burrow and Victoria Mattioli are busy planning the Style Show and Luncheon, “Here’s Looking at You, Kid!” in celebration of our 8th graders, and honoring Gayle Grassle. She holds a special place in the hearts of everyone in the St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School community. Join us on April 27th for a fabulously fun and fashionable event!

Suanne Bouvier is working closely with the Spring Musical Steering Committee to support SVdP’s fantastic performing arts program. This event, cherished by the participants and all who support it, showcases the tremendous talent among the students of SVdP. Performances are scheduled for May 8-9th. Don’t miss it!

A special thank you to Michelle Bickham for her dedication in leading our Nominating Committee: Lorraine Coletti, Janet Cunningham, Cathy Hughes, Patricia King-Ritter, Graciana Linardi and Jennifer Rosenfeld. This committee worked tirelessly to slate an incredible 2014-15 PTO Board.

Congratulations to Kelly Hogan (VP/President-Elect), Michelle Bickham (Communications VP), Sheila Berggren (Secretary) and Claire Hughes (Treasurer) who will be joining Teresa Bo-gatto (incoming President) and me (soon-to-be Past President) on the Executive Board for the 2014-15 school year. Please see the 2014-15 PTO Board listing of the PTO Directors in this edition of the Tiger’s Mouth, and join me in congratulating the incoming PTO Board. There are many opportunities to get involved and I want to extend my thanks to everyone who has expressed a desire to serve.

It’s hard to believe how quickly this year is wrapping up! I hope you had a joyful Easter and I wish you wonderful last quarter of the school year.

In Gratitude,Heather MontoyaPTO President

PTO Sponsored Events - Please save the date...

APR MAY27

Style Show“Here’s Looking at

You, Kid!”

7 7-9

Spring Musical

21

Tiger Pride Dayr

Family Night atSkeeters

The teacher with most par-ticipants by grade level will get free kids meal coupons and the teacher will get a

gift certificate.

2014-2015 Tuition

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 4 | 2014

What does the $500 per student supply fee cover?The supply fee typically covers all classroom supplies, textbooks and technology. The use of the fee varies year to year depending on what curriculum or technology needs to be added or updated. A separate fee broken out from your tuition allows the school to receive the full $500 per student rather than a varied amount due to the multi-student discount.

How does our tuition compare to other parish and indepen-dent schools?We are still in the “middle of the pack” compared to many area Catholic Schools, but significantly lower than many independent schools. *Each school has a $450-$625 supply fee not included in tuition.

School K-5th tuition

6th-8th grade tuition

Corpus Christi Catholic School $5,600 $5,600

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School $7,280 $7,280St. Thomas More Catholic School $7,645 $7,645

St. Cecelia Catholic School $7,490 $7,490

St. Michael’s Catholic School $8,150 $8,150

St. Anne’s Catholic School $9,165 $9,165

St. Mark’s Episcopal School $15,290 $17,230

Annunciation Orthodox School (AOS) $17,680 $20,080

River Oaks Baptist School (ROBS) $16,925 $21,080

Presbyterian School $17,205 $19,720

*Each school has a $450-$625 supply fee not included in tuition.

Like all tuition-based schools, St. Vincent’s slightly increases tuition each year as expenses increase. Our tuition will increase 6.0% for the 2014-2015 school year. This translates to about $40 more per month, depending on how many students are in your family.

Why an increase in tuition?The increase in tuition directly supports an increase in salaries for our faculty and staff. We are committed to providing salaries and benefits that are competitive with our peer schools. Salaries and benefits are our largest and more important budget item. All par-ents can agree that we want to recruit and retain the best possible teachers for our students. We have some of the best teachers anywhere and we want to keep it that way!

Will we still have our multi-student discount next school year?Yes! See the tuition schedule below:SVdP 2014 Tuition Schedule

Student Fees ($500/student)

Annual Tuition if paid monthly

Per Month x 10 Months

Annual Tuition if paid in one payment

Prekindergarten, per student

$500 $8,470 $847 $8,260

K-8, one student $500 $7,280 $728 $7,100

K-8, two student $1,000 $13,400 $1,340 $13,070

K-8, three student $1,500 $19,220 $1,922 $18,740

K-8, four student $2,000 $24,460 $2,446 $23,850

K-8, five student $2,500 $29,120 $2,912 $28,390

2

JTiger Market and Used Uniforms

Flash Sale

7

Getting to Know

SVdP: Risky Behaviors

6:30 PM (in conjunction with

+Works)

www.saintvincentschool.orgBe sure to visit the PTO tab on

often for more information about PTO events and sevices.

School Board News

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 5 | 2014

Congratulations on completing the 3rd Quarter of the 2013-14 year! We hope everyone had a re-energizing Spring Break and is ready to take on the last quarter of the school year. We continue to celebrate the many accomplishments of our school and honor our 70th Anniversary. As a special memento for our 70th year, the School Board is facilitating the ‘Time Capsule’ project, which will be buried under our new Tiger Pa-tio. Mark your calendars for the 2044 school year when it will be revealed at our 100th anniversary!

As we look down the road, the Board has been asked to do an analysis of possible future school expansion. A School Board sub-committee is performing the due diligence around financial and scenario analyses, and is evaluating other Catholic schools’ growth models. Following the review later this year, the Board will share its find-ings with Monsignor and Mrs. Sears as they position our school for future generations.

The School Board Committees have been busy focusing on the following efforts:

The Advancement Committee announced that next year Jennifer Raymond and Erin Ayers will chair the Annual Fund. The 2013-14 Annual Fund has received $330,000 to date. We continue to extend our gratitude for everyone’s support of this vital funding program.

The Communication Committee rolled out the parent survey in late March in an effort to gather feedback and ideas from school parents. Those who completed the survey were also given an opportunity to participate in future focus groups.

The Extracurricular Committee did an anal-ysis of equipment needs for the music and art programs. The committee is also looking at ways to enhance communication updates with the athletic programs.

The Finance Committee has concluded the 5 year budget projection process and is work-ing on the establishment of an endowment with current earmarked funding.

The Strategic Planning Committee is devel-oping a facilities sub-committee to provide guidance on interim improvement projects for the school buildings and grounds.

The Student Affairs Committee successfully hosted the Academic Pep Rally on February 7th. The committee has helped centralize middle school service project information to an Edline content folder, where parents and students can access the information. Student Affairs is also working on building ties with the Parish and is developing service options for Beta Club students to volunteer as greet-ers at Sunday’s 9:00 and 11:00 am Masses.

The Technology Committee presented a technology roadmap for future use of

Chromebooks by middle school students. The committee is evaluating our technolog-ical needs and integration into the class-rooms. The committee is looking to expand its parental volunteer base.

The School Board relies on the expertise and support of parent volunteers. If you have a special qualification and an interest in serving on the Board, please plan to attend our second discernment meeting to be held on April 29th at 7 p.m. in the MJFC. If you have any questions about the process or you would like to address the School Board with an issue, please contact School Board presi-dent Joe Louis at joetlouis@gmail.com.

Executive CommitteeJoe Louis – PresidentRay Vale – Vice President, Strategic Planning & Facilities ChairElaine Fitzgibbon – SecretaryBoard MembersTom Bickham – Technology ChairMarnie Clark – Communications ChairCindy Fiegel – Student Affairs ChairPenny Grams Tiffany Johnson Mike McConn – Extracurricular ChairGlenn Standish – Finance ChairRachel Steely – Advancement ChairJoe WatsonHeather Montoya – PTO President

✟Catholic Schools’ Week (January 26-31) was celebrated in conjunction with our 70th anni-versary celebration this year. At the Sunday Masses, our students displayed their school loyalty in uniform as the greeters, lectors, cantors and choir, altar servers, and announc-ers. We hosted a wonderful 70th anniversary reception in the MJFC complete with historical photo displays, current student art work, school video presentation, alumni registration and campus tours for interested families. During the week, we hosted the Academic Pep Rally where we honoring SVdP’s academic achiev-ers including the members of Destination Imag-

iNation teams, Math Team, Prep Bowl, UST Essay awardees, Spelling Bee winners, and St. Pius Academic Rally participants. The week culminated with our popular Tiger Pride Day, Steps for Students rally and 70th Anniversary Time Capsule preparation. Special thanks to Marnie Clark, Janet Cunningham, Cindy Fei-gel, Elaine Fitzgibbon, Lisa Gasper, Joe Louis, Heather Montoya, Jennifer Rosenfeld, Laura Sage, Ray Vale and the Beta Club for all their assistance during the week’s events! Congrat-ulations SVdP on seven decades of student success!

Catholic Schools WeekMARCH 26-31, 2014

Seven Decades of Student Success at SVdP

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 6 | 2014

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 2013-2014 Honor Roll 2nd 9-weeks

Nathaniel Fernandes placed second in the Archdiocesan Spelling Bee held at St. Anne’s on February 20.

Spelling BeeBuzz

Aw

ard

s8th Grade Principal’s HonorsNicolas BritoLauren CerdaElizabeth ColettiMadeleine DucoteCatherine GroffMegan HanrattyAndrew LeyendeckerJervon MonroeJacob NietoCole RossThomas SantalaAvery SmithSkylar SmithSarah Venker

8th Grade HonorsMadeleine ArteagaDavid BrooksGrace CarterKatherine ChristmanRichard DickasonColin FitzgibbonFrancisca LinardiJoseph LittleFord McCannMarshall McCannKelsey OlsenSofia TellezKatharine TentingerManuel VeraChristina WatsonCaroline Yu

7th Grade Principal’s HonorsLindsay BeversAllison ClarkKevin DidwayMichael HansenCaroline KherkherTaylor McClureLuke ReadKatya SmithMarcus Whitley

7th Grade HonorsMatthew CastanedaCarl ChemalyEverett EzellKatherine FitzgibbonLiam GarrisonKathleen LeyendeckerShane PesekClaire PiczakAnna RosenfeldMatthew Whitley

6th Grade Principal’s HonorsAlisha CollacoWilliam DickasonNathaniel FernandesYara KaramMary Catherine ReidyJustin Varkey

6th Grade HonorsChloe AlffRobert CondronSarah CunninghamJacob FiegelAlex LopezSophia LouisDominique NanquilAllison PolnauSophia QuintanillaCaimen SchneiderClaire SullivanSarah SullivanAndrew TayarHoward ThamesAnjali TholanyRoman Vale

)Congratulations to the St. Vincent De Paul 8th graders who won the 40th Annual Strake Jesuit College Prep Bowl Tournament on Saturday, January 18th. They came back from a seemingly impossible 115 point half-time deficit during the championship round to defeat The Regis School. The final score was 175 to 150.

The competition featured questions from a wide variety of subjects including math, history, geogra-phy, current affairs, literature, politics, sports and pop culture.

When asked about the 8th grade team, SVdP Principal Carolyn Sears said "I am so proud of our

8th grade boys and Mrs. Ducote. They have been practicing for the tournament since the beginning of the school year. It was a lot of hard work and dedication."Congratulations to the SVdP 8th grade Prep Bowl Team and their sponsor, Mrs. Tammy Ducoté!

Prep Bowl Winners

Tammy Ducote, Phillip McAughan, Colin Fitzgibbon, Jacob Nieto, Brian Swanson, Manuel Vera, Michael Bouvier, Jackson Lee and Alexei Passmore

Two SVdP teams made up of 4th and 5th grade students placed 1st and 3rd in their respective Challenge Divi-sions of the Gulf Coast Regional Destination ImagiNation Competition held Saturday, February 15 at Cy-Ranch High School. The SVdP Tigers team of Ryan Hogan, Vivian Mon-toya, Ella Smith (4th graders), and Brooke Bickham, Emily Clark, and Sophia Rebello (5th graders) and sponsored by 4th grade teacher Michelle Asselin won 1st Place in the "Going To Extremes" challenge and will represent the Gulf Coast Region at State Com-petition.

The SVdP Six Plus One Team also brought home the hardware for the school with a 3rd Place Regional Finish in the "Laugh Art Loud" challenge. The team members are 4th graders Sofia Iero, Isabelle Louis, Natalie Montoya, Kirstie Scott, Shawn Varkey, and 5th graders Jillian Hermoso and Molly Oubre, and are sponsored by 5th grade teacher Stephe Shaw. This year there were a total of 161 Elementary teams from 63 schools competing at the Gulf Coast Regional D.I. Competition.

Destination ImagiNation is an innovative organization that teaches creativity, teamwork, and problem solving across the U.S. and in more than 30 countries. Teams are tested to think on their feet, work as a team, and devise original solutions that satisfy the re-quirements of the challenges.

SVdP Teams Win 1st and 3rd Place in Regional D.I. Competition NEWS & UPDATE

the latest

It was an award-filled day for the "SVdP Tigers" Destination ImagiNation team at the state competition on April 12, 2014.

They won 1st place in their category for the Instant Challenge component of the competition, and 4th place overall in the

"Going to Extremes" category. These talented students and their fantastic teacher, Mrs. Michelle Asselin, will compete in the Global

Finals competition in Knoxville, TN.

The team includes Brooke Bickham, Emily Clark, Ryan Hogan, Vivian Montoya, Sofia Rebello and Ella Smith. Destination Imag-iNation teams that advance past Regional and state/country tournaments are invited to participate in Global Finals—the world's largest celebration of creativity. Global Finals is the culminating event of every Destination ImagiNation season. In May, more than 1,300 teams from 45 states, 7 Canadian provinc-es and 13 countries gather to showcase their Challenge solutions. More than 16,000 people attend Global Finals to celebrate creativity and have fun. Good luck, SVdP Tigers!

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 7 | 2014

Congratulations...

Vanessa Stipes welcomed a new baby sister, Sophia Noelle Stipes,

born on October 20, 2013.

Mikayla and Madelyn Liebl welcomed a new baby sister, Macey Evelyn Liebl, born on December 10, 2013.

Mariola and Olivia Santiago welcomed a new baby sister, Aurora Santiago, born on September 3, 2013.

On November 2, 2013 Mr. Eric Wesley Meyer and Ms. Keri Marie Lott tied the knot!

Annual BoxTop Competition

Important Dates to Remember:

April 27th Style Show (8th Grade)

April 29th School Board Discernment Meeting - 2nd Session

May 3rd First Holy Communion (2nd Grade)

May 6th Last day to turn in Art Contest entries

May 7th Field Day

May 7th GTK - Risky Behaviors

May 7th, 8th & 9th Spring Musical

May 13-16 Camp Kappe (5th Grade)

May 16th Spring Sports Awards

May 22nd Luncheon and Awards (8th Grade)

May 23rd 8th Grade Graduation

May 26th HOLIDAY - Memorial Day

May 30th Last Day of School - 11:30 AM - No Prime Time

Accomplishments Corner

Baby Tigers

Math Team Won 1st in St. Agnes Tournament

Sitting: Cole Ross, Thomas Santala, Lauren Cerda Standing L-R: Everett Ezell, Liam Garrison, Elizabeth Coletti, Sean Doyle, Phillip McAugha Michael Hansen, Nick Brito, Matthew Whitley, Taylor Grace McClure, sponsor Mrs. Ducote

"SVdP Tigers" DI Team Advances to Global Finals Competition!

Please congratulate the winners of the annual BoxTop Compe-tition: Mrs. Urquhart’s second grade class! The kids enjoyed a free-dress day and cookies from Moeller’s Bakery. The final count of the competition was 18,484, of which her class contributed 1,862. Second place went to Mrs. Berry’s

class, which brought in 1,554, and third place went to Mrs. Ledezma’s class, whose total was 1,415. We appreciate all the students, parents, and families who took the time to cut them out. Please con-tinue to clip as we will have an end of year collection. We look forward to next year!

Marshall McCann attended an Olympic Trials Regatta in Miami, FL in January and competed in the Men's Laser Class against all the Olympic hopefuls from across the world. Marshall is aiming to go to the 2020 Olympics!

School News

NEWS & UPDATEthe latest

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 8 | 2014

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Softball RosterBiggio, QuinnClark, AllisonGeorge, CatherineKelly, DelaneyOlsen, KelseyOubre, AmandaStandish, AbigailTholany, AliceVenker, SarahWilliford, Kate

The Lady Tigers Softball team has captured the GHCAA conference title for its 2nd consecutive season with a victorious 12-3 win over St. Pius V in the April 25th Championship game at St. Agnes High School Athletic fields. In GHCAA conference play, the Lady Tigers had great wins over St. Laurence, St. Cecilia, St. Augustine, St. Pius V, John Paul II and St. Ambrose. The teamalso plays in the West University Softball Association's Junior division and has had some intense games and incredible plays. The Lady Tiger line-up includes 8th graders: Quinn Biggio (SS), Kelsey Olsen (OF/1st), Evan Oubre (OF/2nd), and Sarah Venker (P/3rd); 7th graders: Allison Clark (C/1st), Catherine George (OF), Delaney Kelly (P/3rd), Abigail Standish (OF/2nd), andKate Williford (C/1st/OF); and 6th grader Anjali Tholany (OF). The team is led by Coach Kevin Norwood with assistance from parent Colleen Kelly.

The SVdP Girls' JV basket-ball team had an awesome season, only losing once the entire season to the tough St. Peter's team.

The SVdP Varsity Football team had a fantastic season. They went undefeated throughout their regular and post season and won the city-wide 2013 GHCAA Championship by defeating St Lau-rence, 28 - 17, with a final record of 9 - 0.

The SVdP Varsity Boys' Basketball team also had a great season, with an overall record of 30 - 5. They defeated St Thomas More, 43 - 41, to become the 2014 GHCAA Basketball Champions.

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 9 | 2014

Alch, TuckerBambace, PeterBrito, NickBrooks, DavidDickason, RichardDidway, ClayEdwards, TCEzell, EverettGrams, JackHansen, MichaelLeyendecker, AndrewLittle, JoeLynch, JacobMcCurry, GraysonMiller, JacobParker, ConnorRead, LukeRogers, KaseRoss, ColeSchell, JackVasek, Scout

Alo, KatelynBass, KikiBerggren, KatieBickham, BlakeBlutt, JackBourg, PatrickBuettgen, Alex Buettgen, AndrewCarbo, TylerCerda, LaurenChemaly, CarlChurch, CadeClark, AllisonCollaco, AlishaColley, KatherineColley, OxfordCondron, RobertConnelly, BennettCortez, AlyssaCox, NatalieDavis, CalebDickason, WilliamDupuis, SarahEdwards, Thomas CadeFernandes, NathanielFiegel, KatelynFitzgibbon, DylanGrams, JackHansen, William Hansen, WyattHight, NoahIero, AlexaIero, LilyIero, SofiaJacobs, AlexJiminez, DarrenJiminez, Dylan

Johnson, AbigailJohnson, MackenzieJohnston, SophieKaram, YaraKherkher, CarolineLeeman, HenryLevy, SethLewis, KatieLewis, MaxLeyendecker, KathleenLinardi, FranciscaLinardi, LaliLouis, IsabelleLouis, SophieMartin, MattMaytum, HenryMaytum, RileyMcAughan, PhillipMcCann, FordMcCann, MarshallMcClure, TaylorMcClure, TreyMcDaniel, CarolineMcDaniel, Mary KateMcGrath, CaraghMiller, JacobMoreno, ChristianNanquil, DominqueNarvacan, NicolasNolla, BellaNolla, DaniOrdonez, DavidPedroza, KevinPesek, KatePollard, ReedPolnau, JuliaPolnau, Katie

Rebello, SophiaReinoso, EliseRichards, MarkRijken, FlynnRobson, AvaRogers, KaseRosenfeld, AnnaRoy, AndrewSage, Mac Schwartzenburg, LukeScott, BrodieSmith, KatyaStill, MiaStrietman, HannahSullivan, ClaireSullivan, SarahSwanson, BrianSwanson, KennethTan, PeytonTentinger, KateThames, CarolineThames, DavisThames, WilliamThomas, TownsenTkaczyk, ToshaTkaczyk,KarolinaTremont, StephiVarkey, JustinVarkey, ShawnVenker, EthanVenker, SarahVessels, RomanVessels, VincentWhitley, LiamWhitley, Mathew

The first track meet occurred on Saturday March 15. It was a rainy day, but St. Vincent came in 4th overall in the standings. Some highlights include: the 6th grade boys team taking 1st place in the 4 x 100M relay and the 7th grade girls taking 1st place in the 4 x 100M relay (Allison Clark, Caroline Kherkher,

Kathleen Leyendecker, Anna Rosenfeld). In addition, Allison Clark (7th grade) and Natalie Cox (8th grade) both came in 3rd in the hurdles.

Boys' Baseball and Girls' Softball are playing now and hoping for a winning season!

Baseball Roster

This is the first time in SVdP history that both the Varsity Football and Basketball teams have won both GHCAA Championships in the same school year. Congratulations to both teams and their dedi-cated coaches for all their hard work!!

The SVdP Varsity Volleyball team was unde-feated going into the championship game, but lost to St. Anthony's of Padua. They came in second in the championship, first in their division, and second in district.

Track Roster

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MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 10 | 2014

Pa

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Fourth Graders each completed an individual science project of their choosing. Following the scientific method, they posed a question, gathered information, formed a hypothesis, and then tested that hypothesis. Their conclusions were shared with classmates and guests the week of March 10 through the 14th. Their presentations consisted of a formal written report sum-mary and a display board. The depth and breadth of their personal interests were reflected in their choice of areas of inquiry. Topics included how many

licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop to why vaccines are needed to keep us healthy.

Science Fair

Kindergarten

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 11 | 2014

Girl Scouts

Boy Scouts

Cub Scouts and their families from Pack 505 enjoyed the winter camp out at Lake Texana. The weather was ideal and the boys enjoyed games, hiking, bike riding, and getting dirty. The highlight was the Saturday camp-fire where the boys put on skits and participated in a U.S. flag retirement ceremony.

Bluebonnet Bash

Ballerini, IsabellaBath, BlaireBath, BlytheBrodie, JackButler, BrennaClark, EmilyDrone, IsabellaDunn, CarolineFerrante, JosefinaGentry, EmilyHermoso, JillieHughes, Mary ClaireJimenez, Darren

Johnson, EliseLevy, SethLinardi, LauraMeynier, MorganMorales, LeonardoNolla, DaniNolla, IsabellaPedroza, KevinPrice, SaraTan, PeytonVale, ElizaVera, SofiaVessels, Vincent

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 5th grade Girl Scouts were proud to earn the Bronze Award. This is the highest award for Junior level Girl Scouts. The requirements include completing a Junior Girl Scout journey, which the troop accomplished, and completing a "take action" project. It also required that they explore their community, assess a need, and get involved. The troop decided to assist CareNet, given the girls' interest in serving women and babies. CareNet's mission is to demonstrate the love of Christ to those facing pregnancy through the provision of spiritual, physical, emotional, and educational support. CareN-et provides compassionate care, practical support, and educational programs to its clients. CareNet is located in northwest Houston. The girls in Troop 25236 each made fleece blankets and decorated crosses to give to CareNet's clients and babies. They also filled baby bottles with coin collections to assist CareNet services, toured the CareN-et facility and made "mommy gift bags" on site. The girls planned and developed a baby shower, to which they invited friends and loved ones to participate in giving special gifts to the babies and families who

CareNet serves. Car loads of donations were delivered to CareNet, thanks to these enthusiastic girls!

Each girl earning the Bronze Award volun-teered a minimum of 20 service hours to this project.

The following Girl Scouts from Troop 25236 have earned the Bronze Award:Isabella Ballerini Blair BathBrooke BickhamEmily ClarkSophia Colletti (not pictured)Alyssa CortezElise Cunningham

Trini FerranteLivvie FitzpatrickJillie Hermoso (not pictured)Maddie KaelinOlivia Keville (not pictured)Lexie OliverMakenzie Olsen (not pictured)Brianne RaymondSophia RebelloEve RosenfeldNicole RosenfeldMia StillCaroline TannerAbby Tran

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 12 | 2014

Every other year, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School students spend a week learning about another culture during the Cabri-ni International Festival. This year, the country highlighted was Argentina. Appropriately, the event co-chairs were Argentinian parents Carolina Ferrante and Soledad Aguirre.

The week began with a ceremonial pa-rade into the St. Vincent de Paul Parish Family Center, where an Argentinian neighborhood, “La Boca” was construct-ed, as well as the facade of El Caminito, the local gathering place where they danced the Tango.

Students watched demonstrations by professional tango dancers and goucho dancers with awe. A professional singer sang a famous Argentinian folk song. Third grade students learned and performed a popular Argentinian dance for the school. St. Vincent de Paul 8th grader Fran-cisca Linardi, dressed as the beautiful Eva Peron, sang “Don't Cry for Me Argentina”. The week included daily demonstrations including an introduction to Argentina, a short film on important history and events in Argentina, a lesson on the massive Europe-an immigration to Argentina in 1880-1930 and the birth of the Tango, as well as Las Pampas. In addition to learning about the culture and history, students also learned about the glaciers of Argentina, Iguazu Falls and the beautiful geography of the country. They enjoyed sampling Argen-tinian cuisine such as empanadas, dulce de leche and

some Argentinian cookies. The closing ceremony included a display of an Argentina poster contest, with several creative entries in each grade level. It was a fabulous, interactive educational experience

that was enjoyed by all!

Cabrini International Festival Auction Paddles Up for

Auction Paddles Up for

2013

2014 TIGER PATIO

2015

Wanna be even more money?? Join the auction team! Please contact co-chairs Cathy Hollerbach at catherine_hollerbach@yahoo.com and/or Ana Patrick at anapatrick@mac.com for more info.

SAVE THE DATE!Wanna be money? Then mark your calendars now for Swing In To Auction 2015!

Date: January 31, 2015Place: Royal Sonesta Hotel GalleriaAttire: Cocktail (Zoot Suit optional)

eTREES

The final trees have been planted using funds raised at the 2013 Auction and Gala.

Thank you to all the Paddles Up for Trees donors! This was made possi-ble by your generosity.

eeThanks to the generosity of all the donors, we were able to commence work on the Tiger Patio during spring break. The pavers have been installed, and other components such as tables and landscaping will be added soon. We are planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony in May and the eighth graders will have the honor of being the first dignitaries to enjoy lunch on the Tiger Patio. We'd like to especially thank Brindley Drake and her team of students who helped produce the video to promote the patio, as well as all the teachers and students who participated in this fundrais-ing effort.

From the Tiger Patio project managers: Katy Antill, Maggie Garza and Heather Montoya

JMark your Calendars!Date: May 2ndTime: 7:30am - 11amWhere: CafeteriaWhy? To make room for next year's inventory!!

Tiger Market and Used Uniforms

Tiger Market and Used Uniforms will be selling all inventory at reduced prices!! Used Uniforms has a ton of inventory… shop now for next year!!

Flash sale

Please welcome the incoming 2014-15 PTO Board!

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 13 | 2014

First Row: Rachel Parten, Kristina Drone, Msgr. Bill, Heather Montoya, Jennifer Rosenfeld, Leanne Schnieder, Claire Hughes, Alexis Kennedy, Mel Iero2nd Row: Suanne Bouvier, Teresa Bogatto, Stephanie Bourg, Graciana Linardi, Michelle Bickham, Cathy Hughes, Valerie Cortez, Soledad Aguirre, Kelly Hogan, Maggie Garza, Colleen Walsh

CELEBRATIONS - A Repertoire of Acts Celebrating SVdP’s 70th Anniversary

May 7, 8 & 9, 2014 in the MJPFC

Tickets go on sale on Friday, April 25, 2014 and can be purchased online via Tiger Store. All tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

PTO

New

s and A

nn

ouncem

ents

Executive BoardPresident Teresa BogattoVP/President-Elect Kelly HoganPast President Heather MontoyaCommunications VP Michelle BickhamSecretary Sheila BerggrenTreasurer Claire Hughes

PTO DirectorsAuction and Gala Cathy Hollerbach & Ana PatrickAuction and Gala Elect Erin Ayers, Wendy Johnston & Shannon RamirezBack to School Karen Haysley & Claire LynchBook Fair Jody McDaniel & Gentine MeagherBreakfast with Santa Patricia Sayegh & Jennifer VisintineCabrini Festival Carmen FitzpatrickConcessions Laura SageEnrichment Lisa Gasper & Maria Jose Redondo NietoHospitality Kari Clay & Lori EtlingerParty Packs Faith Sepe & Allison SovanyPerforming Arts Rachel Bush & Olguita Santiago RodriguezPublic Relations Kristina Drone & Maribel NollaRoom Parent Coordinator Esmer ValeSports Parent Coordinator(s) Mary Callaghan & Tiffany LeyendeckerStyle Show Donna McClure, Monica Smith & Maureen SwansonTiger Bucks Lizzy Culotta & Tracy RijkenTiger Market Carrie Schwartzenburg & Tricia HoffmanTiger’s Mouth Newsletter Lucy Anderson & Janet ChampagneUsed Uniforms Monica Cruces & Mauria StillYearbook Valerie Cortez & Melissa Iero

A warm thanks to the PTO Nominating Committee...Nominating Committee Advisor 2014

Michelle Bickham PTO Past President 2013-14

2014 PTO Nominating Committee:

Lorraine ColettiJanet CunninghamCathy HughesGraciana LinardiPatricia RitterJennifer Rosenfeld

We NEED your high resolution photos from:• School trips• Sports • Extracurriculars - After School• Service Projects• Grade/Class Events

Please put your photos on a labeled disk or USB drivenand drop in the yearbook folder in the schooloffice.ContactMelIeroorValerieCortez,YearbookDirectors,ifyouhaveanyquestionsatsvdpyearbookstaff@gmail.com

Yearbook needs your photos!

Spring Musical is coming soon!

The PTO Nominating Committee would like to extend our thanks to everyone who expressed a desire to serve and volunteer for our school.

2013-14 PTO Directors and Monsi-gnor Bill gathered in December for a Christmas party.

MARCH/APRIL | PAGE 14 | 2014

MARCH | PAGE 15 | 2014

Special thanks togurrolareprographics.com

for graciously donating a large portionofthisnewsletter.

The second grade enjoyed a field trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The students were studying dinosaurs in science, so they spent the majority of the visit in the beautiful new paleontology hall at the museum. Docents guided them, and the children listened and asked numerous questions with great enthusiasm. During the following weeks, each student created a diorama and wrote a research paper on a different dino-saur, and then presented these to the class.

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School 8th graders visited Washington, D.C., for a class trip. Upon arrival in D.C., the weather got much colder, and students were thrilled when it snowed during the first night there. On the trip, one of the highlights was going on a tour of the White House.

Students got to walk through John Boehner's ceremonial room at the Capitol. They participated in Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Concep-tion, and they also visited many of the famous museums, including the National Museum of American History, Newseum, and the United States Ho-locaust Memorial Museum. The students saw the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, where four St. Vincent de Paul students actively participated during the

ceremony by placing a wreath on the Tomb. The students visited some of the Memorials at night and some during the day. Some of the class favorites were the Iwo Jima, Korean War Veterans, FDR, and the Martin Luther

King memorials. On the last evening of the trip, the students ice skated at Pentagon Row Skate Plaza. It still felt like winter in D.C., but everyone had a memorable and educational trip!

2nd Grade Field Trip - Houston Museum of Natural Science

8th Grade Field TripWashington, D.C.

Go Texan Day