Blue Jay E-News
September 2008 Vol. 1; No. 4
Dear Blue Jays: This 4th edition of Blue Jay E-News has something for all segments of the Jesuit community – parents, alumni, teachers, and even students. Remember that the current newsletter and earlier editions are posted on our web site: Blue Jay E-News. We Begin with Breaking News… Blue Jay Football on the Radio Tonight! Blue Jay football is back on WGSO 990 AM Radio and on our own web site: Jesuit Home Page. In a rare Wednesday evening (that’s tonight!) contest, thanks to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the Jays travel across the world’s longest bridge to take on the Fontainebleau Bulldogs in a pre-district contest. Jesuit’s superb broadcast team warms up with their pre-game show at 6:45 p.m. and then swings into action with the rest of the Blue Jay team at the 7 p.m. kickoff. Our play-by-play announcer is once again the knowledgeable and loquacious Danny Riehm ’00. Adding color to tonight’s commentary is current head baseball coach Tim Parenton ’80, who also knows a few things about football. After all, Parenton was a gifted four-sport letterman who started at quarterback four consecutive seasons while attending Jesuit. Parenton is pinch-commentating for former Jesuit head football coach Mark Songy, who is temporarily sidelined this week as a result of schedule complications courtesy of Gustav. Riehm and Parenton could not carry the torch by themselves without someone constantly feeding them numbers. And statisticians do not come any better than what Jesuit has in junior Paul Brennan. Halftime guest is Jesuit’s admissions director Jack Truxillo ’73. Blue Jay fans, whether they are in Gretna on the Southshore, Bogalusa on the Northshore, or anywhere between Belgium and Bangkok, may listen to the live broadcast stream right here on our website: Jesuit’s Home Page. And tune in to hear live action for four upcoming Jesuit football games: - September 10 vs. Fontainebleau 7 p.m.
- October 4 vs. Holy Cross 2 p.m.
- October 11 vs. Rummel 7:30 p.m.
- November 1 vs. Bonnabel 2 p.m.
This Month’s Lead Story… Hurricane Gustav Forces Jesuit (and Everyone Else in New Orleans) to Evacuate With Gustav bearing down on South Louisiana almost three years after Katrina made its sorry mark, Jesuit students, teachers, and their families got out of town fast. Gustav swiped New Orleans but it was enough to keep the school, and virtually everything else, closed for the entire Labor Day week. A few of the Jesuits evacuated to Spring Hill College in Mobile, including Bros. Billy Dardis, S.J. ’58 and Larry Huck, S.J. ’87. As soon as the rain stopped, the dynamic duo found their way back to Carrollton and Banks to assess the damage. They were pleasantly surprised – a few tiles missing from the chapel roof and some downed oak tree branches (nothing huge) just about sums up the extent of Jesuit’s damage. During the evacuation, many teachers were able to post assignments for their students on our web site. If you would like to see evacuation-weary Blue Jays on their first day back to school, click: Jays Return with Gusto after Gustav.
In Wake of Gustav, Jesuit Revises Several Events on School Calendar Attention Blue Jay Families: Changes have been made to the Jesuit calendar as a result of Hurricane Gustav and the evacuation. Please review the events and dates below and amend your Jesuit calendar at home.
September 10 -- Football: Jesuit @ Fontainebleau, 7 PM (Rescheduled from Sept. 12)
September 11 -- Seven Period Day 1A
PAG Captains' Meeting in Student Commons, 7 PM (Rescheduled from September 3)
September 12 -- Seven Period Day 7B
September 14 -- Grandparents Day: 10 AM Mass, followed by Breakfast (No Change)
September 15 -- Regular Order Schedule, Dismissal 3 PM
September 16 -- Mothers' Coffee: 11 AM (Rescheduled from September 10)
September 17 -- Senior, Junior, & Parents College Information Night: 7 PM
(Rescheduled from September 10)
September 20 -- Ring Mass: Chapel of the North American Martyrs, 5 PM
(Rescheduled from September 6)
September 21 -- PAG Sunday, 9 AM Mass, light breakfast follows (No Change)
September 22 -- Senior Ring Holiday (Rescheduled from September 8)
September 23 -- Progress Reports Due: 8 AM (Rescheduled from September 16)
High School Info Night: Pontchartrain Center, 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
(Rescheduled from September 10)
September 25 -- Regular Order Schedule
Alumni Steering Committee: Noon (Rescheduled from September 11)
October 2 -- Assembly Order #3: 2 PM Dismissal
Parent Teacher Conferences (A-Z) 5 PM - 8 PM
(Rescheduled from September 25)
October 7 -- Town Hall Meeting: Jesuit Auditorium, 7 PM (Rescheduled from September 9)
October 9 -- BJPCEB, 7 PM (Rescheduled from October 2) Questions about any events? Email: info@jesuitnola.org
Sans Gustav, New Year Begins Routinely The first day of school for all Blue Jays was Tuesday, August 19. Check out the following photo galleries below: First Week of School Photo Gallery Orientation and Investiture for new Blue Jays took place Monday, August 18.
Investiture-Orientation Photo Gallery Mass of the Holy Spirit took place Friday, August 29.
Mass of the Holy Spirit Photo Gallery Book Day for seniors, juniors, and sophomores was August 14.
Book Day 2008 Senior Photo Gallery Book Day for freshmen and pre-freshmen was August 15.
Book Day 2008 Freshmen Pre-freshmen Photo Gallery
New Parents Orientation Jesuit High School president Fr. Anthony McGinn, S.J. ’66 addressed new parents on Tuesday, August 26 in the school’s auditorium. At orientation, new parents were
introduced to several of Jesuit’s administrators as well as volunteer parents who help with the PAG drive, Jesuit’s annual gala Celebration/Auction, and the Blue Jay Bazaar. Jesuit principal Mike Giambelluca ’82 also addressed parents. Listen: Audio of Fr. McGinn's Talk to New Parents Listen: Audio of Mr. Giambelluca's Talk to New Parents
New Faculty for New Year Jesuit welcomes several new teachers who join our faculty. Jesuit now has 110 faculty members, including 48 with masters degrees and five with doctorates in their fields. Our faculty includes eight Jesuits (four priests, two brothers, and two scholastics) and seven guidance counselors, two of whom focus exclusively on college placement. Check Out Our New Faculty and What They Teach
Jesuit Bulletin Online For the convenience of our parents, we have the 2008-09 Jesuit Bulletin posted on our Academics Home Page.
Blue Jay Sports Update Parents and alumni may purchase football season ticket packages online: Buy Football Season Tickets. In Jamboree action, the Blue Jays scored several times in shutting out Grace King, 35-0. Read about it on Jesuit’s Football Home Page, then check out the Jesuit-Grace King Football Photo Gallery. The Jesuit-Holy Cross football game on October 4 will be featured as one of the 2008 Great American Rivalry games. For the past five years, iHigh and the U.S. Marine Corps have recognized the great prep rivalries throughout the country. The sponsoring organizations award the player from each team with the highest GPA a $500 scholarship, recognize one participant as the game’s Most Valuable Player, honor players and coaches from past games, and broadcast the game over the Internet. Meanwhile, if you cannot get enough of this rivalry, check out Jesuit-Holy Cross Football Rivalry. One final football note: The Catholic football game on September 26 will be video broadcast live on CST (Cox Sports Television) at 7:30 p.m. CST is channel 37 in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. This will be a regional broadcast throughout the Gulf Coast area (LA, MS, AL, Texas, and FL). Check your local TV listings and be on the lookout for replays of this game. Jesuit’s swimming team and cross country team also begin their seasons. Blue Jay swimmers open their season Thursday afternoon (Sept. 11) at Crossgates against Northshore in a dual meet that starts at 4:30 p.m. Access Schedules and Scores for All Jesuit Sports
American Legion Baseball Blue Jays who played on the Retif Oil-sponsored American Legion baseball team this summer should be proud. Coached by Tim Parenton ’80, the team won district, state, and regional titles and earned a trip to Enid, OK to play in the World Series. Unfortunately, the Jays stumbled hard in the double-elimination tournament, dropping their first two games by scores of 8-4 and 18-6. The 2008 team was only the fifth Jesuit squad to advance to the American Legion World Series since 1946, the year Coach Eddie Toribio’s team won it all. And just for the record, the only other Jesuit team to win the American Legion World Series was the 1960 Blue Jay team under Coach Kevin Trower. Check out Jesuit’s American Legion Baseball Home Page for photo galleries, stories, and even a play-by-play review of the two games the Jays played at the World Series.
Two Reminders for Jesuit Parents…Grandparents’ Day… Two events NOT re-scheduled as a result of Gustav are coming up this month. The first is Grandparents’ Day on Sunday, Sept. 14. Mass will begin at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs, followed by refreshments in the Student Commons and a tour of the school.
Grandparents’ Day is always a joyous occasion at Jesuit. It is a low-key event that provides Blue Jays the opportunity to spend valuable time with their grandparents. To continue the success of this event and to celebrate the extended Jesuit family, we ask that your son invite his grandparents. Dress code for students is coat and tie.
The elevators have been refurbished and are working. Grandparents who may find it difficult to climb the stairs to the chapel may take the elevator on the Palmyra Street side of the school to the third floor. Although a few parents help serve refreshments, this event is intended for your son and his grandparents. Photographers will be available to take pictures for a reasonable price. Deceased grandparents will be remembered in our prayers that day. If grandparents are deceased, or they are unable to attend, your son may invite his godparents or a special aunt and uncle.
... Mark Your Calendar for PAG Sunday, September 21
The other important Jesuit event NOT re-scheduled is PAG Sunday. All Jesuit parents and their families are invited to Mass at 9 a.m. in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs. A light breakfast will follow in Jesuit’s cafeteria.
The 2008-09 Parents’ Annual Giving drive is underway. The PAG Captains’ meeting scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 3, was postponed because of Gustav, but has been re-scheduled for Thursday, September 11 at 7 p.m. in the Student Commons.
Paul Perez ’79, who is chairman of this year’s campaign, sent parents a letter which contained a Brochure and other information about the drive. Fr. McGinn sent a letter that parents should receive any day now. Fr. McGinn’s letter to returning parents contains a pledge card that parents should return to school as soon as possible.
To find out more about this year’s PAG drive, check out the PAG Home Page. Click here to Donate Online.
Alumni News A reception to thank members of the Ignatian Circle for their generosity was held recently. The Ignatian Circle comprises benefactors who contributed $3,000 or more to Jesuit High School during the 2008 fiscal year, which ended June 30. Check Out the Ignatian Circle Reception Photo Gallery. Check Out the 1847 Society Reception Photo Gallery.
Back-to-Banks and Homecoming 2008 Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 11 and Sunday, October 12 for the following events for Blue Jays. - Back-to-Banks is Saturday, October 11 from 3–6 p.m. in the Traditions Courtyard. All Jesuit families are invited to this special event.
- Homecoming Game features the Blue Jays against the Rummel Raiders on Saturday, October 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Tad Gormley Stadium
- Homecoming Mass and Recognition of Alumnus of the Year is Sunday, October 12; Mass begins at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs. This event is for Jesuit alumni only. A Jazz Brunch will take place following Mass in the Student Commons.
Tell a Story About Your Days at Jesuit Ronald J. “Ron” Drez ’58, a noted author, lecturer, and historian, is writing the definitive book about the history of Jesuit High School, beginning with its formation by the Jesuits in 1847 and continuing through post-Katrina times. Jesuit High School will publish the book. As part of his wide-ranging research, Drez encourages all Blue Jays and their families to contribute something towards Jesuit’s historical archives which will serve as the foundation of much of the book. Read the rest of the article that contains more information about this project, including guidelines for submission of your memoir: History of Jesuit High School Book Archive and Book Project.
Contact Info
If any of your contact information has recently changed, please let Jesuit know by sending an email to: alumninews@jesuitnola.org.
About Blue Jay E-News
Blue Jay E-News is produced and disseminated by the alumni and development office of Jesuit High School. Blue Jay E-News features a variety of Jesuit news items, many with links to our web site (www.jesuitnola.org) so you may read the entire stories and view photo galleries. The purpose of Blue Jay E-News is to inform the Jesuit community about current, recent, and upcoming special events, including sports, academics, co-curricular, spiritual, parent, and alumni news. Additionally, Blue Jay E-News is a fast vehicle to deliver news, some significant and some just plain interesting, about achievements and accomplishments by our students, teams, and alumni.
If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas, please send an email to: alumninews@jesuitnola.org. There’s something for every Blue Jay in Blue Jay E-News!
Jesuit High School
4133 Banks St.
New Orleans, LA 70119 504-486-6631 www.jesuitnola.org
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Blue Jay E-News
August 2008 Vol. 1; No. 3
Dear Blue Jays: Welcome to the third edition of Blue Jay E-News. If you missed the first two, you can easily catch-up by accessing Blue Jay E-News on Jesuit’s web site. This Month’s Lead Story…
Blue Jays’ American Legion Baseball Team Wins State! On to Oklahoma!
The Jesuit-based championship American Legion team, sponsored by Retif Oil, is in Oklahoma to compete in the Legion’s Mid-South Regional Tournament. The double-elimination marathon baseball endurance tourney begins August 14 in Enid, OK. Retif plays its first game on Thursday at 1 p.m. against the winner of the Legion state tournament in Mississippi. To check out the rest of the schedule, visit Jesuit’s Home Page. To secure their plane ticket to Enid, the Retif team (21-5) pulled out the equivalent of a hockey hat trick by thrice defeating the Bro. Martin-based Peake BMW team in the city (7-2), regional (6-2), and state finals (6-5). There are a lot of talented heroes on Coach Tim Parenton’s squad and you can check all of them out, along with photo galleries galore, by visiting Legion Baseball on Jesuit’s web site. Of course, we’ll keep you posted on our Legion team’s progress in Okie. Here’s a bit of Jesuit-Legion baseball history courtesy of David Moreau, who was head coach of Blue Jay baseball for 23 years before assuming his current position as athletic director two years ago.… 14 seems to be a mystical number for the Jays when it comes to American Legion baseball -- it’s been 14 long years since a Jesuit-based team won the state American Legion tournament and advanced to the regional tourney in Oklahoma.
The last to do so was the 1994 Retif Oil team coached by Moreau. Fourteen years earlier, the 1980 Jesuit-based Odeco Drillers, coached by Frank Misuraca, won state and secured a spot in the Oklahoma tournament. The 1980 team made it to the World Series but lost while the 1994 team did not advance past Oklahoma. In fact, there have been only two Jesuit-based teams to win the whole enchilada, the American Legion World Series -- the 1946 Blue Jay team (which did not have a sponsor at the time) and, 14 years later, the 1960 team, sponsored by Tulane Shirts.
Back to School for All Blue Jays on August 19
Book sales take place Thursday (seniors, juniors, and sophomores) and Friday (freshmen and pre-freshmen). New students’ orientation is Monday, August 18 (dismissal at noon). The first full day for all Blue Jays is Tuesday, August 19 (dismissal at 2:30 p.m.). At book sales, calendars and student directories will be distributed.
The home page of Jesuit’s web site – www.jesuitnola.org – contains important information about mandatory forms students must bring with them to book sales. Parents should make sure their sons carefully read this information before coming to school on Thursday or Friday.
2008 Jesuit Summer Although the official 2007-08 academic year ended on May 27, there was a constant whirlwind of activity on Jesuit’s campus during the summer. From summer camps to important construction to technology updates to academic workshops, Jesuit’s campus bustled with various activities that enhanced either the physical facility or the young men who participated in the many summer events. During the summer hiatus, lots of happenings took place around Carrollton and Banks. Catch up by paying a visit to the 2008 Jesuit Summer.
Purchase Blue Jay Football Season Ticket Package Online Here’s a deal that’s perfect for enthusiastic Jesuit football fans – you may purchase a season ticket package online on Jesuit’s web site for six games the Blue Jays will be playing (sorry, no individual game tickets available online).
The athletic department wants to remind you of the support your purchase of pre-game tickets gives to our program. Jesuit keeps 100% of pre-game sale money. We only keep 50% of at-the-gate ticket sale money. Obviously, we encourage you to purchase as many pre-game tickets from Jesuit as you need. To view the 2008 Jesuit Varsity Football schedule, visit the Blue Jay Football Scoreboard.
By the way, every Blue Jay student is admitted to District 10-5A games simply by showing his Jesuit ID Card. Everyone else needs to purchase tickets. To buy season tickets online, click: Purchase Blue Jay Football Season Ticket Package Online.
Three Blue Jay Athletes Make Early Commitments
A trio of Jesuit athletes announced their intention to play ball (and study, of course) at Tulane University and LSU. Senior pitcher Jordan Rittiner heads to LSU. In the 2008 regular season, Rittiner was 8-4 with a 1.64 ERA and one save for the Blue Jays, who were the Class 5A runners-up in the state championship tournament. In American Legion ball, Rittiner has really cranked it up a few notches, compiling an 8-0 record. In the state championship game, Rittiner pitched nine innings, allowing nine hits and striking out seven batters. To catch Rittiner’s form on the mound, visit the Baseball Home Page. Meanwhile, Blue Jay senior running back Peyton Jason recently announced his commitment to play college football for Tulane University. Jason, a 6-foot, 190-pound athlete with 4.4 speed, is expected to fill the void at running back created when Tulane starter Matt Forte was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 2008 NFL Draft. Senior Jesuit lineman Shane Delery is expected to help anchor the Green Wave’s defensive line. Delery announced this week his intention to play football for the Green Wave next fall.
Check out the Football Home Page to view photos of Jason and Delery in action as well as the Times-Picayune article about Delery.
ACT, SAT, and PSAT Prep Classes Once Again Offered at Jesuit The start of school also means preparing for the various standardized tests. Jesuit offers its own prep courses here at the school. Jesuit parents are, of course, free to choose whichever course they feel will best prepare their sons for the tests, even if it means going somewhere else. Jesuit does not aggressively market its own prep courses directly to the parents of other schools because we feel it is inappropriate to do so. Depending on space, students from other schools are more than welcome to enroll in Jesuit’s ACT, SAT, and PSAT prep courses.
For the past 10 years, Jesuit’s ACT-SAT-PSAT prep courses have been successful in achieving high scores for students. The courses are taught by experienced teachers, including longtime Jesuit English teacher Malcolm Villarrubia ’66 and math teacher Kathy Juhas, who also serves as academic assistant principal. Perhaps the best reason of all to have your son sign-up for the Jesuit course is our own prep classes are approximately one-third the cost of many other similar courses. For more information about the fall standardized test prep course schedules and to access the registration forms, visit: Jesuit ACT-SAT-PSAT Home Page.
Tell a Story About Your Days at Jesuit
Ronald J. “Ron” Drez ’58, a noted author, lecturer, and historian, is writing the definitive book about the history of Jesuit High School, beginning with its formation by the Jesuits in 1847 and continuing through post-Katrina times. Jesuit High School will publish the book. As part of his wide-ranging research, Drez encourages all Blue Jays and their families to contribute something towards Jesuit’s historical archives which will serve as the foundation of much of the book. Read the rest of the article that contains more information about this project, including guidelines for submission of your memoir: History of Jesuit High School Book Archive and Book Project.
Jesuit Thanks Donors at 1847 Society Reception More than 250 parents and alumni gathered for a late afternoon reception at the Balcony on Sunday, August 10. Donors who comprise the 1847 Society contributed a minimum of $500 and as much as $2,999 to Jesuit High School during the 2008 fiscal year, which ended June 30. Check out the 1847 Society Reception Photo Gallery.
Alumni Reunions in the News When the Class of 1938 gathers on Saturday, September 13 at Jesuit, it marks the end of this year’s Blue Jay reunions. There will have been 15 reunions held this past spring and summer for classes ending in “3” and “8,” including the upcoming Class of ’38 event, which starts with Mass at 4 p.m. in the small chapel. Dinner will be served afterwards in St. Ignatius Hall unless renovations have not been completed, in which case another location will be designated. Jesuit High School's Alumni Office and the New York City Alumni Chapter held a reception for more than 40 Blue Jays and their spouses and guests on Thursday, July 10 at the New York Athletic Club near Central Park. Bill Murray ’53 sponsored this reunion of Blue Jays and Jesuit appreciates his generosity. Check out all the photos at Big Apple Reunion. Jesuit captures the memories of all alumni reunions – just go to: 2008 Reunions Photo Galleries. And Jesuit’s Reunions Home Page is your link to archived reunions going back to 2001.
New Record Amount of Donations for 2008 LEF Drive Blue Jay alumni sent the 2008 LEF past the $1 million mark for the first time in the drive’s 29-year history. The million-dollar milestone was reached in the final hours on the last day of the drive, which was Friday, July 11. The 2008 LEF results are spectacular: § 3,321 pledges for $1,065,408 were made. § 3,040 donors contributed $1,009,370. § This tops the 2007 drive’s total by more than $144,254. § The average gift to the LEF was $332. § Almost $184,000 was donated online by 603 Blue Jay alumni.
“The online donations component of the LEF drive continues to grow,” says Carl Servat ’93, who chaired the 2008 drive. “The phone and email campaigns in the fall and spring remain an important component in securing donations from our alumni.” The phone and email campaigns generated 1,272 pledges for $356,715. The 2009 LEF drive will be led by John Fitzpatrick ’86. Here are some important dates for the 2009 LEF drive that class captains and volunteers may want to pencil in on their calendars: § The LEF Captains' Meeting for the fall drive is Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. § The 4-night fall drive begins Monday, Nov. 17, and ends Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008. § The 3-night spring drive begins Monday, March 16 and ends Wednesday, March 18, 2009.
2008 PAG Drive Exceeds $1 Million in Contributions; 2009 PAG Underway
For the 5th consecutive year, the Parents’ Annual Giving Drive surpassed $1 million and set another new record -- $1,202,929 in donations from 933 Jesuit parents. This represents an increase of $71,380 from the 2007 PAG drive. The average gift from parents in the 2008 drive was $1,289. Tom Bagwill, who chaired the PAG drive, says the phenomenal results of the campaign are a testament to parents who believe that Jesuit is the best education value in the Greater New Orleans area. “The PAG drive also allows Jesuit to keep the cost of tuition affordable and, therefore, accessible to a wide segment of our local population,” says Bagwill. “Jesuit has always believed that a diverse student body is an essential element of your son’s total educational experience.” In the 2008 PAG drive: § there were 121 “Gap Givers” who each donated $2,285. § There were 124 donors who gave above the gap, up to $4,999. § 22 parents gave between $5,000 and $9,000. § There were four donors who each contributed $10,000. § Online donations to the PAG amounted to $310,627 from 280 parents. The 2009 PAG drive is already underway with Tri-chairs busily recruiting their Captains. If you are contacted and asked to serve as Captain, please say “Yes!” The main job of PAG Captains is to encourage parents’ participation in the drive by returning their pledge cards and coming to Jesuit for Mass and breakfast on PAG Sunday, September 21. PAG Captains do NOT solicit money.
If you have an open pledge for either the LEF or PAG drives, or if you would like to contribute to a scholarship fund, your donation is always put to good use. Click here to Donate Online.
Jayson’s Wild Photo Gallery If you are seeking an accurate snapshot of student life at Jesuit these days, you should bookmark Jesuit’s Home Page on your computer’s browser. If you scroll to the bottom of Jesuit’s Home Page, you will find whatever Jayson’s Wild Photographer discovered that day that’s worth posting for all Blue Jays to view. To catch up on our Wild Photographer’s work, visit Jayson’s Wild Photo Gallery and Archive.
Contact Info
If any of your contact information has recently changed, please let Jesuit know by sending an email to: alumninews@jesuitnola.org.
About Blue Jay E-News
Blue Jay E-News is produced and disseminated by the alumni and development office of Jesuit High School. Blue Jay E-News features a variety of Jesuit news items, many with links to our web site (www.jesuitnola.org) so you may read the entire stories and view photo galleries. The purpose of Blue Jay E-News is to inform the Jesuit community about current, recent, and upcoming special events, including sports, academics, co-curricular, spiritual, parent, and alumni news. Additionally, Blue Jay E-News is a fast vehicle to deliver news, some significant and some just plain interesting, about achievements and accomplishments by our students, teams, and alumni.
If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas, please send an email to: alumninews@jesuitnola.org.
There’s something for every Blue Jay in Blue Jay E-News!
Jesuit High School
4133 Banks St.
New Orleans, LA 70119 504-486-6631 www.jesuitnola.org
To unsubscribe from this e-newsletter, please reply to this e-mail and insert UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.
Blue Jay E-News
July 2008 Vol. 1; No. 2
Dear Blue Jays:
Blue Jay E-News features a variety of Jesuit news items, many with links to our web site (www.jesuitnola.org) so you may read the entire stories and view photo galleries. The purpose of Blue Jay E-News is to inform the Jesuit community about current, recently past, and upcoming special events, including sports, academics, extracurricular, spiritual, parental, and alumni news. Additionally, Blue Jay E-News is a fast vehicle to deliver news, some significant and some just plain interesting, about achievements and accomplishments by our students, teams, and alumni. If you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas, please send us an email: alumninews@jesuitnola.org This Month’s Lead Story… A Book About the History of Jesuit High School Wants Your Memories Ronald J. “Ron” Drez ’58, a noted author, lecturer, and historian, has agreed to take the lead role in writing a book about the history of Jesuit High School, beginning with its formation by the Jesuits in 1847 and continuing through post-Katrina times. Jesuit High School will publish the book. As part of the wide-ranging research, Drez is encouraging all Blue Jays and their families to contribute something towards Jesuit’s historical archives which will serve as the foundation of much of the book. “Jesuit needs you to pick your brain and submit your significant memories – written or oral -- to this archive,” says Drez, adding that this initial call for memoirs applies to alumni and parents of alumni, current students and their parents, and current and former faculty and staff members.”
Read the rest of the article that contains more information about this project, including guidelines for submission of your memoir: History of Jesuit High School Book Archive and Book Project
Memorial Service Scheduled for Jesuit High School Spanish Teacher John McCullough A memorial service for John McCullough, who taught Spanish to freshmen and juniors at Jesuit for the past 33 years, will be held in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs on Saturday, August 2 at 2 p.m. All of Mr. McCullough’s former students are especially invited to attend the service. Mr. McCullough passed away suddenly in his sleep on Friday, July 4. He was 61-years-old.
“John’s classroom not only focused on the study of language but also served as an opportunity for his students to experience and to appreciate the richness of other cultures,” said Jesuit principal Mike Giambelluca. “Jesuit High School will miss John’s expertise and dedication to his students.”
Alumni Reunions in the News Blue Jays in the New York City area met Thursday evening, July 10, at a reception held in the New York Athletic Club near Central Park. In a few days, a photo gallery of this event will be posted on our web site. The Class of 1988 will celebrate their 20-year reunion with a stag social this weekend on Saturday, July 12, from 8-11 p.m. at the historic Court of Two Sisters Restaurant in the French Quarter. A pre-stag social and tour of Jesuit High School will take place that evening at 6 p.m. in the Student Commons. (Tour begins promptly at 6:10 p.m.)
The Class of 1998 celebrates their 10-year reunion for an entire weekend in the Warehouse District on Friday and Saturday, July 18-19. Blue Jays crank it up with a stag reception at the Red Eye on Friday evening. A couples' reception takes place the next night at another favorite hangout, Lucy's.
More information about these reunions are available when you sign-up online: Jesuit Events Online Registration.
Jesuit captures some of the memories of these reunions in photo galleries that are posted online. The latest galleries showcase the Classes of 1978, 1993, and 2003. Check them out at: 2008 Reunions Photo Galleries.
Blue Jays Set Their Hooks at Annual Fishing Rodeo The 16th Annual Jesuit Fishing Rodeo brought together 200-plus Blue Jays at Breton Sound Marina in Hopedale on a recent hot Saturday afternoon. The weigh-in festivities are always the highlight of the tournament as one never knows which Blue Jays will show up with a spectacular trophy catch. Bro. Billy Dardis, S.J. ’58 and Jesuit parent Jimmy Commagere, who have organized this event each year since its inception, always make sure that all youngsters leave the rodeo with a door prize. Blue Jays enjoyed jambalaya, pulled pork, cold refreshments, plenty of door prizes, a spirit-filled atmosphere, and for some lucky fisher-Jays, plaques declaring them Fishing Rodeo Winners.
View the photos of the ones that did not get away: 2008 Fishing Rodeo Photo Gallery.
Summer Renovation Projects at School and Online! Even though school is out for the summer, various projects bring a frenetic pace to Carrollton and Banks. We are renovating St. Ignatius Hall, a long-overdue project. When completed, this meeting area for parents, faculty, and alumni will be more functional and certainly look elegant. Work has begun on expanding the parking lot on Banks Street. Workers are busy weather-proofing windows. New computers are being installed in all of our labs and the Resource Center. Each classroom will have the technology that will enable Power Point presentations and access to the Internet.
We are in the final stages of constructing our new Online Blue Jay Shop! That’s right – you will soon be able to conveniently shop to your Blue Jay heart’s content at anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! A few technical issues still need to be resolved. When it does go “live,” alumni, parents, and students will be able to easily and securely purchase their favorite Blue Jay Clothing and Items. If you are looking to join or start a car pool that will get your son to or from school, you may want to check out the Car Pool Forum on Jesuit’s web site. We plan to expand the forum to encompass other topics and issues of interest to parents and students. The forum is a great medium to share information and facilitate communication among the Jesuit community. If you have an idea you believe would make a good topic for the forum, send an e-mail to: info@jesuitnola.org.
Info Packet in Summer Mailing This is a reminder that Jesuit will be mailing a packet of information about the upcoming school year to all parents in the next couple of weeks. The summer packet contains important information you and your son will need to begin the new school year, including the 2008-09 Bulletin, the official catalog. The Jesuit calendar and student directory are omitted in this mailing because of the added expense. Students will receive a calendar and directory on Book Day. Additional calendars and directories may be purchased for $2 each.
Used Book Sale on August 6 The ever-popular Used Book Sale for non-state textbooks will be held on Wednesday, August 6 on the third floor of the school building. The sale begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 2 p.m. Before the sale, there is one last drop-off day on August 5 from 9 a.m.-noon.
This annual event is run exclusively by parent volunteers and affords an opportunity for Jesuit families to sell old books and save money when buying their son’s books for next year. Here is everything you need to know about the 2008-2009 Used Book Sale.
Jesuit’s Summer Camps Update
Back from vacation and not sure about what to do with the young ones? One or more of Jesuit’s summer camps may be the answer. Follow the links for more information, including costs and applications. Baseball Summer Camp, supervised by Coach Tim Parenton ’80, is ideal for boys ages 6-12. Camp dates are July 14-17 and July 22-24.
Football Summer Camp, under the direction of Coach Wayde Keiser ’78, is scheduled July 28-31 for boys ages 7-14.
Soccer Summer Camp, for boys ages 9-18, will be held July 28-August 1. The camp is supervised by Coach Hubie Collins.
Wrestling Summer Camp is for boys 5-13 and two sessions are scheduled – July 28-31 and August 4-7. Coach Carlos Bertot ’86 will oversee the camps.
American Legion Baseball Update Jesuit-based Retif Oil returns to the Kirsch-Rooney diamond Saturday afternoon (July 12) against Ponstein’s in the American Legion City Series. The first pitch is slated for 12:30 p.m. With five games rained out and not made up during their summer schedule, the Retif Oil team compiled a 4-2-1 record on their way to a second place district finish. Retif is hitting .375 as a team with three players among the top five batters in the district. Batting .500 are seniors Niko Caluda and Jordan Rittiner and junior Derek Dunham. Among the top five pitchers in the district is senior Alex Roeling with a 3.18 ERA. Check out Jesuit’s Home Page for links to fantastic photo galleries of Retif Oil’s games. These terrific photos were taken by Jesuit English teacher Jack Culicchia ’83, who also serves as our dedicated web master.
Trio of Blue Jays Sign Baseball Pact with Delgado
Blue Jay twins Chad and Cory Guidry and teammate Stephen Lukinovich recently signed scholarship pacts with Delgado Community College, where they will attend school beginning next month and play baseball for Dolphins’ head coach Joe Scheuermann. Chad Guidry played center field for the Blue Jays while brother Cory anchored second base. Lukinovich played third and first base and also pitched for the Jays. All three players have stayed in shape this summer by playing American Legion ball. They are expected to play key roles in the Dolphins’ baseball program. A photo of the signing is posted on our Baseball Home Page, where you can also discover the Blue Jay baseball players who were name to the Times-Picayune’s 5-A All-State and Metro Teams.
Four Jesuit Alumni Working Towards Playing Big League Baseball Four Blue Jays are working their way through the minor leagues and have their foot in the door to break into the ranks of Major League Baseball. Ryan Adams ’06, Johnny Giavotella ’05, Michael Hollander ’04, and Anthony Scelfo ’05 play for different minor league teams. Adams was drafted in 2006 while the other three were picked in MLB’s recent draft. Jesuit’s Home Page has links to their bios that are posted on their respective teams’ web sites.
LEF and PAG Drives Reach Record Amounts Today (Friday, July 11) is the final day of the alumni and parent fund drives. Open pledges can be fulfilled by Donating Online.
For the first time in its 29-year history, the LEF surpassed $1 million in pledges from Blue Jay alumni. On this last day of the drive, total donations are about $5,000 shy of reaching $1 million. Maybe your Online Gift to the LEF before the end of the day will help Jesuit break that million dollar barrier. The PAG drive also closes Friday and parents with open pledges are encouraged to fulfill them with an Online Donation. The PAG drive has also broken last year’s records for dollar amounts of pledges and donations. Pledges total more than $1,274,000 million while contributions to the PAG total $1,190,000. Jesuit thanks all Blue Jay parents and alumni, and parents of alumni, for their generosity to the various 2008 campaigns, including the Katrina Fund, the Tradition Guides Our Future capital drive, and the numerous donations to our scholarship funds.
Jayson’s Wild Photo Gallery During the school year, Jayson’s Wild Photographers prowl the halls, stairwells, and classrooms with an eye towards imaging the cornucopia of student life. Each day, one of their nuggets of creativity is posted at the bottom of Jesuit’s Home Page. During the summer, these wild photographers slow their pace but still post a fresh photo every couple of days. Their amazing work is archived at Jayson’s Wild Photo Gallery.
In case you missed them the first time around, Jesuit’s web site has several photo galleries that parents and alumni may enjoy viewing, even a second time around. Clicking the links will take you there.
Blue Jay Bazaar
Celebration 2008
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