January 2017 | Volume 19 | Number 4The official monthly newsletter of Xavier High School

InsIdePrincipal‘s Corner: 2 | Business Office News: 3 | Parish Appeal Exceeds Goal: 4 | Dancing with the Saints: 5 | Campus Ministry News: 7 | Guidance Update: 8 | School Choice: 9 | Good News: 11 | Students / Faculty of the Month: 12 SportSmanShip

PrinciPal‘s corner:

Dancing with the

Saints “Season 2 “ a

Huge Success!

2016 Parish Appeal Exceeds Goal!

School ChoiceGiving parents the power; Giving parents options

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“Hey ref, you stink!”As many of you know, I’m a member of the Board of Con-trol of the Iowa High School Athletic Association. I repre-sent Iowa High School principals on that Board. As part of the IHSAA’s ongoing effort to call attention to the impor-tance of sportsmanship, they’ve asked administrators to find ways to promote it and to encourage athletes, coaches, students and fans to be positive when attending athletic events.

I’ve been to my share of high school spectator athletic events. I would guess the number is somewhere close to 3500. You read that right. 3500. (I’m older than you think). That includes football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, soc-cer, baseball and softball. Add youth and college sports and that number grows considerably. And let’s just say I’ve seen my share of examples of terrific sportsmanship and I’ve seen my share of less than stellar sportsmanship. And full-disclosure, as a very young coach I needed the (some-

times stern) guidance of an athletic direc-tor who understood the importance of representing yourself, your team and your school in a positive way.

I am proud to say that more often than not, Xavier fans have demonstrated respect for officials and opponents. It is my hope that we continue to work so that “more often than not” be-comes “always.” As I tell our Saints frequently, “We either get better or worse; we never stay the same.” I encourage all of us to keep sports-

manship a priority.

While I’m no expert on the topic, I think my experience as a high school

and college athlete, a coach of youth and high school sports, an official, an activities director, a principal and a member of the Board of Control of the IHSAA has given

me a unique perspective on sportsmanship that I would guess few people possess. Based on that experience (and a little on the fact that Xavier hasn’t won an MVC or state sportsmanship award in several years), I’d like to share a few thoughts.

Sportsmanship is a choice. We choose to either display it or not – at high school, college, pro and youth events. It is under our control. No one but the individual (athlete, coach or fan) is responsible for his or her behavior when it comes to sportsmanship. I realize that sports can elicit a myriad of emotions. Exhilaration. Excitement. Pride. Disappoint-ment. Frustration. The question is, what do we do with that emotion?

I have yet to meet an official who cares which team wins the game. Their responsibility is to make sure the game is played according the rules. The men and women who get involved in officiating do so out of a love for the game and an interest in serving the sport, the school and the young people who are involved. They want to stay connected to the game. Let’s also remember they are human. Like all of us, they make mistakes. They miss calls. But here’s the thing. Players miss shots, turn the ball over and get beat on defense. Coaches make wrong adjustments. As I’ve told my sons, my players and my assistant coaches, the day we are perfect is the day we have the “right” to argue with the officiating of a game.

I have yet to witness a fan or coach yelling at an official resulting in the official stopping the game, turning to the fan or coach and responding, “You know what? You’re right. I did make the wrong call (or I failed to make the call). I’m going to change my call. Thank you for pointing it out to me.” The reality is, our yelling serves no purpose other than to express our own frustration. Perhaps it’s our way of letting everyone else know that we know more than the official. My guess is most of us would have a difficult time passing the rules exam necessary as part of the licensing process. (Continued on next page)

Tom KeatingXavier Principal

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PrinciPal’s corner (continued)

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What I have witnessed is an alarming number of officials leaving something they love and an even more alarming decrease in the number of new officials entering the ranks each year. The reason they share over and over again is, “the abuse of fans.” Imagine the day, and it may not be that far away, when we have to reduce our schedules be-cause there are not enough officials to do the games. The IHSAA has identified the decreasing number of available officials, “a crisis.”

When we yell at officials, we are giving our student-ath-letes an excuse. We are telling them that the game is out of their control. We are teaching them that it isn’t their effort, energy and execution that determines whether they win or lose. It’s the officiating. What kind of lesson is that? We are also modeling for our students that lashing out is an acceptable way to disagree. And it’s quite likely that we are annoying those who came to enjoy the game.

The reality is, we aren’t just individuals when we attend athletic events. We are representatives of Xavier High School. What we do and what we say – including how we say it – is a reflection on our entire community. When we act with class and dignity (which we almost always do), we send a message that Xavier is a first-class school with a

first-class community. I hope that means something to all of us. I can assure you it means a lot to me.

Maybe I look at things too simply but to me sportsman-ship, more than anything else, is a matter of self-control. It is the ability to look at something and think to ourselves, “that was a travel” or “that was a foul” without shouting it for everyone to hear. It is the ability to understand that we are watching a “game.” It is a respect for the people who are trying to bring order to something that so easily could turn chaotic.

I encourage all of us to reflect on the importance on sportsmanship and the impact that sportsmanship or the lack of it has on the young people who compete and those who come to watch their classmates compete.

Sincerely,

Tom Keating, Principal @Phillyboy14

View upcoming activities schedules at XavierSaints.org.

Xavier is committed to making sure Catholic education is available to all students who desire it. You are highly encouraged to apply for assistance.

Both the Our Faith, Our Children, Our Future STO and Xavier High School will be utilizing FACTS Management to assist in determining the level of assistance to be awarded. FACTS has developed an application that all fami-lies need to complete to be considered for assistance. Your personal informa-tion will be held in strictest confidence at all times. If you have a child at more than one Archdiocesan School or if you wish to apply for both types of assis-

tance, you will only need to complete one application form. There is a $26* non-refundable processing fee for the application, payable to FACTS. *amount based on last year’s charge

The application is currently available online at FACTSMgt.com. In addi-tion to your completed application, you must include a copy of your 2016 federal income tax return or your 2015 federal income tax return with a copy of your 2016 W-2(s). The applica-tion needs to be completed online or completed on a paper copy and post-marked no later than March 23, 2017.To assist you in filling out the applica-

tion FACTS will have a call center avail-able at 1-866-441-4637. You are also welcome to call Tom Drish at 319-739-7307 Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Xavier for assistance.

Click here to view the Tuition Fact Sheet

Business office uPdate: tution assistance is availaBle!

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ParisH aPPeal exceeds Goal!

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Submitted by Lynn Jump Xavier Foundation Annual Fund Director

We are pleased to announce we have

raised more than $511,000 and have

surpassed the 2016 Parish Appeal Goal.

Thank you to our parish pastors,

parishioners, dedicated volunteer

parents, faculty, alumni and students for

everything you do to make the annual

Parish Appeal a success!

We are most grateful for your support!

PilGrim virGin statue & rosary eacH niGHt durinG catHolic scHools Week

The Pilgrim Virgin Statue is coming to Xavier during Catholic Schools Week next week (Jan. 30-Feb. 3) and the Rosary will be prayed at 7:30 p.m. each weekday night that week in the XHS chapel. The Pilgrim Virgin Statue Program was brought to the Cedar Rapids area over 40 years ago as a venue to bring Catholics in our community together in prayer. All are invited to join!

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dancinG WitH tHe saints nets more tHan $110,000!Xavier hosted its second annual “Dancing with the Saints” sold out live event on Saturday, January 14 at Cedar Rapids’ DoubleTree Ho-tel & Convention Center. Nearly 900 attendees turned out to enjoy an entertaining evening and to raise money for key improvements to sound systems in Xavier’s gymnasium and around campus. The live event featured 10 Xavier community “stars” (Shirley Rissi, Tony Bedard, Jeanne Joens, Duane Jasper, Shelley Helms - L89, Dr. Andrew Last, Dr. Tim Sagers, Mike Glavan, Kathy Smith & Kathy Moeder) who teamed with 10 dance coaches from various dance studios in the Cedar Rapids area (Derrick Murray, Lauren Witte, Cameron Byrd, Vanessa Terrell, Aaron Canterbury, Meredith Diebold - X14, Alisabeth Von Presley, Erica Ireland, Joe Retek & Alvon Reed).

The couples competed for votes in the form of donations with the couple garnering the most votes winning the “People’s Choice” Championship, which was awarded to Shirley Rissi and Derrick Murray. Three guest judges (KCRG-TV9’s Scott Saville, former Hawkeye basketball great, Kevin Boyle, & NASCAR’s Joey Gase - X11) awarded the “Judges’ Choice” Championship for best dance to Mike Glavan and Erica Ireland. Director of Development for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Jeff Henderson, and Iowa State Senator, Liz Mathis, reprised their roles as emcees of the live event.

Thank you to our sponsors who helped to make this event possible: Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC, Schimberg Co., High-way Equipment Company, Inspired to Sew, True North, Bankers Trust, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust, Cedar Rapids Toyota, Destina-tions Unlimited & Hawkeye Electric.

Emiko Coffey (X17) photos.

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dancinG WitH tHe saints (continued)MORE LIVE EVENT PHOTOS1. Members of the cast of Dancing with the Saints: Season 1 open up the live event with a surprise perfor-mance. 2. Dancing with the Saints Judge: Scott Saville. 3. People’s Choice Champions: Derrick Murray & Shirley Rissi. 4. Judges’ Choice Champions: Erica Ireland & Mike Glavan. 5. Dancing with the Saints Judge: Joey Gase (X11). 6. Dancing with the Saints Judge: Kevin Boyle. 7. Dancing with the Saints Emcees: Jeff Henderson & Liz Mathis. 8. Tom Keating thanks Dancing with the Saints co-chairs: Karen Woods & Heidi Brown. 9. Dancing with the Saints Committee: Nick Ireland, Di Richardson, Jody Pellerin, Mary Pat Schulte, Jerry Brown, Karen Woods, Heidi Brown & Tom Keating! Emiko Coffey (X17) photos.

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CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?The more than $110,000 raised by Dancing with the Saints will be put toward sound system improvements in the Ron Thillen Gymnasium and around campus. Stay tuned throughout the Spring semester for further updates!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

dancIng wIth the saInts: season 3

is scheduled for January 20, 2018!

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camPus ministry uPdateSubmitted by Jody Esker

XHS Campus Ministry

Life Matters!Join the Nine Days for Life prayer by clicking here. The March for Life took place on January 27th in Washington DC. The March for Life is an annual pro-life rally protesting abortion on or around the anniversary of the US Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the case Roe v. Wade. For more information regarding March for Life, contact coalitionforlife@gmail.com. Please pray for the sanctity of all life!

Unfortunately the trip some of our students had planned to the Midwest March in Chicago was cancelled be-cause of weather. But there are always opportunities to pray for and value life issues!

KairosKairos retreats have been going strong this year. We are so fortunate to have students who wish to invest 4 days at a retreat to learn more and deepen their relationship with Christ. We ask for your continued prayers for Kairos. We will make our third Kairos retreat Feb 2-5. The final Kairos of the school year will be April 27-30. Catholic Schools WeekCatholic Schools Week will be celebrat-ed January 29-Feb 5. Activities for the Week include:January 31th – Xavier Catholic Schools Liturgy 10:00 a.m. Students from

LaSalle, St. Joseph, Regis and Xavier High School will gather at Xavier to celebrate the Catholic Schools Week lit-urgy. Father Jack Flaherty will preside.This year’s theme is: Communities of Faith, Knowledge, Service

There is Mass in the Chapel every Friday morning that school is in session at 7am. All are welcome! Mass is followed by adoration during the school day. Stop in anytime and spend sometime with the Lord. Lent 2017Our school theme this year is “Make Me an instrument of YOUR peace”. Our morning prayer will be looking deeply into the Prayer of St. Francis and how we all are called to be instruments of Peace.

Ash Wednesday Liturgy – March 1 at 9:50 a.m.

ReconciliationCheck your local bulletins for Communal Reconciliation times and dates. (There will be reconciliation offered on Thursday March 23 at Xavier for the seniors and freshmen, or anyone else who desires to go. The juniors and sophomores had their class reconcilia-tion service 1st semester.)

TECSenior parents: Please encourage your student to attend one of the TEC (Teens Encounter Christ Weekends) held throughout the Archdiocese of Dubuque. This three day retreat centers on the Paschal Mystery. TEC is a great opportunity for seniors to reflect on their relationship with Christ as they complete their high school career and move forward as young adults. Dates and online registration for upcoming TEC retreats can be found here .

Senior MentorSenior Mentor applications will be going out to all juniors. This is an opportunity for current juniors to apply for a leader-ship role as a senior mentor. Please look for these applications the first of February.

Women’s ConferenceLadies....a special event just for you on Feb 4 at St. Pius. Take time out of your busy schedules to attend this very worthwhile women’s conference. Click here to see more details.

Jesse RomeroNational speaker Jesse Romero will be addressing Xavier student of Wed Feb 15 at 9:50am. All are welcome to at-tend.

‘Put on cHrist!’ in your life, and you Will find a friend in WHom you can alWays trust; ‘Put on cHrist’ and you Will see tHe WinGs of HoPe sPreadinG and lettinG you journey WitH joy toWards tHe future; ‘Put on cHrist’ and your life Will Be full of His love; it Will Be a fruitful life.”

-PoPe francis at World youtH day rio 2013

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Gudiance office uPdate

online scHedulinG for 2017-2018 BeGins at 5 P.m. monday, jan. 30Access to online scheduling in PowerSchool for current Xavier freshmen, sophomores and juniors opens today, Monday, January 30 at 5:00 p.m. The deadline to complete online scheduling is 5:00 p.m. Monday, February 6th.

This process is critical to our planning for the 2017-18 school year. Textbook, materials and staffing decisions are all tied to an accurate number of students registered for courses.

Directions for the online process will be emailed to the students today and are available here. Online scheduling resources with course sequence information can be found here.

incominG fresHman scHedulinG niGHt

When: Monday, Feb. 6, 2017(Doors Open: 6 p.m. | Program at 6:30 p.m.)Where: Xavier High School, 6300 42nd St. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52411

XHS CLASS OF 2021: REMEMBER TO PICK UP YOUR FREE XHS CLASS OF 2021 KEYCHAIN WHEN YOU ATTEND SCHEDULING NIGHT!

Students planning to enroll as freshmen at Xavier High School this fall are invited to attend Scheduling Night. Families will learn about course offerings and meet with a teacher to decide on classes. Doors open at 6 p.m. with programming beginning at 6:30 p.m. Please contact the XHS Guidance Office with any questions at 319-739-7313 or Cara Joens at cara.joens@xaviersaints.org.

This is a required event!

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School choice gives parents the freedom to choose their children’s “best fit” educational setting. As the State of Iowa begins its legislative session, we want to make sure that your voice, as a parent, is heard regarding this issue. There are a variety of educational options that are thriving and possess an outstanding track record of success, such as Xavier Catholic Schools.

WHat are tHe Goals of scHool cHoice ProGrams?• To put parents in the driver’s seat when it comes to education

• Parents freely choose from all educational options

• To not limit families to educational solutions based on where they live or what they earn

• To ensure that children can be educated in a way that meets their individual needs and equips them for success

WHat Would an education savinGs account (esa) ProGram look like?

tHe creation of education savinGs accounts (esas) Would do tHe folloWinG:• Allow any parent enrolling his or her child in a non-public school to receive a deposit of public funds into special savings accounts

• Parents would receive an amount equal to the state’s per pupil funding

• This deposit could be used for non-public educational options — tuition, fees, tutoring, virtual courses, etc.

Click here to view the informative School Choice Legislative Kickoff webinar which was presented to parents.

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scHool cents: last minute reminder!

Congratulations to XHS senior, Alicia Miltner, who was among area high school students honored by the Cedar Rapids Downtown Rotary as a recipient of the Service Above Self Award! Honorees were recognized for demonstrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s honorable characteristics through their volunteer work, school attendance and positive behavior. Alicia embodies these characteristics and more as she goes above an beyond to serve others in our community.

Congrats again Alicia on this well-deserved honor!

facebook.com/CRXavierCatholicSchools

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Good neWs!

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<<< Barnes accePts nomination to West Point

Xavier senior, Ryer Barnes, received a surprise phone call from Congressman Rod Blum on Tuesday, January 17th, to notify Ryer of his appointment to West Point United States Military Academy.

<<< roBotics Win leaGue cHamPionsHiP

The XHS Xcentrics Robotics Team won their League Championship competition on January 21st at Marion High School. Additionally, Xavier won the Control Award for demonstrating innovative thinking in the control system to solve game challenges such as autonomous operation, enhancing mechanical systems with intelligent control, and using sensors to achieve better results on the field. The Xcentrics advance to the Iowa Super Qualifier on February 11th.

<<< 15 of 17 sPeecH GrouPs earn division i ratinGs

Fifteen (out of 17) Xavier Speech groups earned a Divi-sion I rating at the District Large Group Speech Contest in Monticello on January 21st. These groups also qualified for State (which will be held on February 4th)!

<<< Gerke is xavier’s first 2x mvc WrestlinG cHamPion

Xavier Wrestling’s Josh Gerke (145 lbs) is Xavier’s first two-time MVC champion after pinning his way to a champion-ship at the MVC Tournament in Waterloo on January 28th.

<<< jazz Band earns division i ratinG

Xavier’s Jazz Band One received a Division I rating the State Jazz Festival at West Delaware on January 23rd. The Saints earned their rating with scores of 48-49-49 out of 50.

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Xavier high School | 6300 42nd Street ne | cedar rapidS, ia 52411 | (319) 294-6635 | XavierSaintS.org

facebook.com/XavierSaintS @XavierSaintS

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mark your calendars! annual xavier Band GaraGe sale and Bake sale fundraiser!Saturday, April 22, 2017

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Commons

Donations of small household items, toys, games, books, and cloth-ing are to be delivered to the school on Friday, April 21 between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Proceeds from the sale will assist the Xavier Band Department in purchasing new equipment. For further informa-tion contact Carol Vester at 319-329-4566 or cavester@mchsi.com.