Dear Parents and Friends of St. Pius X,

I am very appreciative of the efforts of all who made the opening of the 2011-2012 school year so successful. Teachers, parents, administrators, and students began the year without a hitch and instruction was underway on the first day of classes.

This past summer I had the opportunity to travel to the University of Notre Dame to support Gayle Ohrenberger, our Director of Campus Ministry. Gayle is currently enrolled in the Maryanne Remick Leadership Program, which is an extension of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Teach-ers Program. It is a Master’s degree program that offers college graduates the opportunity to serve as full-time teachers in under-resourced Catholic schools across the nation.

We sat through several thought provoking presentations regarding the state of Catholic educa-tion in America today. The data was quite compelling, and in some cases, unnerving, as it disclosed the high number of Catholic schools across the country that have had to close their doors for various reasons. The data also revealed that schools which keep their Catholicity and high academic achievement as the two pillars of their being continue to flourish. Hearing this, I once again gave thanks for the opportunity to work at St. Pius X, an environment that devel-ops both pillars through our Catholic faith and college-preparatory academic program. Our students see firsthand the virtues we hold dear displayed each day through the unselfish acts of the teachers who give freely of their time to tutor after hours, or to serve as a club moderator or coach. Our students witness parents and teachers serving as ushers, lectors, Eucharist minis-ters and volunteering in numerous organizations to make our school, community and world a better place. As they become adults, they emulate what they have seen and serve in a selfsame manner for the benefit of others. Our academic program continues to provide our students with numerous choices as they submit their applications to the various colleges all across this nation. Their success in college is a wonderful validation of the rigor of our curriculum and the effectiveness of our teaching methods. Yes, it is these two pillars that make Catholic schools, and in particular, St. Pius X, truly unique.

I am very proud of our school and very appreciative of not just another successful school open-ing, but of where we are as a Catholic school and I thank you. May we all continue to labor in such a manner that this pattern of success continues to bring us higher levels of excellence and achievement and to a place where our entire school community develops a true relationship with our God. I look forward to this year with a renewed enthusiasm and gratefulness.

Warmest regards,

Steve Spellman

st. pius x catholic high school • atlanta, georgia

SPX CURRENT FACTS AND FIGURESANNUAL FUND GOAL: $500,000

Participation:Freshmen: 58 of 300Sophomores: 51 of 298Juniors: 37 of 247Seniors: 34 of 271

Current Pledges & Gifts$121,066

Figures through 9-22-2011Payment due by 6-30-12

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October 2011

Changes are Coming...Be on the lookout for changes in your e-mail inbox over the next few weeks. The weekly e-mail newsletter, eSPX, which contains pertinent, up-to-date information regarding changes to the school calendar, events, out-of-uniform days, information from the Deans of Students and other important items will be changing to a different format. ESPX is sent out every Monday, and all current parents for whom we have valid e-mail addresses are automatically set up to receive it. Each eSPX edition also includes direct links to Web pages as well as many other helpful features which should help our parents easily gain access to much needed information.

Please add the following e-mail address to your safe senders list: mailer.program@charlie.kappinteractive.com. We occasion-ally experience problems with e-mail providers blocking eSPX and adding this address as a safe contact negates this issue.

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Campus News and Events Campus News and Events

National Merit and National Achievement Semifinalists

The National Merit Scholarship Program provides opportunities for scholarships to outstanding students throughout the country who succeed in their studies and perform with excellence on the PSAT examination.

St. Pius X is pleased to announce that we have three semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program and three semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Competition.

Congratulations to the following students:

2012 National Merit Scholarship Competition Semifinalists:Erin Cavalli, Mattie Alison Denzer-King and Rebecca Ponce de Leon

2012 National Achievement Scholarship Competition Semifinalists:Mason Mariney, Chukwuka Obiofuma and Katani Ostine-Franklin

Featuring:

• Over165artisans• One-of-a-kindpieces(jewelry,pottery, monogrammedgifts,children’stoys, fineart,holidaydécor,pursesand muchmore!)• FatherLopez’worldfamoussoup• Raffleticketincludedwithyour admissionticket• Bakesale

Saturday, November 19, 20119 a.m. to 3 p.m.

IncludesbothSt.PiusXGymsandCafeteria

Interested in volunteering for this event?We need adult volunteers for planning and facilitating this event. If you would like to help, please contact Jennifer Mulkeen at 770-986-8209 or at mulkeen4@earthlink.net.

Please include SPX Marketplace in the subject line.

Jacque Kozee & Carol Reddaway (carolreddaway@charter.net)2011 Holiday Marketplace Co-Chairs

Come start your holiday shopping and support our school. Proceeds from the event help fund our Mothers’ Club activities, including scholarships for deserving students and projects that give pil-lows to breast cancer patients, toiletries to the homeless, school materials for our Dresden School Partnership and much more!18

thAnn

ual

Erin Osment ’11 (photo at left) is currently competing with the Davidson College cross country team and recently finished top ten in the 25th Annual Winthrop Cross Country Invite on September 17. Erin placed first for the Davidson Wildcats with a time of 18:41.82 and third overall. (Photo by Tim Cowie).

Alexa Newfield ’10, (photo at right) who is currently a sophomore at the University of Georgia, was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week on September 13. In the soccer games against Mercer and Georgia State, Alexa made four goals and two assists, helping her team win both games. She is currently the SEC leader in points, shots and

first shots in games and is tied for first place in goals.

Dr. Dwana Bush ’72 was recently featured in the August 11, 2011 article “Passing on the Memories” in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for establishing the non-profit Life Legacy Box Project. The project works with volunteer woodworkers and hospice groups to give patients small wooden boxes in which they can store their most cherished items and pass the boxes down to loved ones. Dr. Bush was the recipient of the 1991 St. Pius X Catholic High School Distinguished Alumni Award.

Where are they now...

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Campus News and EventsCampus News and Events

Debra Coheley & Stephanie GravesHome & School Association Co-Presidents

Home and SchoolOn August 22, the dynamic duo of Ms. Geiger and Mr. Favier set the tone for an exciting and competitive field day. Their humorous commentary booming from the stands, kept students and teachers alike en-tertained during a very "heated" Field Day! And who was behind the wonderful lunch served to the students on their Frisbee tray? It was our very own Trish Carr, who serves as the Vice President of Activities for the Home & School Board. Trish and her terrific committee are responsible for the many deli-cious refreshments served at numerous St. Pius X events, which include dinner for the teachers before Mini Class Nights, and lunch room snacks for Mini Class Night parents.Home & School also welcomes potential families for Open House. Trish also holds the position of SPAS Vice President for Choir and is mother of Elisabeth ’14. We are very fortunate to have volunteers like Trish who devote their time and efforts to make the St. Pius X community so special. It is not too late to return your volunteer form. There are many opportunities to find an event that might be enriched by your efforts.

Several important events are coming up over the next few months on our campus. On Tuesday, October 4, St. Pius X will host a blood drive for students and parents in the gym from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parents interested in participating can sign up by sending an e-mail with their contact information and their

preferred appointment times to spxblood-drive@yahoo.com. On October 16, we will host the Sophomore Parent University 201. The evening will preview college require-ments, and we will discuss the importance of students getting involved in extracurricular activities. Parents won’t want to miss this useful information.

The fourth annual Career Forum will be held on November 2, during the long assembly period for all junior and senior students. Students were recently surveyed to rank their top careers of interest and will learn about two of them that morning. They will hear from approximately 50 St. Pius X graduates working in a wide variety of ca-reers, including medicine, engineering, law, architecture, and journalism. Thank you to all who have generously volunteered their time that morning. This event is a parent-led initiative, supported by the Home & School Association. Lastly, Open House for pro-spective parents will be held on November 6 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

As a reminder, you can find a listing of all Home & School sponsored events on-line. Visit www.spx.org, and click on the “Parents” tab at the top of the homepage. From there, click on the “Home & School Association” link.

Have a question that you can’t find in the

handbook or website? Visit the same “Par-ent” tab and click on the “Ask a Parent” link. We will be happy to research your question and provide assistance. You can also use this link to request a copy of J.Tom Morgan’s book, Ignorance is No Defense; A Teenager’s Guide to Georgia Law. See the Home & School news page on the Web site to learn more about J.Tom Morgan.

Home & School EventsOctober/November

October 4:Blood Drive

October 5:Senior Superlatives Pictures

October 16:Sophomore Potluck:

Parent University 201

November 2:Career Day

November 6:Open House

2011 Athletic Association

Fall Golf Outing

Parents, alumni friends, scratch golfers, average golfers, even duffers...

Come support your St. Pius X athletics program by joining us for the 26th Annual Fall Golf Outing at the renowned Northwood Country Club on October 24, 2011. The outing will follow a Ft. Lauderdale format with a 10 a.m. shotgun start.

Even if your golf skill is lacking, we will have something for everyone! You can at least come out to enjoy the day with friends and great food (Chick-fil-A biscuits, Woody's famous hot dogs, Pig-n-Chik and much more!) all for a great cause in sup-port of St. Pius X.

To register, please visit our Web site:http://www.spx.org/AthleticAssociationFundraising

For additional infomration, please contact Stacy Bean at spxaagolf@gmail.com or 404-579-0029.

If you cannot play, but still would love to support the cause, please consider becoming a sponsor. You may contact Rhonda Brum at rhondamcbrum@hotmail.com or 678-570-9516.

We look forward to seeing you there!

A special thank you to our presenting sponsors:

Wolverton & AssociatesChick-fil-A at North Druid Hills

St. Pius X parents, the 2012 yearbook needs your photos! We are requesting pictures featuring students from activities such as summer vacations, hanging out with friends on the weekends, athletic events, field day, Homecoming week, etc.

Please e-mail all pictures to Mrs. Curlette at acurlette@spx.org. Thank you!AT

TENT

ION

PARE

NTS!

2012 Yearbook Photos Needed!

2011Career Forum

On Wednesday, November 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., juniors and seniors will have the opportunity to explore their future career options at the St. Pius X Career Forum. They will meet with St. Pius X alumni and parents to learn what career opportunities are available and how they might pursue them.

Based on their expressed preferences earlier in the year, each senior and junior will be assigned two career sessions, where they will learn more about the specifics of various jobs. In years past, this has been a very popular and successful event offered to the students.

If you are a parent or alumni and you wish to participate as a guest speaker at the event, please feel free to contact Jennifer Flanagan (jenniferflanagan1@mac.com) or Joanie Raines (joanieraines@aol.com).

We look forward to seeing the juniors and seniors there!

Mothers' Club is off to a great start. We currently have 211 members and encourage all St. Pius X moms to join. You can find a membership form on the SPX website. We have already hosted several events this year such as the Principal's/Dean's List Reception and the Dresden School Faculty Cof-fee. Both events were a huge success! We'd like to thank all of the moms who volunteered to help make these events possible.

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Campus News and Events Campus News and Events

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Mothers’ Club News

Maryann CoteAmy Krysiek

Mothers’ Club Co-Presidents

At St. Pius X we are very fortunate to have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every Friday from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. in the chapel.

Please prayerfully consider signing up to be a guardian for an hour weekly, bi-weekly or once a month. You can call or e-mail Theresa Lewis at 770-664-4695 or tlewis29@bellsouth.net for an hour of silent prayer time as a gift for your soul.

In the words of our Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta:

“God is the friend of silence. If we really want to pray we must first learn to listen, for in the

silence of the heart God speaks.”

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Open House 2011

Sunday, November 6, 2011 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Pius X Catholic High School

St. Pius X Catholic High School cordially invites you to our annual Open House to be held Sunday, November 6, 2011 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Open House will feature presentations by Principal Steve Spellman and other faculty members at 1 p.m., 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about our academic, fine arts and athletic programs throughout the afternoon. The event is designed for prospective students, their families and those in the Catholic com-munity who wish to become familiar with life at St. Pius X. We look forward to sharing our school and our community with you!

Please tell your friends and neighbors about our Open House!

See what St. Pius X has to offer your child...

Advent By Candlelight 2011

“Sisters...you know the time; it is the hour now for you to wake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed, the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us put on the armor of light...”

~ St. Paul to the Romans 13:11-12

We are delighted to invite all St. Pius X alumni, mothers of alumni and current students, and all St. Pius X teachers and staff (or their spouses) to our annual Advent By Candlelight celebration. This year’s event will be held Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The gathering is a celebration combining fellowship and prayerful contemplation as we begin the Advent season. A speaker will provide insights and guidance to help us understand and celebrate Advent. There will be music and candlelight, decorations and tasty treats. Best of all, the sisterhood of women who love St. Pius X will be there.

Mark this date on the calendar and take this evening for yourself. Come to spend time with old friends or have this be an opportu-nity to make new ones! Register as an individual or group. Table hostesses will organize each table as well as coordinate decora-tions and refreshments. There is no fee to attend this event; however, a basket will be provided for any small voluntary donation you may choose to make. Donations will help offset the cost of the event so we do not take money away from the Mothers’ Club scholarship fund.

We encourage all women to join us for this special evening as we gather to joyfully await the birth of Jesus.

Please register by emailing SPXMothersClub@yahoo.com or contact Michelle Pittman at mmpittman@yahoo.com.

If you or your student is interested in participating in the Dresden Christmas outreach project, now is the time to sign up! We provide gifts, mainly clothing, for those less fortunate. We are in the process of determining the number of Dresden families that we can sponsor.

If you are interested in buying a gift for a child, sponsoring a child or children or volunteering to help with the project, please contact Anne Grabowski at anne.grabowski@choa.org or Debra Coheley dcoheley@yahoo.com. Students and parents are welcome to assist with the project. SPX students can receive a Works of Mercy if they follow the guidelines.

Dresden Elementary Christmas Project

From the Business OfficeFACTS INCIDENTAL BILLINGS UPDATE

Thanks to all the families that have logged onto their FACTS account and paid their incidental fees. This has been a learning pro-cess for all of us and your patience and good humor is appreciated. Please be reminded that incidental fees are separate from the tuition component of your FACTS account and are not automatically deducted from your bank account like your tuition. Beginning in October, incidental fees will be posted to your account only once a month on the 5th of each month. Payment will be due by the 25th of the month.

Important things to remember:

1. FACTS will e-mail you (to the address they have on file) when an invoice is posted to your account. Please keep this e-mail address updated as this is the only way you will receive notification of charges to your account. If you have not received an e-mail from FACTS, please let me know so we can update your record.

2. When you log onto your FACTS account you can view your incidental charges and make your payment. To see the detail of your FACTS charges, go to your Transaction History and click on the magnifying glass to the right of “Incidental Invoice.”

3. You also have the option to set your monthly incidental charges to be automatically deducted from your account each month by selecting “Auto Pay.” You will still receive e-mail notification that charges have been posted and are being paid. We highly recommend you use this option so you will not have to remember to make your incidental billing payment each month.

4. You can select your method of payment, either bank account, credit card or mail your payment directly to FACTS. You can change your method of payment and add additional accounts as needed. Credit and debit cards payments will be charged a 2.5 percent convenience fee by FACTS. FACTS accepts American Express, MasterCard and Discover.

To log onto your FACTS account to set up your online user name and password, make a payment or to check your balance, go to the SPX Web site, www.spx.org/facts. Please add this address to your "Favorites." If you have problems logging into your account or if you have forgotten your user name or password, contact FACTS at 1-866-441-4637.

Please contact me if you have any questions. Denise Hatter - Student Accounts - dhatter@spx.org

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Annual Fund Interim ReportHello parents! We are extremely encouraged by your generous response to the “Shed-ding Light on the Annual Fund” appeal at Mini Class Night on August 30. As of September 15, we can report that the total parent contribution count has already risen to over 50 percent of last year’s total. We are riding a wave of educated enthusiasm about the Annual Fund and we can now visualize breaking through previous participation re-cords. Parents make all the difference in this effort. No matter how much you are able

to give, you count towards reaching our goal. So far the results have been very encouraging:

Current Parent Participation: 20 percentNumber of Participating Families: 191

Average Parent Gift: $578

Mind you, the GAP this year is $2066. The GAP is the difference between tuition and the total cost to edu-cate each student. The largest portion of this number is closed by donations to the Annual Fund. Your tax deductible gift supports all of our many programs at the school and helps keep tuition increases to a mini-mum. Generosity inspires Achievement and unlocks Possibilities for St. Pius X students.

The Expanding Our Legacy Capital Campaign Continues Athletic teams and physical education classes continue to make good use of our brand new Seaver Family Sports Complex. These beautiful fields are constant reminders of the dedication and generosity of all of the families in our school community. Freshman parents are reminded to consider their support of the Expand-ing Our Legacy Capital Campaign. In late September the campaign committee and members of the Develop-ment Office began calling the incoming class about the campaign and asking for support. A warm thank you to all of you who have already pledged. Remember our goal this year is to match last year’s participation rate of 60 percent. If you have not received a call from one of our team members, know that we will be in touch very soon. We look forward to speaking to each and every one of our new families. If you have ques-tions about the campaign please do not hesitate to call David Buechner, the Director of Development. We will report in depth on campaign progress in the next Spiritus.

Thank you for making St. Pius X great! We are all so proud to be a part of this school, a community where everyone is pulling together to achieve our goals. We ask for God’s guidance in our efforts and thank him for our abundant blessings.

DEVELOPING EXCELLENCE S t . P i u s X C a t h o l i c H i g h S c h o o l

Volume 6, Number 3

David L. Buechner ’73Director of Development

David Buechner ’73Development Director

Victoria Dorsey ’81Alumni Director

Mary Vallés JonesRecords and Special Events

Deanna Jones ’01Communications Coordinator

Kyle SnipesAssociate Communications Coordinator

Kathie LyonsAdministrative Assistant

St. Pius X Catholic High SchoolDevelopment Office2674 Johnson Road, NEAtlanta, GA 30345-1720404-633-4290

Steve SpellmanPrincipal

A Letter A Letter From the Director

Planning Your GiftG.R.A.C.E. Scholars, Inc.The Georgia Private School Tax Credit law, originally known as House Bill 1133, provides an income tax credit for Georgians or corporations who want to donate to a Student Scholarship Organiza-tion. G.R.A.C.E. (Georgia Residents Assisting Children’s Education) Scholar’s, Inc. is a collaborative effort between the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah to provide tuition assistance for qualified families to attend any Catholic school in the State of Georgia. Donations to this fund are eligible for a tax credit equal to the amount donated, making this the most tax favored way to support Catholic education and St. Pius X. Simply put, this program allows households to redirect up to $2,500 of their Georgia tax liability to St. Pius X for scholarship grants to qualified families. “C” Corpora-tions may redirect up to 75 percent of their tax liability. Learn more about this opportunity at www.gracescholars.org.

Employer/Employee Matching Gifts Programs(Ongoing)Employer/Employee Matching Gifts Programs help many St. Pius X donors double their gifts to the school. For your convenience, we have added a search tool to www.spx.org. With this tool, you can verify that your employer has a matching gift program and research the program online. Visit the “Support SPX” link on the homepage of our Web site at www.spx.org.

Publix (Ongoing)While at the store, Publix shoppers can help our school by using their Publix Partners Cards. Simply present the card to the cashier and a portion of the sale will go back to St. Pius X. Cards are included in the summer mailing or are available through Home and School Association or the Development Office. You can give these cards to friends and family for their use as well.

Target (Ongoing)If you are a Target shopper and have a Target REDCard credit or debit card, Target will donate one percent of your Target store and target.com purchases made on your TargetREDCard to St. Pius X through the “Take Charge of Education” program. To participate, register online at www.target.com and enter our school name and identification number (5315) into the appropriate fields.

Georgia Natural Gas (Ongoing)TrueBlue Schools is a program offered by Georgia Natural Gas. If you are already a Georgia Natural Gas customer or are considering switching gas service, this program will send our school a cash benefit. Visit www.trueblueschools.com/registration.asp for more information.

Ways to Give Without Cost to YouThe Expanding Our Legacy Capital Campaign offers a wide range of opportunities for donors at all levels to make a difference in the lives of present and future St. Pius X students.

You can participate in the campaign by making a pledge that permits both flexibility and time to complete the payment. Be-cause the campaign is urgent, we have asked that pledges be fulfilled by December 2011. In some cases, you may require a longer time to complete your commitment, and if so, we are pleased to work with you to arrange such a gift.

There are a variety of ways you can make a gift to Expanding Our Legacy. Each presents certain advantages. All are tax de-ductible within the limits specified by the IRS code. We would recommend that you consult with an attorney or financial advisor when planning your commitment.

Gifts may be made with cash, check, credit card or through automatic transfer from your checking or savings account. Cash gifts qualify for a charitable deduction in the year they are given.

Gifts of Appreciated Securities held for more than one year permit a donor to use the full value of the security at the time of donation as a tax deduction, while avoiding the capital gains tax that would be imposed if the security were sold.

Gifts of Property, including residence, farm, vacation home, jewelry, art, etc. can provide significant benefits to the school and to the donor. The specialized help of appraisers and tax advisors is necessary to make such a gift.

Gifts of Life Insurance can provide a way to make a sizeable gift at a relatively low cost. Again, consulting with your attorney or tax advisor is important.

Bequests and Life Payment Plans are excellent ways to partici-pate in the campaign at levels you might not ordinarily consider. These include a bequest in one’s will as well as various trust instruments.

The main consideration in making any type of gift to the campaign is to find a way that brings joy to you and your family—joy in supporting a cause in which you believe.

If you have any questions regarding the planning of your gift to St. Pius X, please contact the Development Office at 404-633-4290, or visit our Web site at www.spx.org and click on the “Support SPX” link at the top of the homepage.

Stop by the Roar Store for all of your St. Pius X spirit

wear and gear! Roar Store Open During Home Football Games: This season, stop by the Roar Store for St. Pius X spirit wear and items during all home football games. Regular store hours will be extended through kick-off at 7:30 p.m. The next home game will be held October 14. We look forward to seeing you and helping you look your best while supporting our Golden Lions!

Winter Uniform: Please note that all students should be wearing the proper winter uniform beginning November 6 at Open House. Winter uniforms are worn through March 12.

Normal Hours of Operation: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday:

7:45 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.Wednesday:

8:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Roar Store Manager:

Sally King • (404) 636-3023 x242 • sking@spx.org

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Guidance and Counseling

PSAT Testing Explained...Each October, the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT) test is held for all ninth through eleventh graders. This test provides students with firsthand experience and practice for the SAT, the standardized test taken by juniors and seniors and used in the college admissions process. The PSAT/NMSQT is co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Juniors’ scores are used to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship, which is a prestigious scholarship awarded to the highest scoring students in the nation.

The PSAT is broken down into: critical reading skills (two 25 minute sections), math problem-solving skills (two 25 minute sections) and writing skills (one 30 minute section, which is taken on a separate day entirely, during mass assembly schedule). The entire test requires two hours and 10 minutes.

The PSAT scores are used as a reference guide to advise students throughout their college search, as well as being a tool for parents. Score reports are received by parents in either December or January and give necessary information regarding strengths and weaknesses.

Please remember the counselors are always available and happy to review the results and answer any questions. Jenniffer Kapp Director of Guidance and Counseling

Things to Keep in Mind

FRESHMENBy October, all freshmen should have met with their counselors. If they are enrolled in Health this semester, they are also taking Life Choices.

SOPHOMORESIn early December, counselors will be visiting theol-ogy classes to discuss how to best deal with stress during exam time.

JUNIORSCollege Night was held in September and representa-tives have been on campus meeting with students. College 101 classes are currently in progress.

SENIORS The second college application deadline is quickly approaching on November 2. Counselors are avail-able at any time.

Monday, October 17Upon This Rock - The Church & You

Monday, October 24I Absolve You

God’s Mercy & Reconciliation

Monday, November 7The Gospel of Life

The Dignity of the Human Person

Monday, November 14Men, Women and the Mystery of Love

St. Pius X Faith & Reason

SeriesEnrich Your Life

Enrich Your Family Join us for the Faith & Reason Series from 7 - 8 p.m. in the Flannery O’Connor Library. Speak-ers include Ben Clare (10/17), Msgr. Richard Lopez (11/7), Rev. Brian Higgins (10/24) and Rev. Neil Dhabliwala (11/14). For more infor-mation, please contact Miss Gayle Ohrenberger at gohrenberger@spx.org.

I once heard a priest say, “I am trying to get to heaven and take as many souls with me as possible.” This simple quote represents what the ultimate goal should be for all of us and our families: to know, love and serve the Lord here on earth so that we may spend eternity with Him in Heaven. The gift of Heaven is the reason we pray for both the living and the dead, and it is the purpose behind offering the greatest of prayers, the Mass, for loved ones.

The ancient tradition of celebrating Holy Mass for someone, living or dead, is based on three elements of our Catholic faith: the Communion of Saints, Purgatory and the efficacy of the Eucharistic sacrifice. The Communion of Saints includes the

faithful Christians on earth, the holy souls in Purgatory and the glorious souls in Heaven. The saints in Heaven have no need of our prayers because they have reached the final goal, but for those who have not yet reached Heaven, prayers are still very much needed.

Only the perfectly purified enter HeavenFrom the beginning, the Church has offered the Eucharistic Sacrifice for the dead so that, once purified, they may attain the holiness necessary to enter the joy of Heaven. In other words, only saints enter Heaven. Either we become saints here on earth or in Purgatory, but nothing unholy can enter Heaven. Offering the Eucharistic Sacrifice in Mass for the dead becomes for them the “medicine of immortality, the antidote of death and the food that enables us to live forever in Jesus Christ.”

All Souls DayThe Church’s liturgical life reflects this belief and theological understanding. On All Saints Day, November 1, we praise God for the glory of the saints in Heaven and seek their intercession. On All Souls Day, November 2, we pray for all the faithful departed who are now being purified in Purgatory. It is actually the only day of the year that the Church exhorts her priests to celebrate three Masses in one day!

We have a lot of work to do in praying for the dead. Sadly, many don’t believe it is necessary or even believe that Purgatory exists. Just because someone doesn’t believe in Purgatory doesn’t mean they simply bypass it. Purgatory does not exist only for Catholics. It exists for anyone trying to reach Heaven. A great many souls are deprived of prayer because either they are presumed to be in Heaven or are forgotten. For our part we must continue to pray for the dead and leave the judging to God and the Church.

We don’t want to forget about our family and friends. So at St. Pius X we have the opportunity to offer Masses for loved ones.

Gayle Ohrenberger Director of Campus Ministry

All Souls Novena

All Souls NovenaBeginning November 2, we will begin our All Souls Novena, nine days of Masses offered for our loved ones by name. There is an envelope included in this edition of Spiritus for you if you would like to include your loved ones in the Novena.

An Invitation From Campus Ministry

All of the members of our St. Pius X community are invited to join us in the greatest prayer of the Church, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Mass is celebrated Monday through Friday in the St. Pius X Chapel at 7:20 a.m. Mass is also celebrated every Wednesday during fifth period.

We would also like to extend a special invitation to join us for Eucharistic Adoration , which takes place every Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

We hope to see you there!

Campus Ministry

St. Pius X Dance ProgramThe St. Pius X Dance Company completed work with Becki Chernoff on September 9 and 10. She set a lyrical piece to music by John Mayer. The poignant theme deals with the loss of a loved one. All four senior dancers will be featured in this incredible work scheduled to premiere in the annual Spring Dance Concert (March 22 – 24). Mrs. Chernoff is on faculty at Dan & Company Studios. We welcome her back as a guest artist for 2011-12 season. Many thanks to SPAS for supporting this opportunity!

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Performing live at the following events:

Friday, October 14Home Football Game vs. North Druid Hills

Halftime Performance

Saturday, October 15Band Competition at Collins Hill High School

Suwanee, Georgia

Saturday, October 22Band Competition at Forsyth Central High School

Cumming, Georgia

Friday, November 4Regional Playoff Game

Location TBD

The St. Pius X Marching Golden Lions Present...As a classic rock tribute to the "Hey-Day" of FM radio, the St. Pius X Marching Golden Lions present: WSPX RADIO, featuring the music of Rush, The Eagles, Journey, and MORE! Make sure to mark your calendars so that you don't miss the final four shows!

St. Pius X Fine Arts

2011-2012

Season of EventsOctober 19-22

Get Smart Presented by the Pius Players

December 1 Band, Guitar, and Choir Christmas Concert

February 24Juried Visual Arts Exhibition

March 7-11Spring Musical

Presented by the Pius Players

March 22-24Spring Dance Concert

April 19Band Spring Performance

April 20Guitar and Choir Spring Performance

May 8NOVO Choreography & Benefit Project

Please join the Pius Players as they travel back in time to the sixties with Maxwell Smart, Agent 99, Mr. Big, the Chief and all of the crazy characters in the Mel Brooks and Buck Henry laugh-fest, Get Smart (shoe phone and all!). The show will run from October 19-22. The cost will be $10, all students are admitted free of charge. All performances will be held at 7 p.m. in the Monsignor Terry W. Young Center.

Make sure to mark your calendars and come laugh out loud with the entire cast and crew!

As a reminder, on Thursday, November 17 at 7 p.m. in the Monsignor Terry W. Young Center, the Pius Players will be presenting a special performance of the moving Holocaust play, Do You Hear Them Crying? The show will be open to the entire St. Pius X community. We hope to see you there.

Theatrically,

Join the Pius Players as They Proudly Present...

Bonnie E. SparkDirector of Theatre

Arts

Lisa O'ConnorDirector of Dance

Pictured at Right: (Left to right, top to bottom): Claire Hamner, Ann Katherine Vitti, Alison Barnett and Rose Kazanowski.

Campus News and Events

Save the date

to Set Sail for St. Pius X

Gala 2012February 11

How can you help?

Plan to attend, become a corporate or individual sponsor, donate an item or service for the silent/live auction (vacation homes, restaurant gift certificates, tickets to sporting events, memorabilia, etc.)

If you have any questions or would like to help with the event, please contact:

Stephanie Graves at 404-593-6053 or sgraves@jpgraves.comSandy Huff at 404-816-1817 or sandyhuf@bellsouth.net

For the latest information, please visit: http://spx.maestroweb.com.

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Athletics

Several members of the wrestling team at St. Pius X participated in the Dunwoody-Manhattan Twenty-Six Story Memorial Stair Climb on Saturday, September 10 at The Manhattan Condominiums in Dun-woody. The event was in memory of the 343 firefighters and 60 police officers that lost their lives in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. The event was of-ficially sponsored by DeKalb County Fire and Rescue, who donated the proceeds of all registration fees to the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation, which aids in the recovery of burn victims and their families.

The St. Pius X Water Polo Team was fortunate to participate in Dynamo Swim Club’s Annual PowerBar Cup. Along with this competition, the team was able to attend a clinic featuring former Olympian and gold medalist Brad Schumacher. The clinic was held in an effort to promote and develop high school water polo across the state.

Nearly forty players were in attendance from the various 15 teams in the league. Schumacher spoke to the competitors about the importance of basic skills, con-ditioning and recruiting for college. He gave advice and input from an insider’s perspective of what colleges are look-

Pictured Above (L-R): Sam Beckwith, Josh Chatfield, Rafael Garcia, Ben Myers, Josh Beck and Cecelia Probst stand with former Olympian Brad Schumacher St. Pius X is performing well in all sports

to date. Volleyball (No. 1-AAA) saw its 24-match win streak snapped at the high-ly competitive Lovett Block Party Invi-tational. The Golden Lions boys’ cross country team moved up a spot in the ga.milesplit.com All-Classification poll to No. 4 while continuing to sit atop the AAA poll, as the ladies maintain their second spot in the AAA poll. Football climbed to No. 3 in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution rankings, but dropped in the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) poll to No. 4.

The Golden Lion football team cruised to a victory in its Region 5-AAA opener against North Springs 60-0 to run its record to 4-0. Senior quarterback Trey White connected with senior running back Geno Smith for a 26-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Senior running backs Logan Rosborough and Jake DeLany scored two TDs, while Brandon Mitch-ell, Nick Ruffin and Dalton Wilson each added a rushing score.

Junior Grayson Klinger returned an interception for a score. Defensive backs Aaron Avant and Nick Glass also added interceptions leading St. Pius X to its second shutout of the season. The Golden Lions hosted North Atlanta on September 23 for its annual Homecoming game.

The volleyball squad won a match over Druid Hills and North Springs to re-main undefeated in Area 5 play up until that point. The Golden Lions took their first three matches at the Lovett Block Party Invitational against No. 5 Colum-bus (AAA), Homewood, and Landmark

Athletics

L I O N T R A C K S

Water Polo Team Works with Former Olympianing for in potential students through their grades, skills and leadership positions. Schumacher was also able to share skills and report on the development of the sport in Atlanta.

In addition to giving insight, the Olympian also demonstrated several drills with the players, giving invaluable advice on how to enhance their game. In attendance were the 24 water polo competitors from the St. Pius X team who felt the clinic was simply outstanding. Under the leadership of Fr. Dan Rogaczewski, the team is working hard to make the sport recognized in high school athletics.

Wrestling Squad Participates in 9/11 EventPaying tribute to the lives lost on Septem-ber 11th were numerous firefighters and police officers, many of which climbed in full gear. Prior to the actual climb, there was much time for reflection in the open-ing ceremonies. Capt. Matt Robinson of Station #21 sang "God Bless America" and a high school student from Blue Ridge sang the National Anthem while a local boy scout troop presented the colors.

“One of my goals for our wrestling program this year is to participate in a meaningful, charitable event as a team. I want this year to be special and memo-rable, not only with success in competi-tion, but because we live out the mission

of our school and Catholic faith in a tangible way. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of September 11th together as a team is our way of honoring the memory of the victims and the heroic service of the first responders,” said head wrestling head coach David Sabino.

Members of the team that participated were Steven Mann, Frank Lentini, Brian Lentini, Joe Twiner, Nick Twiner, John Garner, Dalton Scoggins, Robbie Martin, Ryan Holmes, Connor Laubenthal, Harris Woodward, Ty Mascara, Quinn Peragine, Nicholas Glass, Eamon Quinn, Cole Wal-dron, Brian Rainwater, Conor Croft, Colin Taylor, Patrick Taylor and Ben Cogburn.

Christian before falling to No. 5 Roswell (AAAAA). The lady netters rebounded by knocking off No. 3 McIntosh (AAAA) before succumbing to No. 4 Whitewater (AAAA) in the Red Bracket Classic. The Golden Lions are 33-4 overall on the year, and hosted area matches Septem-ber 27 against No. 5 Riverwood (AAA), Towers and Columbia.

Both boys’ and girls’ cross country teams competed in the Warpath Invitational in Canton on September 17. The boys’ squad was the top finishing AAA school, and finished third overall in all classifica-tions. The male harriers were paced by a third-place finish by Austin Sprague, and ninth-place showing by Calvin Tirrell. The performance by Sprague and Tirrell earned them the all-time second and third best times, respectively, in school history. Andrew Anastasiades, Paul McNeil and Chris Beach also helped the team to the second best team time in St. Pius X his-tory.

The lady harriers finished fifth over-all and were the second AAA finisher just two points behind No. 1 Allatoona (AAA). Devon Dabney led all Golden Lion runners finishing in 22nd-place. The boys’ team will run September 24 at The Atlanta Classic at Clinton Farms. The next race for the girls' team will be the Southeast Showdown on October 8 in Hoover, Alabama.

The softball squad scored a Region 5 victory over North Springs on Septem-ber 13. The Golden Lions travelled to Chattanooga for the SCORE Invitational, where they went 1-4 on the weekend.

After dropping the first two games to Ringgold and Bryan County, St. Pius X rebounded for a win over LaFayette before losing the final two games to No. 3 Calhoun (AA) and No. 1 Gordon Lee (A). The Golden Lions hosted River-wood on September 23 for their second annual pink game, where they raised money for the Margaret Gilbert Scholar-ship Fund.

The competition cheer squad saw its first action of the 2011 season at the Mill Creek High School Competition. The Golden Lions placed third in the event finishing ahead of Lo-cust Grove which finished in the top six at the state champi-onships last year. St. Pius X will return to competition at the Rumble in the Jungle at Parkview High School on October 8.

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PRE-SORTEDFIRST CLASS U.S. POSTAGE

PAID Permit No. 104

Atlanta, GA

St. Pius X Catholic High School2674 Johnson Road, NEAtlanta, Georgia 30345-1720404/633-4290www.spx.org

Editor: Ruth McCulloughCommunications Coordinator: Deanna JonesAssociate Communications Coordinator: Kyle Snipes

Spiritus is a publication of the Development Office of St. Pius X Catholic High School and is published eight times per year.St. Pius X is a unit of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.Submissions: Mail or e-mail djones@spx.org or fax 404-320-0308.

Copyright 2011

St. Pius X Publications Available Online

Current issues of all St. Pius X publica-tions including Spiritus, Alumni News, Golden Lines newspaper, and eSPX, are all available on the St. Pius X Web site, www.spx.org. Spiritus and Alumni News are available on the Web site as soon as they are sent to press.

October 1 SAT’s at SPX at 8 a.m. 3 Athletic Association Meeting at 6 p.m. 4 Blood Drive 9 - 3 p.m. 5 Home & School Meeting at 7 p.m. 7 Faculty Retreat - No School 10 Sophomore Pilgrimage SPAS Meeting at 7 p.m. 12 PSAT Testing - Noon Dismissal No School for Seniors 16 Sophomore Parent Pot Luck Dinner at 5 p.m. 18 Mothers' Club Board Meeting at 7 p.m. 19 Mass 19-22 Fall Play - Get Smart 22 Marathon of Mercy 24 Junior Pilgrimage 26 Mothers’ Prayer Group Meeting at 9 a.m. Interim Grades Available on NetClassroom 30 Athletic Association Meeting

November 1 All Saints Day - Mass 2-10 All Souls Novena Begins Junior/Senior Career Day Home & School Meeting at 7 p.m. All College Applications Due 3 Mothers' Club Bunco at 7 p.m. 6 Open House 1 - 4 p.m. 7 Winter Uniform Begins 9 Morning of the Arts at 9:30 a.m. 14 SPAS Meeting at 7 p.m. 16 Mothers' Prayer Group at 9 a.m. 17 Do You Hear Them Crying? 7 p.m. 19 Holiday Marketplace 9 - 3 p.m. 23-27 Thanksgiving Holidays 27 First Sunday of Advent 28 Teacher Work Day - No School 30 Advent by Candlelight at 7 p.m.