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Dear Holy Spirit Prep Families,
This week we had the opportunity to take time to celebrate our grandparents. We began with a live-streamed High School Mass on Wednesday, and continued through the week with Masses and other celebratory events on all our campuses.
As shared with the High School students after Mass on Wednesday, the Catholic Church has always valued and promoted family, appreciating and recognizing its critical role in the effective conveyance of faith from generation to generation. Grandparents play a crucial part in that conveyance, and for that we are grateful.
In 2013, Pope Francis established the 4th Sunday of July as World Day for grandparents, and wrote, "How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society! How important the ‘young family and grandparents’ montage is to have intergenerational exchanges and dialogues, especially within the context of the family."
Our grandparents and Holy Spirit Prep share the same mission with the school. Help our students become the best people possible, striving to guide them as they advance on their individual path to heaven. The impact of grandparents is exponential. Most have more grandchildren than children…
We all struggle with questions and crises in life - at times not knowing what is right or what to do. Well, imagine if at the end of life, we discovered that for every decision ever made there actually was a “right” and a “wrong”. Or at the very least there was one option that was clearly better than the others. This type of objective truth actually exists, and we can come to know it by intentionally striving to grow in love and understanding of God who created us, and of ourselves who God created for a real and specific purpose.
At Holy Spirit we strive to teach our students to understand, appreciate, and embrace the fact that they are children of God, made in His likeness and image. By loving and serving Him to the best of their ability in this life, they will spend eternity with Him in heaven.
The purpose of education is not to be able to get a good job. That is a side-effect. The real purpose of education is for us to come to know God, ourselves, and the reason for our existence. The path of Catholic classical education we are pursuing at HSP exists for this purpose. Our hope and prayer for our students is that they consciously and intentionally decide to pursue education for its true purpose. This is the path to happiness on this earth, and for eternity. We work in partnership with our families to help our children grow up to be young men and women who will change the world for the good, with an exponential impact like the one our grandparents have made.
Sincere thanks to all our parents and grandparents for your support and prayers in this critical, sacrificial, and worthwhile endeavor.
In Christ
Dr. Ed Lindekugel Head of School
2021-2022 Key Dates Calendar (updated July 2, 2021)
2021-2022 Online Calendar
Please refer to the online calendar regularly as the calendar is continually being updated.
Varsity Letter Winners: Get fitted for your varsity letter jacket during lunch on Tuesday, November 30 when we return from Thanksgiving break.
Starting November 30, varsity letter jackets will be $25 off for one week only! Follow the link below, select Georgia for your state, and scroll down to find Holy Spirit Prep.
Order a Varsity Letter Jacket
INAUGURAL CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR - A school-wide Christmas Celebration
Friday, December 10th from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Musical Concert featuring band, orchestra and choir presentations by 1st through 12th graders
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: An hour of Christmas fun and community service
PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING ITEMS TO MAKE THIS PROJECT A SUCCESS!
Click here for a list of needed items (Donation boxes are in the lobbies of the Lower School, Middle School and Upper School)
or
Click here for a link to our Amazon Wish List (items will be sent directly to the school).
Please join us for this special night!
Join us for HSP Night on Wednesday, January 19 as the Atlanta Hawks take on former HSP alumnus, Anthony Edwards, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Each ticket includes $10 worth of food and beverage credit. Tickets can be purchased through the provided link below.
Buy Tickets for HSP Night: Hawks vs. Timberwolves 1/19
Best seats are first come, first serve. There are three tiers of ticket packages starting at $20 per ticket.
All Ticket Packages Include:
Saturday, November 20
Varsity Clay Targets at the GISA State Championship Meet Savannah, GA
Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Fulton Science Academy 3:00pm • Home
Sunday, November 21-Tuesday, November 23
Girls Varsity Basketball at the Jacksonville Tournament
Wednesday, November 24-Friday, November 26
No Events - Thanksgiving Break
A reminder of the following:
We are getting excited about the Spring Gala in February 2022! And we NEED YOU!
If you are interested in helping our AUCTION TEAM, please email Maria Kichler (mkichler@holyspiritprep.org) by Friday, December 3rd. As part of this team, you will help to:
We are planning a dinner meeting sometime the week of December 6th to kick-off the efforts of this team. More details to come!
If you are unable to join the team, but you have ideas or connections to exciting experiences or items that would be great for the auction, please contact Maria Kichler any time (mkichler@holyspiritprep.org).
Thank you for your support of the 2022 Gala!
“There is nothing greater than thank you. That’s what you say to God - is thank you.” Maya Angelou The HSP community for 100 packages, but we delivered 133! HSP gift boxes were delivered to our local collection area on Friday, 11/12. They are on their way to thousands of children this Christmas.
Thank you to the Cougar family! And special thanks to the leaders of this project, Jessica Damien and Francisca Xaveria!
The 2021-2022 yearbooks are now on sale!
Packed full of memories, the 2021-2022 yearbook is now available for pre-order. This year’s book focuses on the four pillars of our community - Faith, Academics, Arts, Athletics - and the presence these pillars have in our students’ lives. Order soon to get the best deal! Prices will increase on Friday, January 28, 2022.
Pre-Order Special through January 28, 2022 - $50
January 29, 2022 through May 25, 2022** - $80
**Online yearbook sales will close on April 22, 2022. After April 22nd, students may purchase a yearbook on distribution day, while supplies last.
Senior Parents: Please use the link below to access the Senior Ad Sales section, which is attached to the Yearbook Sales page. There are multiple options for Senior Ads, and the page will walk you through the design and submission process.
HOW TO ORDER:
Click here to order your yearbook or go to www.YearbookOrderCenter.com and search for the school name or by our job #14803. This is the same link for purchasing senior ads as well.
Buying online is very easy. The site will lead you through each step. You’ll select the student’s name via a search function, and then buy a book or senior ad for that specific student.
You may also call the Order Center if you’d rather make the transaction over the phone. The Herff-Jones number is (866) 287-3096.
Yearbooks will be distributed on the last day of school, Thursday, May 26, 2022, and students will have the opportunity for friends and classmates to sign them at a signing party. If you have yearbook questions, please contact the HSP yearbook advisor, Morgan Gallagher, at morgan.gallagher@holyspiritprep.org.
Seniors receive a complimentary yearbook; you do not have to place an order for your 12th grade student.
Scan the QR code to order directly from your phone!
HSP’s COVID-19 response protocols are under weekly review. In the event of protocols being adjusted, they will be updated internally and on our website.
Apply now for your 2022 Georgia Tax Credit! https://www.goalscholarship.org/
Contact Brittney Bailey at bbailey@holyspiritprep.org should you have any questions.
We have a day for giving thanks. We have 2 days for purchasing gifts for loved ones - Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday is a global day dedicated to generosity and kicks off the charitable season when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. #iGiveCatholic is a Giving Day for the faithful across the nation (and the globe!) to come together to raise as many charitable dollars as possible for Catholic parishes, schools, and ministries in participating arch/dioceses. Last year #iGiveCaholic raised more than 12.7 million dollars for over 2500 organizations in 40 arch/dioceses in the U.S.
Mark your calendar for Tuesday, November 30th from 12:00am - 11:59pm to make your gift online at www.igivecatholic.org or directly to Holy Spirit Prep at HOLY SPIRIT PREP!!
We invite you to enjoy the following video made for our HSP grandparents.
Preschool Virtual Grandparents Day Video
We invite you to read our November Newsletter.
We invite you to enjoy a short video made for our HSP Virtual Grandparents Day.
Lower and Middle School Virtual Grandparents Day Video
6th Grade: Holiday Movie and Ugly Christmas Sweater Night on December 3 The 6th grade Holiday Movie and Ugly Christmas Sweater Night will be hosted at the Lower school on December 3rd from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Students are invited to wear ugly Christmas sweaters. More details are coming.
7th and 8th Grade: Winter Social on January 7 The 7th and 8th grade Social will be hosted at the Lower school on January 7th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. More details to come.
Lower and Middle School students will start wearing their Winter uniform after Thanksgiving break on November 30.
Please refer to holyspiritprep.org for the Lower and Middle School Uniform Guide and Uniform Vendor Information.
As part of the Winter uniform, female students may wear navy blue or white tights or they may wear plain navy blue leggings under their skirts.
See information below for HSP's Used Uniform Store:
HSP Used Uniform School Store (gently used uniforms) 4820 Long Island Drive Atlanta, GA 30342 (404) 255-0900
Store Hours: 3:00pm - 4:00pm Daily (Check in at Front Office) Contact: Ruth Sacco (saccor1999@gmail.com) or Heidi Harrington (heidiharrington@bellsouth.net)
Below is information regarding Middle School skirt sizing options received from our three uniform vendors:
Tommy Hillfiger Tommy Hillfiger's solid box pleat grey skirts are offered in Big Girl sizes 7-16, Big Girl Plus 8.5-18.5 and Women's 0-26. The Size Chart is recommended for determining the correct size. Customer Service is also available to help provide a size recommendation.
Please keep in mind that the skirt is intended to be worn at the natural waist (below the belly button). If the skirt is being worn higher on the waist - sizing up allows for both longer length and for the waist to sit lower as designed.
Sue Mills The middle school skirt that is the box pleat; gray poly rayon, is available in girls 3-16 and teen/junior 0-21. The length on both pieces are a graduated length with increase in waist sizing. The box pleat will have an additional 1.5 hem added as well as 1.5 in length added, the skirt will also have a pocket added to the right side. The box pleat is meant to hit on the lower waist as the waist is a contoured waist.
The plaid skort is also a graduated length based on size, the skort does have added jersey shorts underneath. The skort is meant to hit at the natural waist to allow for ease of fit. The skort starts at girls size 7-16 and teen size 3-19.
Flynn O’Hara The girls’ plaid skorts come in 3 size ranges. The regular girls sizes which would be a little shorter length. Half sizes, which fit a little thicker waist, and JUNIOR sizes, which come in all waist sizes and the longer lengths. If the length is too short, we suggest the JR. sizing for the extra length. They are not bigger in the waist. Skort Size Options
The grey skirts come in even more sizing options than the skorts. As you can see from the various size options below, the skirts are long. A 26” waist in the skort is 18.25” and a 26” waist in the skirt is 19”. In addition, the skirts are available in a longer option, making the 26” waist in a 22” length. Skirt Size Options
SENIORS: If you haven't already done so, please schedule your senior portrait session with Cady Studios.
The deadline to be photographed to be included in the yearbook has been extended to December 1, 2021.
Book Your Senior Portrait Session with Cady Studios.
Here's the url for the link: https://store.cady.com/
HSP's Pro-Life Apostolate is asking for your support with a Coins 4 Life House competition.
Four containers have been placed in the rotunda of the Liberal Arts building representing each of the four Houses at HSP. Students are being asked to bring in spare coins and small bills to place in the containers of their respective Houses.
The House that accumulates the most coins by the end of November will win 50 House points, second place will win 25 House points and third place will win 10 House points.
All of the proceeds collected will go to the pro-life cause and help to sponsor some HSP students to go to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. in January 2022.
Advent by Candlelight Women's Retreat - December 5, 2021
Please join us on Sunday, December 5th from 5:00pm-8:00pm for a Journey of Joy. This Chastain style event will have everyone bringing their own food, drink and table décor (we encourage each table to have an Advent theme and bring an Advent wreath). We will provide a white tablecloth and a single candle to symbolize Christ being the light of the world. Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, we have the speaker (Melissa Foley) covered. The funds from tickets will cover additional costs for this event and provide support for future events of the Faith and Family program within Campus Ministry. Contact Ruth Sacco at saccor1999@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Click Advent Retreat Registration to register.
Feeling a little overwhelmed about raising children in the middle of a culture that does not share your values? Wondering how you can help your children become people of character? We have a book for you! Join Connections moms as we study the book 30 Ways in 30 Days to Strengthen Your Family by Rebecca Hagelin, available via online retailers Barnes and Noble and Amazon in paperback, hardback or ebook formats. This hopeful book gives simple tips to help your family thrive, and the book covers a range of topics from family time and relationships to media influences to battles over clothing and chores.
We meet every Thursday (except for Thanksgiving), until December 9 from 8:15 to 9:45 am in the Lower School Conference room.
All HSP parents are welcome to join. Email Dede Casal, adolphcasal@comcast.net for questions.
This Week at Holy Spirit
Weekly Bulletin
The Holy Spirit Prep Arts Alliance Council (HSPAAC) encourages, supports, and supplements the fine and performing arts curriculum and programming among students and faculty in a Catholic and spiritual environment.
The HSPAAC recognizes that participation in school art programs benefits everyone. In addition to financial support, membership in the HSPAAC promotes opportunities to build and strengthen relationships among all constituencies through the enthusiastic participation of volunteers, students, music and arts teachers, parents, school faculty and staff, sponsors, community members, alumni and grandparents.
Click HERE to learn more about the Arts Alliance Council and become a member today!
Holy Spirit Prep is pleased to continue their association with Ascension Music Academy (AMA) for the 2021-2022 academic year. AMA will offer private music lessons on all of the band instruments, piano, and voice conveniently located on our campus with some of the best music educators in the Atlanta area. Chamber ensemble coaching is also available. Lower/Middle school students who take lessons later in the afternoon are able to stay in ESP until their lesson time at no additional charge.
If you would like your child to begin taking lessons, please fill out the following registration form and your available times, along with payment, and return to either the front desk or your child's music teacher. If you are paying with cash or check, you are exempt from the registration fee.
Please see the link below for a short video highlighting the benefits of playing an instrument on the brain. Thank you for supporting your child's musical education. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you and God bless!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0JKCYZ8hng
We're so proud of senior Ella Boyle who signed her National Letter of Intent last Friday to play basketball for East Tennessee State University next year!
Ella’s basketball journey began in the first grade when she was just 6 years old. She’s played on several different teams throughout the years with many memorable moments and experiences she will always cherish.
Ella started her basketball career with winning her first championship in the second grade to winning the championship four years in a row in the Catholic Metro League of Atlanta while attending school at Queen of Angels.
She’s always had a winning spirit and a desire to rise above the competition. The many coaches and mentors she has been blessed to have along the way always saw great potential in her and not just because she was always the tallest anywhere she went.
Things became real for her when she joined the Finest Basketball Club (FBC) Organization after starting high school. It was with this team that she found that her hard work could pay off and earn her a chance to play at the collegiate level. FBC has taken her all over, traveling from Pennsylvania to Indiana to Dallas, and most recently to New York City.
An even greater opportunity came out of this as she transferred to Holy Spirit Prep after spending her freshman and sophomore years at Roswell High School. There she lettered and was named All Region Honorable Mention and All Region Second Team averaging a double double each game. She was also named to the Prep Girls Hoops top 250 list.
Here at Holy Spirit Prep, she was named All State, and she and the girls team made it to the final four last season. She is back for more this year and hopes to help the team go all the way to win the state championship!
More opportunities arose here at HSP as she was asked to join the soccer team last season by yet another wonderful mentor, teacher, and coach, Mr. Radosta. She played goalie for the first time ever, lettered, and was named to the All Region team. The soccer team made it to the final four as well.
She owes the success of the last two basketball years to Coach Sasha Palmer, Coach Shane Carnes, and the FBC Director, Coach Mo. They have all played an integral role in her decision to play in college and have been a huge help in the entire recruiting process.
After visiting East Tennessee State in August, she and her family felt so at home with the coaching staff, the school, and the entire community of Johnson City.
Coach Simon Harris, Coach Adria Crawford, Coach Joe Silvestri, and Coach Jackie Alexander are now like family, and we know they will take great care of Ella while making her work hard and be the best possible version of herself.
She plans on majoring in nursing as it has been her dream for quite some time to become a labor and delivery nurse! We are so, so excited for this next phase and can’t wait to follow her on her journey!
Congratulations to the following varsity football players for being selected as All Region players!
Aidan Dirr Max Bendig Micah Gunderson Will Purvis Jacob Meder Ben Messer Russell Wyatt
Two varsity swimmers set new school records! Junior Jacob Wilhelm and sophomore Andrew Olsen both broke school records this past Friday at the AGS swim meet at Georgia Tech. Andrew Olsen broke senior Adam Marshall's 2021 100 backstroke record of 1:00.55 with a time of 58.91. Jacob Wilhelm broke William Arnold's 2019 100 butterfly time of 57.20 with a time of 56.31. Jacob also broke his own record from 2021 in the 200 IM, previously 2:13.30, with a time of 2:06.75.
Jacob also broke an additional record on Tuesday at our home meet at Chastain. He broke his own 200 Free record of 1:59.17 set November 15, 2020 with a time of 1:51.39.
Our coed Varsity and Middle School swim teams have started off strong with great times in the pool in their first 3 meets of the 2021-22 season. Our boys varsity team came in 2nd overall, our boys middle school team tied for 4th overall, our girls varsity team came in 5th overall, and our middle school girls came in 7th overall at the Atlanta Girls School swim meet at Georgia Tech last week. HSP hosted their first meet of the season on Tuesday of this week, where our middle school girls came in 4th, middle school boys came in 3rd, varsity girls came in 3rd and our varsity boys came in 1st! Many of our swimmers have already secured a spot in the state champions with their times! Great swimming!
Olivia Arnold
Luke Farris
Micah Gunderson
Adam Marshall
Megan Denton
Analise Oliver
Alexa Padilla
Maggie Maley
Jacob Wilhelm
Isaac Amsalu
Andrew Olsen
Josh Gunderson
Graeme Marshall
Solyiana Amsalu
Kennedy Nuar
Jude Brown
Maddie Van Oss
Lauren Wilhelm
Solee Ketema
Carter Schwalb
Logan Lanier
Avery Lanier
Rachel Sande
Evan Sipos
Abel Ketema
Andrew Olsen. Andrew is a prime example of the value of commitment. Andrew decided to commit himself to swimming in a year round program last spring after our season ended. And this commitment is evident in his significant time drops. Andrew dropped 18 seconds in his 200 Freestyle! He also dropped 2 seconds in the 50 free and 4 seconds in the 100 free. You may think 2 and 4 seconds is nothing compared to 18, but when only swimming 2 laps, a 2 second time drop is very significant! (Especially when your seed time is already fast!)
Congrats Andrew!
Boys Varsity Swimming - Adam Marshall
Adam has not only proven to be a reliable and confident team captain, he has also shredded his times in the water. Outstanding performance in the 100 freestyle has earned him swimmer of the meet.
Girls Varsity Swimming - Soli Amsalu
Soli is an athlete balancing two sports at the same time and showing huge time drops in her events. Soli's performance in the 200 IM earned her spot as swimmer of the meet.
Boys Middle School Swimming - Logan Lanier
Logan's first place finish in the JV boys 50 freestyle earned him the title of swimmer of the meet. Logan shows real potential to be a crucial member of the varsity swim team next year.
Girls Middle School Swimming - Lauren Wilhelm and Maddie Van Oss
There is one athlete who stood out to Coach Foutch the most, and based on the personal best times and the overall stroke improvement observed, the swimmer of the meet goes to: Lauren Wilhelm! (Cheering! Balloons! Confetti! Red Carpet! Flashing Cameras! More Cheering!) Congrats Lauren!
We want to also recognize Madeline Van Oss for showing this month's virtue at the swim meet on Friday. After her race, she took the time to reach over the lane line to the swimmers on each side to thank them and congratulate them on their swims. We want to recognize her good sportsmanship and positive attitude towards her competition.
The varsity clay targets team competes this weekend in the GISA State Championship! Good luck to to the following team members:
Max Bendig Adam Marshall Toland Oakhill Kaitlyn Hatchew Dillon Harrington Bradley Magnusson
Our Middle School Boys and Girls basketball teams started their MAAC season last night with games at our Lower School gym vs The Epstein School. Our girls team won 38-7 where our boys team was defeated.
Our littlest basketball players in 2nd-6th grade have been working hard in practice and games these last few weeks. Here is a recap of their games for the first 2 weekends. Keep it up! (Highlighted team is who won)
*Get season passes for our upcoming basketball games when you join at the Green level or above!*
The Holy Spirit Prep Athletic Booster Club has one goal - to enhance the experience of our student athletes.
Join the 21-22 Athletic Booster Club
The HSP Athletic Booster Club funds enhance our budget, allowing us to provide supplemental equipment, coaching, and programs to improve the athletics experience for all our students. These funds will be obtained through HSP Athletic Booster Club membership, corporate sponsorships, restricted athletics donations, online week-long auction revenue, spirit gear sales, Coke Drive revenue, and event ticket and concession sales.
The HSP Athletic Booster Club recognizes that participation in school athletics benefits everyone. In addition to financial support, the HSP Athletic Booster Club will promote opportunities to build and strengthen relationships among all constituencies through the enthusiastic participation of volunteers, students, coaches, parents, school faculty and staff, sponsors, community members, alumni and grandparents.
The HSP Athletics Booster Club offers membership levels for all to participate. Also, volunteers are always needed and welcome. We ask that ALL parents become members of the HSP Athletics Booster Club, at some level. In addition, any financial contribution is welcomed and appreciated.
Depending on your level of membership, you will receive seasons passes for free entry to a select number or all home, non-tournament games!
If your company would like to become a corporate sponsor, please contact the Director of Athletics, Kristina Wilhelm (kwilhelm@holyspiritprep.org) and the Director of Development, Maria Kichler (mkichler@holyspiritprep.org).
Gold Member - $1,000+
Silver Member - $500+
Green Member - $250+
Member - $100+
All varsity and middle school basketball, swim, wrestling and cheer athletes must register before the first day of practice.
Register for Winter Sport
Please complete the official registration by following the link below.
Register for Lower School Basketball