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Dear Holy Spirit Prep Families,
We have long been taught - God is love. That means we know what we need to do in order to fulfill the purpose for which He created us - love.
We have all heard the following verses from 1 Corinthians describe love. Often, they are read at weddings.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 3-8
Someone recently shared an enlightening exercise with me from a Bible study class relating to these verses.
Read through the verses again. This time, replace the words “love” and “it” with your name (or the pronoun “I”, referring to yourself).
As you reflect on the description of love as it relates to yourself, how much of it rings true for you? What parts do not?
We all struggle at times to know how to love, especially when dealing with difficult people and situations. This exercise was an eye opener for me… it provided me with some much needed perspective - and areas needed improvement on which I can focus and direct my prayers. I hope and pray it is as helpful to you and your children during this Advent season.
I hope to see you all at our Christmas Spectacular event on Friday, December 10, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Upper School campus.
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.
INAUGURAL CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR - A school-wide Christmas Celebration
Date: Friday, December 10th
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Place: Upper School campus
Events: 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
Donations needed: 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:
Monday, December 6
No Events
Tuesday, December 7
Boys JV and Varsity Basketball vs. Notre Dame Academy JV, 4:30pm • Varsity, 6:00pm • Home
Middle School Basketball vs. The Globe Academy Girls, 4:30pm • Boys, 5:30pm • Home
Wednesday, December 8
Thursday, December 9
Friday, December 10
Saturday, December 11
Varsity and Middle School Swimming Home Meet Chastain Park Pool
Game Day Cheer State Championship 10:00am • John Milledge Academy
Boys Varsity Basketball at Rock Springs Eagle Classic 7:30pm • Rock Springs Christian Academy
Pigskin Classic Returns!
The sun was brightly shining, there was a crisp chill in the air, and the alumni were ready to play a little football. On Friday, November 26th, the day after Thanksgiving, a group of HSP alumni decided to skip “Black Friday” shopping and take the field to resurrect the long-time tradition of the Pigskin Classic.
Spanning graduate classes from 2007 to 2021, alumni stepped onto the field to play a friendly game of flag football, while being cheered on from the sidelines by more graduates and their families. The competition began with a prayer from Timmy Moots (2012) to protect the players and to let everyone have fun. His prayer worked on both accounts! The only casualty was to Marco Silva (2012), who immediately blew out one of his football cleats and blamed it on “not being used for the past 10 years”. One of the highlights of the game was Trey House (2012) catching a pass and running 50 yards for a touchdown. Trey admitted he has never run that far or that fast. There was even a guest-player appearance by Dr. Ed Lindekugel, who played the whole game with the alumni. He had a great time, even catching a pass and running backwards for 10 yards; however, Advil may have been Dr. L’s best friend over the next few days following the game.
Once the final whistle blew ending the friendly and competitive game, the graduates and their families enjoyed an All-Star breakfast from the Waffle House Food Truck. The alumni had a chance to catch their breath and catch up with each other over cheesy eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and, of course, waffles. Quite tasty!!
The 2022 Pigskin Classic promises to be a bit bigger, but definitely not more competitive.
The next alumni event to be resurrected is the Alumni Christmas Eve brunch. Merry Christmas to all, and God bless us, everyone!
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!
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.
Give the gift of a choice in education to deserving students — receive a 100% Georgia income tax credit in return. Sign up for your 2022 tax credit this holiday season at goal scholarship.org!
Thank you to our 2022 GOAL Scholarship supporters! Your meaningful support of our school through the GOAL program will provide immeasurable benefits to our community.
Current 2022 GOAL Donors:
Albert Ahlstrom
Cannon and Lana Alsobrook
Michele and Claudia Aquino
Kenneth and Catherine Athaide
Thomas and Bernadette Balestreire
John and Katherine Beauclair
Mark and Rebecca Bernier
Elbridge and Julie Bills
Ave Bransford
Anthony and Cassandra Cabrera
Alan and Alyssa Carson
Thomas and Audra Cole
John and Jennifer Cooper
Kelly and Colleen Craig
Cameron and Valerie Crandall
Shannon and Moira Denton
Patrick and Ann Devine
Monsignor Edward J. Dillon J.C.D.
Joseph and Danie Dinardo
James and Angela Dirr
Agustin and Maria Durand
Christopher and Megan Durham
Richard and Mary Enzinger
James and Nancy Ewing
John and Ashley Frey
Andrew and Blair Gowasack
Christopher and Renee Grubbs
David and Kimberly Hanna
Frank and Sally Hanna
William and Jeanne Heekin
Stephen and Margaret Hellrung
Forrest and Lisa Hibbard
Jeffrey Huberty and Lisa Powell-Huberty
Neil and Carolyn Johnson
Michael and Cynthia Jones
Patrick Keenan and Ana Brcek-Keenan
James and Maura Kelly
Kathryn Leahy
Forrest Leef and Dorothy Mitchell-Leef
Patrick and Katherine Lewis
Alvaro and Jane Lievano
Edward and Gina Lindekugel
John and Judith Love
Kathleen Magnusson
Terrence and Deborah Minor
Shapour and Berthe Mobasser
Jonathan and Barbara Muirhead
Nicholas and Tricia Mulcare
Mary Nagode
Brian and Amy Nannis
Zack and Ashley Napier
Joseph and Kelly Neumeier
Edward and Catherine O'Meara
Kurt and Monica Oppermann
Anthony and April Piplica
Jeffrey and Vivian Proctor
Michael and Peggy Pusateri
Andrew and Manami Quattrociocchi
Ulises Ramirez Bourget Sanroman and Araceli Sanroman Gonzalez
James and Jennifer Richter
Charles and Susan Riepenhoff
Christopher and Christian Riley
Douglas and Leslie Rose
William and Jennifer Sande
Mike and Jessica Schelke
Lu Anne Schwarz
William and Karla Sipos
Jeffrey and Kelly Sprecher
Celso and Maria Torres
Paul and Betty Troup
Terry Trout
Brian and Sherrie Van Oss
Ivo Vissenberg
Mauricio and Laura Vives
Zachary and Christine Walker
Donald and Christine Welsko
Ryan and Kristina Wilhelm
Alexander and Christina Wulz
Charles and Therese Wyble
Anthony and Robin Yezzi
Jeffrey Zickus
Apply now for your 2022 Georgia Tax Credit! https://www.goalscholarship.org/
Contact Brittney Bailey at bbailey@holyspiritprep.org should you have any questions.
This is a reminder that students should be wearing their winter uniform as of November 30.
Please refer to holyspiritprep.org for the Lower and Middle School Uniform Guide and Uniform Vendor Information.
We celebrated the virtue of Gratitude at our monthly Virtue Assembly on November 19. Congratulations to the following students for being role models for the virtue of gratitude.
Kindergarten - Edwin Labbe
1st - Mary Meder
2nd - Claire Olguin
3rd - Hannah Summers
4A - Ivan Castellanos-Mora
4B - Gabby Cusimano
5A - Logan Baker
5B - Isabelle Young
6th - Rachael Laster and Luke Sacco
7th - Isabelle Fanfan and Logan Lanier
8th Servant Leader/Virtue Award - Lauren Wilhelm
Secret Santa has arrived!
For those of you unfamiliar, Secret Santa is a pop-up shop put on by the PVA for our Lower School and Middle School students to buy Christmas gifts for their families and have their presents wrapped. This year, a committee of amazing 8th grade girls have designed the shop for maximum enjoyment for the kids! Please check the schedule below to see when you child will be shopping. Friday’s make up shopping day is for those who were absent at their shopping time, or who otherwise have a conflict.
Please make sure to have your child bring their money with them to school on their designated day (checks or cash only). Items are for sale from $2 to $10. K-5th received a “wish” list in their Friday folders, and are encouraged to fill them out with their parents over the weekend, and bring in with them on their shopping day.
If you have any questions, please email Megan Plachy at meganplachy@gmail.com.
Please be sure to check the Lost and Found bin in the Lower School Library for any items that your child may have lost this school year.
All items that remain unclaimed by Friday, December 10, will be donated to charity.
Aimsweb screens and monitors the reading and math skills of 3rd–8th grade students. With its robust set of standards-aligned measures, Aimsweb is proven to uncover learning gaps quickly, identify at-risk students, and assess individual and classroom growth.
Aimsweb testing will take place the week of December 13. Please see below for the schedule.
Students will need to bring their headphones to school on testing days.
Monday, Dec. 13: 4th grade (8:30-9:30 am)
Tuesday, Dec. 14: 3rd grade & Middle School (8:45-9:55 am)
Wed., Dec. 15: 5th grade (8:30-9:30 am)
Love band but hate how quickly your son or daughter outgrows their recital clothes? Donate them to HSP! Just as we do with uniforms, we are now collecting gently used clothing for band concerts.
For boys, we will accept: Black dress Pants or Slacks (no jeans, joggers, sweats, shorts, etc) Black collared button down, long sleeved dress shirts Black dress shoes For girls, we will accept: HSP appropriate black dresses Black pants Black collared button down, long sleeved dress shirts Black shoes All donations should be given to Mr. Kieffer. He will store these items in the band room until a few weeks before the next concert (April 2022), where they will be available for purchase in the school store. Thank you in advance for your generosity!
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.
Please email Christian Riley at rileycn@hotmail.com should you have any questions.
Dear parents,
It is hard to believe that the end of the semester is upon us. I wanted to reach out to you with a few reminders regarding exam week. Midterm exams will begin on Monday 12/13 and conclude Thursday 12/16. Below please find the daily exam schedule as well as the weekly exam schedule.
Student Requirements:
Reminders:
Student Success Team (SST):
Please reach out to your child’s teacher or a member of our SST, Ms. Vargas and Mrs. Vann, if you have any questions about exams.
At the conclusion of exam week, we will have our annual Winter House Day on Friday 12/17. This will be a half day filled with many fun activities for the students and faculty. Students may dress down in Christmas attire and enjoy friendly House competitions. Students will be dismissed at 12:30 pm.
Please know that you are all in my prayers, and I hope you enjoy a wonderful Advent season.
God bless,
Michelle Bertany
Dear Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And that your advent is off to a great start! It’s hard to believe that Christmas is almost here. In this context I wanted to continue writing reflections about the Sacred Heart. Advent is a time of preparation of our hearts as we remember Christ’s coming during Christmas.
God became man 2000 years ago taking on a human heart, that can love, feel, suffer, and rejoice like us and with us. In the heart of Christ Child, we hear the first beats of his heart. We see his heart being formed by the love of Mary and St Joseph. We see his heart wounded in the cold winter night with just a few people to receive him into this world. Christ takes on every form of our humanity and experiences our reality firsthand.
Christ didn’t come to simply see what it was like to be human. He came because he loves us. God loves his creatures so much, that he would become one of us, take on our faults to redeem us, and open the doors to heaven again for us to have a chance to enter. Christ’s answer to the worlds problem of sin, wasn’t destruction, but rather God responded with love. Pope France says that “The Heart of Jesus is the ultimate symbol of God’s mercy; but it is not an imaginary symbol, it is a real symbol, which represents the center, the source from which salvation for all humanity gushed forth.” The Sacred Heart then is a reminder for us during the Advent season to receive the gift of God’s love with open hearts.
When we look at Jesus’s heart, we are uplifted to know that we are loved, and especially in the context of Christ’s birth, we weren’t abandoned by God. We see in the Sacred Heart the answer God gives to our sin and failure. He comes to redeem us, loving us mercifully, helping us out of our sin, through his grace. The Sacred Heart is also an answer to the many difficulties we face at home in families, seeing in Jesus a broken heart, gives us hope of restoring ours.
About 75 years ago Pope Pius XII wrote, “… moved by an earnest desire to set strong bulwarks against the wicked designs of those who hate God and the Church and, at the same time, to lead men back again, in their private and public life, to a love of God and their neighbor, … devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the most effective school of the love of God; the love of God, … which must be the foundation on which to build the kingdom of God in the hearts of individuals, families, and nations.” In other words, the Sacred Heart continues to be today an answer to the challenges in our personal life, family life, and in society.
I pray this advent be a time of encountering God’s love for you and that you find some time to enjoy Jesus’s Heart. Count on my prayers for you!
God bless!
Fr Andrew Gronotte, LC
A Theology of the Body for Teens course is being offered at the Lower School starting on January 14th and is open to all 8th and 9th grade students. Parents are welcome to attend as well as many adults have never received this teaching and joining your student on this journey will enable you to discuss the sessions with your child at home.
The study will be an eight week course led by volunteers from our school and church community. For more information regarding the program and details, please see this flyer.
Please sign up here if you are interested in attending:
Please prayerfully consider joining us for this course. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Fr Andrew at agronotte@holyspiritprep.org, Jamie Neff at neff.jamie@gmail.com or Kathleen Magnusson.
The virtue for the month of December at the Lower and Middle School is Service. Below is a calendar of suggestions of how to practice this month’s virtue at home and school.
Calendar
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.
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
The varsity clay targets team competed in the GISA State Championship last week! Congratulations to two female shooters who placed in the top ten in two divisions. Toland Oakhill placed 3rd in the AAA Female Trap division and 8th in the AAA Female Skeet division. Kaitlyn Hatchew placed 8th in the AAA Female Trap division as well!
Our Lady Cougars had a stellar week with two wins at home this past Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, the girls varsity team dominated against Creekside Christian Academy. Our boys JV and varsity teams also faced Creekside on Tuesday, and unfortunately lost the hard-fought battles. Thursday's opponent, New Faith Christian Academy, was a more equal match for our Lady Cougars, but they took an early lead and kept it throughout the game.
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. Offer ends 12/8.
Order a Varsity Letter Jacket
*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