Back to Contents
February 23, 2019 Cherokee Town Club 155 West Paces Ferry Rd NW
Meet Rosey, a 4-year-old American Golden, weighing 68 lbs. She and the sire, a 2-year old English Cream weighing 75 lbs, just had a litter of puppies on Sunday, December 30!
Rosey
The Sire
We’re announcing this exciting news because one of Rosey’s puppies will be ready for adoption right at the time of the Annual Gala, thus will be present at the event! We thought it would be fun to watch the puppy’s story along the way.
Both parents are AKC-registered and bred by a known and trusted hobby breeder in the Athens area. AKC paperwork is provided to all of their adopted puppies.
We look forward to seeing you at the Gala so you can bid on this adorable fur-baby! And by the way, it’s not too late to become a sponsor of the Gala! We would love to see at the party on January 19!
Thank you,
Rebecca Bernier Gala Chair 404-444-1770 rebecca.b.bernier@gmail.com
Saturday, January 19, 2019 Buckhead Club 3344 Peachtree Road, Suite 2600
Sponsor the Gala to attend the Sponsor Party on Saturday, January 19 at Buckhead Club. You will get a preview of live auction items, including Pat Lewis's art masterpiece.
Platinum ($15,000)
Gold ($10,000)
Silver ($7,500)
Bronze ($5,000)
Green ($2,500)
Invite your friends to learn more about HSP by coming to one of our Curriculum Nights or Open Houses.
Curriculum Nights Prospective families will hear from our administrators and select faculty about curriculum, extracurricular activities, and student enrichment at our Lower and Upper School campuses.
Lower School Thursday, January 10, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Upper School Tuesday, January 15, 7:00pm-8:30pm
Open Houses Come visit our campus and see what a day in the life of an HSP student looks like.
Kindergarten Open House Tuesday, January 15, 9:30am-11:00am
8th-12th Grade Open House Wednesday, January 16, 11:30am-1:00pm
Preschool Open House Wednesday, January 23, 9:30am-11:00am
K-7th Grade Open House Thursday, January 24, 9:30am-11:00am
HSP celebrates its third of four All-School Masses of the year on Wednesday, January 30! Since this is a late start day, the Mass will begin at 9:45am. This Mass celebrates Catholic Schools Week and will be celebrated by Bishop Ned Shlesinger. Our school community will gather in Holy Spirit Catholic Church to worship together. Parents are encouraged to attend!
Parking and Drop-Off Drop-off for Lower and Upper School students will be at the Upper School in front of the Commons Building. Drop-off for Upper School students (including those with Lower School siblings) should be between 8:55–9:10; Lower School students should be dropped off 9:10–9:25.
Law enforcement officers will be helping direct traffic in and out of campus; they may not allow cars to turn left onto Northside Drive. Lower School students will meet their homerooms in the gym, and Upper School students will meet in their homerooms before Mass.
Preschool The Preschool will start at its normal time this morning. Preschool students are welcome to attend this first All-School Mass of the year with their families!
Uniform This day is a dress uniform day.
When: Wednesday, February 6, 6:00pm-8:30pm Where: Upper School Gym
Roma is hosted by the senior class to raise money to fund the Rome pilgrimage scholarship for their capstone trip in May. The scholarship helps ensure that as many seniors as possible are able to conclude their years at Holy Spirit Prep with this journey ad limina apostolorum.
Join us for this evening showcasing the artistic talent of our students, offering auctions, featuring great fellowship, and serving delicious Italian food!
Tickets are now available for sale in advance for $15 per person; $50 maximum per family. The price at the door will be $25 per person; $100 maximum per family, so be sure to register before pre-registration closes on Monday, February 4!
One of the most anticipated features of the evening is the Senior Servant Auction. This live auction allows the seniors to share their time, talent, and service for a great cause! Winning bidders will have a chance to utilize their Senior Servant during the school day on Senior Service Day. Questions? Feel free to contact Thomas Cole at tcole@holyspiritprep.org.
We are proud to announce that three Upper School students are featured in Atlanta InTown's 20 Under 20. Senior Regina Munoz is an honoree, and William Schulman and Christian Rubio made their honorable mention list. The Reporter Newspaper also does a 20 Under 20 which will feature senior Cynthia Liao as an honoree. This article has yet to be published.
For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Regina Munoz chose to address problems with self-image and self-esteem in young Latina girls. She created the program En La Amistad Nos Encontramos, or In Friendship We Stand, that offered 12 classes to middle-school-aged girls, focused on health, beauty, and professional development. Regina went to the Hispanic Services Foundation to pass out flyers and spread her program through word-of-mouth. She reached 15 girls who regularly attended her classes.
Regina recruited guest speakers to help the classes, female experts in business, health, diet, exercise, and beauty. Guests included a business woman, yoga instructor, dietician, and dermatologist. Her goal was to create an environment where the girls could gain more confidence and make friends while learning how to feel good about themselves. “I know that you can’t change [problems with self-image] overnight,” said Regina, “but I wanted to do something to diffuse it in the Latina community.”
“This program was personal to me, since I belong to the Latina community. I know how hard it can be, especially for young girls at schools, not having friends can be really lonely and can lead someone down the wrong path.”
Regina made a lasting impact on these girls that was unexpected. “The girls were really shy at first, but by the end of the program, they were telling me everything!” She held a party at the end of the program where two of the girls opened up to her about their struggles. “One girl told me she had been having suicidal thoughts at the start of the program, and now she doesn’t feel that way anymore. Another girl who had worn long sleeves in the beginning to cover her self-harm started to wear short sleeves by the end of the program. You could see her scars, but they were healing. She wasn’t self-harming anymore.”
Although the program has ended, Regina hopes to pass it down to someone at HSP when she graduates. She hopes that En La Amistad Nos Encontramos will continue to provide a community for young Latina girls to grow in confidence and friendship.
This past summer, Cynthia Liao held an art exhibit entitled “To Seek” in her hometown Shenzhen, China to support the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). With the help of her friend Christina, who lives in Boston, the two curated the exhibit with their own work, paintings and photographs with themes of nature and wildlife. By selling prints on postcards and bookmarks, Cynthia raised $1,000 for WWF.
The idea for an art exhibit to support WWF stemmed from her frequent visits to the Atlanta zoo, a place she feels is “personally important to [her] for inspiration.” She’s gone to the zoo with her art class and on her own to take pictures of the animals, to then study the photos and paint the animals. She wanted to give back to the nature and animals that are essential to her art.
Also this past summer, Cynthia interned in Beijing with the China Architecture Design and Research group to create a design guideline for the Beijing waterfront, taking into consideration the surrounding ecosystems and communities. She also attended a summer program at Cornell called Making a Difference through Design, a three-week program where she visited hospitals and assisted living facilities to analyze their operating systems in a design thinking lens. In her final project, she created a design for a shower spa for those who cannot shower by themselves.
Cynthia wants to pursue a career in City Planning or Landscape Architecture.
William Schulman and Christian Rubio dedicate an hour of their time every Sunday to facilitate their Classics Club at Centro Catolico, a subsect of Holy Spirit Catholic Church that serves the Latino communities in Sandy Springs. William has served as a leader of this club since its inception in 2015, while Christian joined a year after. The two teach about Latin and Greek language, mythology, and culture to 10-15 students age 4-15 years old.
William was a part of the HSP Classics Club starting in 4th grade and fell in love with Latin and Greek mythology. “I love that I can share what I learned as a kid with other kids,” explained William. “I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing that these kids wouldn’t have access to this knowledge without this club.” One of William’s favorite sessions was when he used the second half to play bingo. “It was a fun way to make sure the kids were paying attention!”
William and Christian bring candy or snacks and play games with the kids while also forming relationships. “Getting to know the kids is probably the best part of all of this,” reflected Christian.
The 2018-2019 yearbooks are now on sale! The yearbook is a timeless book documenting the life of the school from preschool through 12th grade, archiving memories your student will love to pore over now and thirty years from now!
Be sure to order yours soon as pricing will increase as the school year progresses. Holiday Special - $70 (Deadline January 31) February 1, 2019 until day of Yearbook Signing - $90
Online yearbook sales will close April 20. After April 20, students may purchase a yearbook on distribution day, while supplies last.
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 ad for that specific student. You may also call the Order Center if you’d rather make the transaction over the phone. The number is (866) 287-3096.
Yearbooks will be distributed on the last day of school, Thursday, May 23, and students will have the opportunity to have their friends and classmates sign them at a signing party. If you have yearbook questions, you may email the yearbook advisor at cbentley@holyspiritprep.org.
Seniors receive a complimentary yearbook; you do not have to place an order for your 12th grade student.
On Thursday, January 17, a group of 14 students and four teachers will travel to Washington, DC to participate in the March for Life, an annual, national demonstration in support of the pro-life movement.
The group of high-schoolers, many members of HSP's Pro-Life Apostolate, will celebrate a Youth Rally and Mass for Life at the Verizon Center on Friday morning with Catholics from around the nation. They'll also visit the National Mall, where they will join hundreds of thousands of people in demonstrations supporting the dignity of every human life, both born and unborn.
This marks the sixth consecutive year the school has sent a delegation of students to the March, omitting last year when we were unable to attend due to extreme weather conditions. Please pray for them!
Our team includes:
Fr. Juan Hernandez (chaperone) Kevin Sevcik (chaperone) Yvonne Fontaine (chaperone) Megan Ruzicka (chaperone) Ben Ambo Jago Fleming Pamela Flores Kaylea Focia Daniel Jones Maddalena Jones Jackson King Gavin Marshall Regina Munoz Christian Rubio Alex Ruiz William Schulman Aidan Schultz Gabby Schultz
A team of five students and one chaperone will travel to Panama City for World Youth Day 2019 from January 22-27. World Youth Day is a worldwide encounter with the Pope which is typically celebrated every three years in a different country.
WYD is open to all young people and is an opportunity to experience in first person the universality of the Church; to share with the whole world the hope of many young people who want to commit themselves to Christ and others. World Youth Day is a unique way to deepen your faith and grow closer to Christ, by means of prayer and the sacraments, together with thousands of other young people who share your interests and ambitions.
Please pray for this team of students and staff:
Denise Gunderson (chaperone) Sarah Gunderson Lillian Cabrera Watson Casal Nolan Gibbs Jack Bohling
Holy Spirit Prep published the key operational and liturgical dates for the 2019-20 school year on Friday, December 14. You can review those dates below, or via HSP's online calendar.
2019-20 Key Calendar Dates (.pdf)
Tryouts for middle school (5th-8th) and varsity soccer teams are as follows:
Friday, January 18 Middle School Girls: 3:30-4:30pm Middle School Boys: 4:30-5:30pm
Tuesday, January 22 Varsity Boys: 3:30-4:30pm Varsity Girls: 4:30-5:30pm
Wednesday, January 23 Middle School Girls: 3:30-4:30pm Middle School Boys: 4:30-5:30pm
Thursday, January 24 Varsity Girls: 3:30-4:30pm Varsity Boys: 4:30-5:30pm
All tryouts will be held at the Upper School on the soccer field. Students at the Lower School will have squad selection meetings on Thursday and Friday with Coach Sam at recess. Upper School students will have squad selection meetings with Coach Sam after school on Friday in the Upper School gym.
Additional Information Practices during the season are at the Upper School field. Middle school girls and boys practice from 3:30-4:40pm, and varsity girls and boys train from 4:20-5:50pm. Practice days will vary depending on game schedules. No transportation will be provided from the Lower School. We encourage parents to organize a weekly carpool (this has worked very well in the past).
All teams begin practice Monday, January 28.
Our varsity basketball teams traveled to several tournaments over the Christmas break. The Lady Cougars put on quite a show at the St. Pius X Christmas Classic. After defeating Tampa Catholic 61-51 and Bonner Prendergast 50-45, they took on Bishop Kenny in the championship game. The Lady Cougars played extremely hard, but Bishop Kenny ended their winning streak with a final score of 36-51. They finished in 2nd place, and Jonnise Poole and Kaela Ward were named All-Tournament players.
In a similar performance, the girls dominated at the She Got Game Classic, this time taking the champion title. The handled both Coconut Creek and Wheeler High School with final scores of 75-49 and 79-36, respectively. Kristen Roche and Annaleena Hanson were named MVPs of those first two games. The final match was tough, but the Lady Cougars edged out DME 63-62. Olivia Tucker was named MVP of the game.
Although the varsity boys suffered some losses on the road, they fought hard and played well along the way. Anthony Edwards was named an All-Tournament player at the Chick-Fil-A Classic in Columbia, SC. The team then traveled to Memphis, TN to play in the ARS National Hoopfest. Before their first game, the boys made a stop at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and took a tour of the facility.
Congratulations to the members of our swim team who qualified for the GISA State Swim Meet! The team has two more meets before they head to State. Fourteen athletes qualified for up to seven events, including:
Girls State Qualifiers Olivia Arnold: 50 free, 100 free, 100 breast, 200 IM Virginia Claire Lehmann: 50 free, 100 free, 200 free Analise Oliver: 200 IM Alexa Padilla: 50 free, 100 free, 200 IM
Boys State Qualifiers William Arnold: 50 free, 100 free, 100 breast, 200 free, 200 IM Luke Farris: 100 back, 200 free, 200 IM Jackson Lehmann: 50 free, 100 free, 100 breast, 200 free, 200 IM Adam Marshall: 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, 200 free Gavin Marshall: 50 free, 100 free, 100 breast, 200 free Conner McKittrick: 100 fly, 100 back, 200 IM Luke Oliver: 50 free, 100 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 200 free Hector Padilla: 100 back, 200 free Will Stinnett: 50 free, 100 free, 200 free Jacob Wilhelm: 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 100 breast, 200 free, 200 IM, 500 free
Here's a look at the end of the season: Saturday, January 12 AGS Invitational at Georgia Tech
Saturday, January 19 Riverwood Invitational at Marist School
Saturday, January 26 GISA State Meet at Georgia Tech
Congratulations to our 2nd Quarter Honor Roll students! Honor Roll recognizes the academic achievements of students in 3rd-7th grade.
Principal's Honor Roll is awarded at the end of each quarter to any student earning a grade of A- or above for every subject taken that quarter including enrichment areas.
3rd Grade Abel Ketema Christopher Maurer Evan Sipos Kaylin Colarusso Keaton Neff Lindsey Baradel Luke Sacco Modupe Browne Presley Cunningham Rachel Sande Sophia Kowalzyk
4th Grade Ariana Lajara Camila Castellanos-Mora Daniel Villazon Emma Shurman Isabella Robledo Maddox Warren Tyler Baradel
5th Grade Alejandro Sotomayor Alexander Valenzano Alexis Coury Aracel Ramirez-Sanroman Cullen Hillman Elizabeth del Mazo Jude Brown Lauren Wilhelm Madeleine Hathorne Madelyn Neff Nicholas Plachy Olivia Casal Solyana Ketema Sylvia Anulewicz Victor Onuoha
6th Grade Adam Young Grace Novascone Graeme Marshall Grayson Ciprari Joseph Lee Kelly Kerew Michelle Sande Pierce Hughey Reese Hillman Tristen Lewis William Oyler
7th Grade Alexia Riley Brooke Guillaume Ella Johnston John Middelthon Jose Villazon Luke Coury Marlyn Pineda Natalie Schultz Ndiya Onuoha Richard Donner Robert Braun Ulises Ramirez-Sanroman Vincent Casal High Honor Roll is awarded at the end of each quarter to any student earning a grade of A- or above for five (3rd-4th grade) / four (5th-7th grade) or more core subjects for that quarter and a grade of B- or above in the remaining subjects. Core subjects are defined as Religion, Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.
3rd Grade Aaron Summers Ana Belle del Mazo Ana Ramirez-Sanroman Benjamin Kerew Brooke Duffy Lilian Hutchins
4th Grade Avery Lanier Evan Craig Felipe Durand Isabella Cusimano Jackson Willis Joshua Weaver Logan Lanier Matthew Cabrera Myles Maurer Raeanne Marcoot Roman Donner Sabrina Munoz Sofia de Castro
5th Grade Alexander Nerbonne Bradley Magnusson Caroline Black Ciara Berggren Edwards Durham Henry Keith Jacqueline Mitts Joseph Reger Lily Schmidt Luke Stenglein Madeline Van Oss Nicholas Evangelista Savannah Tate Sophia Cardillo
6th Grade Charles Sturgeon Dillon Harrington Keira Jessop Luke Craig Mary Martin Soliyana Amsalu
7th Grade Betsabe Trenado-Bautista Cannon Alsobrook Dominick Plachy Isaac Summers Matthew Sayers Reagan Neff Sarah Pineda Honor Roll is awarded at the end of each quarter to any student earning a grade of A- or above in four (3rd-4th grade) / three (5th-7th grade) or more core subjects for that quarter and a grade of B- or above in the remaining subjects.
3rd Grade Felicitee Sautre Noe Santillan Nolan Mathieu Rafael Pelaez Robert Nardelli William Sciacchetano
4th Grade Evelyn Labbe Franklin Loftus Juan Murcia
5th Grade Addison Cunningham Brayden Graham Crystalin Harrison Kate Johston Kian Jessop Lucas Robson Samuel Yates Sebastian Tomay Thomas Evangelista Thomas Stewart
6th Grade Bridget Durham Christian Harrison Dylan Craig John Masterson
7th Grade Brady Van Oss Jackson Sacco Senah Tesfamariam
Super Kids-Super Sharing: Sports Equipment, Book, and School Supply Donation Project
The Lower School’s House of Nicaea has teamed up with the National Football League, the Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee, Verizon, and Infinite Energy Center’s Forum for a Super Bowl community initiative that benefits local children in need. The House of Nicaea is taking part in a Super Bowl donation project called Super Kids-Super Sharing.
The House of Nicaea is collecting gently used (or new) books, sports equipment, school supplies, and games. Donated items will be distributed to local schools and youth programs that serve children in need.
Please check your closets, toy boxes, and garage for balls, gloves, cleats, and other sports equipment you are no longer using, and take a moment to clear unwanted books and games off your shelves.
Beginning today, January 9, please bring those items to school and place them in collection boxes located in the Front Office and in the IB before January 16. All types of sports equipment and school supplies, books of all reading levels, video games, and complete board games (with all their pieces) are needed. Items should be in new or good condition.
Join us as the Super Kids of Holy Spirit Prep share with others and make a difference in the lives of local children this Super Bowl season.
If you have any questions, please contact Erin Messer at emesser@holyspiritprep.org. Thank you!
When: Tuesday, January 15, 11:30am-12:30pm Where: Intermediate Building
Fifth grade parents are invited to attend a preparation meeting on Tuesday, January 15, for your rising 6th grade student. This is an important meeting to prepare you, as parents, for the transition to HSP’s middle school.
RSVP to admissions@holyspiritprep.org
You will learn about what will be new and different for your student next year, including:
You will meet your child’s lead teachers for next year, our campus ministry team, and our athletic director. Please make every effort to attend this informative session. Please RSVP to our Admissions staff. Thank you!
When: Thursday, January 17, 7:00pm-8:00pm Where: Lower School
This Info Night will go more in-depth about the sacramental preparation 2nd graders are receiving, with important dates and program information. Please plan to attend, at least one 2nd grade parent per family.
Contact Elizabeth Stromberg at estromberg@holyspiritprep.org with any questions.
Head of School's Honor Roll is awarded at the end of each semester to any student earning a grade for the semester of A- or above for every course taken that semester. Students must be taking at least seven credit courses at HSP to be eligible.
8th Grade Adam Anulewicz Charlotte Llop Claire Napier Emil Sacco Julia Kerew Riordan Gatwood Samantha Vazquez
9th Grade Daniel Jones Olivia Arnold
10th Grade Ainsley Hillman Sofia Oliver William Schulman
11th Grade Binh Ho Manuel Yepes William Arnold
Principal's Honor Roll is awarded at the end of each semester to any student earning a grade for the semester of A- or above for that semester in not less than five subjects and a grade of not less than B- in the remaining subject(s). Students must be taking at least seven credit courses at HSP to be eligible.
8th Grade Analise Oliver Jacob Wilhelm Mariana Munoz Sarah John Sophia Napier
9th Grade Adam Marshall Aidan Schultz Elliana Henriquez Quallo Erin McGrath Marxer Bendig Micah Gunderson Nicole Southworth
10th Grade Ann Fox Jiarong Li Natalie Didier Paydn Devine
11th Grade Christian DeSchepper Elizabeth Langford Olivia Tucker William Stinnett
12th Grade Haben Tijar Megan Turpin Moises Marquez Regina Munoz Watson Casal Zachary Simpson
Honor Roll is awarded at the end of each semester to any student earning at least four A-'s and a grade of B- or above in every other subject.
8th Grade Alexander Meyring Audrey Kleine Bernadette Grantham Claire Donner Daniel Llop Helen Thompson
9th Grade Dylan Jones Ella Demmings Ella Duffy Kaylin Harris Luke Farris Maria-Sophia Lindholm
10th Grade Alexa Lambert Ben Cumbie Cali Bond Connally Hobbs
11th Grade Ashley Postell John Bohling Rose Stagliano Sean Dolan
12th Grade Anna Neligan Ariel Watson Elizabeth Perez Erin Wright Gabrielle Schultz Mary Palmer Mason Mason Anker Michael Bertany Mikayla Brown Milan Robinson Roberto Ruiz Sarah Gunderson Yinxuan Li Ziyu Liao
Below is a reprint of an email sent to 10th grade parents from Ms. Rachel Little on Monday, January 7:
Dear Students and Parents of the Class of 2021:
Mrs. Meyer and I are excited to invite you to the 2019 Atlanta Invitational Case Studies Program, which will be held on Sunday, February 10th at Woodward Academy, 1662 W Rugby Ave, College Park, GA 30337. Registration begins at 1:30pm, and the program will conclude at 5:00pm. It is strongly recommended that each student be accompanied to the program by at least one parent.
Please keep in mind that this invitation is not to be passed on to others. The AICS program is an invitation only event for sophomores and parents from partner Atlanta schools.
The Atlanta Invitational Case Studies Program is a unique opportunity for sophomore students, and parents, from several Atlanta-area independent schools to meet with admissions officers from approximately 85 colleges across the country to learn first-hand how college admissions decisions are made.
What happens at the Atlanta Case Studies Program? During the event, participants will be guided by admissions professionals in small committees to ultimately decide which applicants should be admitted to the sample university. This exercise will acquaint you with the college application reading process that the Class of 2021 will soon experience. In order for the program to be effective, students and parents must review sample applications prior to attending the program. After the case studies session, students and parents are encouraged to attend the private college fair where they can speak directly to the college representatives participating in the program.
A few important items you must complete should you wish to attend:
It is rare to get such a valuable glimpse into a process that often seems a mystery, from the very people who make the decisions, and to attend a more intimate college fair. We are excited to present this unique opportunity that allows for students and parents to engage with a diverse group of admissions professionals, and it is our expectation that we will have a strong showing from our school at the Atlanta Invitational Case Studies Program. If you have any questions about the program, please contact the College Counseling office directly. We hope to see you on February 10th!
The drop-add period for high school courses begins on today, January 9. Drop/Add forms are available online and outside Miss Little’s office. They are due by Friday, January 18. No schedule changes will be allowed after Friday, January 18.
Students requesting to add an Accelerated or Advanced Placement (AP) course must obtain a recommendation form from the Department Chair. Students must attend the courses that are currently on their schedule until verification of the requested course change has been approved.
Please contact the Registrar, Miss Rachel Little, at rlittle@holyspiritprep.org with any questions.