Back to Contents
Dear Holy Spirit Prep family,
I have been grateful to the many families who have joined me in calling their legislators through March to voice your support for House Bill 217, which raises the cap on contributions to state scholarship programs like the GOAL scholarship, from $58 million to $100 million. This year the bill was signed into law, though, regrettably, with a 10-year sunset on that raise, after which the cap reverts to $58 million. In any case, in the immediate future, this raise will be a boon to us and to our students, further securing our financial aid program for those students who need it.
I want to congratulate seven of our high school boys - Mason Anker, Conner McKittrick, Christian DeSchepper, Watson Casal, Alex Ruiz, Deacon Broda, and Patrick Schulman - on winning a second consecutive GISA chess state championship. Chess has always been a passionate hobby of HSP's students, and it was remarkable to watch them secure their second state title in a row. Congratulations!
Recognition is also due to our Upper School performing arts students and to director Brian Scully for their comic performance of Anything Goes. Our students labored very hard on this production, and their enthusiasm and energy was clear on stage.
I look forward to celebrating the 22nd annual Spring Gala with our families this Saturday, April 21. The Gala supports so many worthy causes here at the school - our faculty's professional development, a tuition assistance fund for their children to attend HSP, and - this year - a special Fund-the-Future program to raise funds for select capital improvements at our Lower and Upper Schools. The Gala has some wonderful auction items this year; you can browse them here, and bid on them the night of the Gala, even if you can't be present with us.
Yours in service, Kyle
LIVE AUCTION ITEMS
Romantic Danube Cruise for Two, courtesy of Viking River Cruise Sail to charming cities and villages. Visit Budapest’s Castle District and cross the famous Chain Bridge. Explore Göttweig Abbey, one of Austria’s most revered monastic centers, and make dumplings with Wachau Valley apricots. See Europe’s largest pipe organ in Passau, or travel to Salzburg. Celebrate Vienna’s musical heritage at a concert featuring works by Mozart and Strauss. With medieval towns, grand cities and stunning scenery, this 8-day journey on the “Blue Danube” is one you are sure to love!
London Penthouse You and up to five of your guests will be able to stay for up to two weeks between now and March 31, 2019! You’ll love this spacious 1B/1B penthouse in the BOHO Whitechapel district of London!
Registration for the Spring Gala auction is open! Trust us - save yourself time the night of the Gala and register now online! Register now to skip auction registration at the Gala Even if you can't attend the Gala this Saturday, you can still bid online! Just be sure to arrange to have any items you win picked up that evening. For the live auction, you can arrange for a friend to bid on your behalf, or call us to secure a volunteer to bid on your behalf. Thank you,
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Thank you to the sponsors supporting this year's Gala! Platinum Sponsors ($15,000+) Kim and David Hanna Sally and Frank Hanna Linda and Rich O'Connell Patty and Bill Turpin Gold Sponsors ($10,000+) Denise and Erik Gunderson Silver Sponsors ($5,000+) Sandi and Anthony Cabrera Rene and Heath Cunningham Amy and Dan Hillman Francesca Aguilar and Paul Hossain Carolyn and Neil Johnson Joann and Todd Jones Andrea and Tim Lambert Cougar Sponsor ($2,500+) Kelly and Mike Angelo Elizabeth and John Barton Rebecca and Mark Bernier Christy and Dan Campbell Dede and Adolph Casal Angela and Jeremy Cohen Stephanie and David Cusimano Megan and Chris Durham Cindy and Mike Jones Natalie and Ryan Marshall Lorin and Matthew Middelthon Erica and Chris Neligan Meghan and Kyle Pietrantonio Araceli Sanroman and Ulises Ramirez Angelia and Craig Robson Marylu and Jack Valek
This weekend, the Upper School's Performing Arts department presented Anything Goes, Cole Porter's classic 1934 farce about passengers aboard an ocean cruise line. Jazz standards from the play include "I Get a Kick Out of You," "You're the Top," and "Friendship." Twenty-three 7th-12th graders were involved with the production, including Gabby Schultz as nightclub singer Reno Sweeney, Donovan Lewis as the second-rate gangster Moonface Martin, and Sam Skillin and Ariel Watson as Billy Crocker and Hope Harcourt, who fall for each other along the way. Thanks very much to the many volunteers who helped make this production possible!
Cast (in order of appearance): Elisha J. Whitney — Kyle Bannon Fred (Bartender) — Emil Sacco Billy Crocker — Samuel Skillin Reno Sweeney — Gabby Schultz Captain — Gabe Martinez Purser — Andrés Murcia Reporter — Nick Purvis FBI Agents — Luke Farris & Brandon Lewis Bishop Henry T. Dobson — Issac Olguin Luke — Dominic Sanchez John — Alejandro Mata Reno's Angels — Purity — Sarah John Charity — Sophia Lindholm Temperance — Isabella Sanchez Prudence — Audrey Grace Kleine Virtue — Ania Grigorian Hope Harcourt — Ariel Watson Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt — Natalie Didier Lord Evelyn Oakleigh — Patrick Schulman Erma — Megan Turpin Moonface Martin — Donovan Lewis
Do you enjoy meeting new families, planning small get-togethers, and welcoming newcomers? Then you are a perfect Summer Ambassador! Grade-level ambassadors are HSP’s "welcome wagon" families for our new students and their families. Duties include:
If you're interested in becoming an ambassador, please contact Kristina Wilhelm at kwilhelm@holyspiritprep.org or MaryLynn Llop at mllop@holyspiritprep.org.
The annual Mother-Son Games were held on what turned out to be a pretty nice Saturday afternoon this April 7. Moms and sons turned out for a fun picnic and the advertised games. Follow the link below to see the full gallery of photos from the day:
Full gallery of photos
Due to the shift in grade levels at both the Lower and Upper Schools - and the requirements of our new SchoolDoc program - HSP's clinic has updated its Student Health Records policy for the 2018-19 school year. Our physical exam requirements have changed, so it is important that you read the updated policy. Read the 2018-19 Student Health Records policy Annual Physical Requirement HSP requires annual physical exams be completed between April–August for the coming school year and uploaded into SchoolDoc by September 1. Student athletes are required to submit them by the first day of school or by their first practice, whichever comes first. The updated 2018-2019 physical exam forms are available below - and they are always available on the school website's Forms and Resources page.
Uploading Forms to SchoolDoc Please note that 2018-19 forms cannot be added to SchoolDoc until this summer. Information currently on file in SchoolDoc will remain as is until the end of this school year, at which time the site will be updated for the 2018-19 school year. Please wait until you receive an email notification before changing information and/or uploading new documents for the 2018-2019 school year.
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to the clinic at clinic@holyspiritprep.org.
Registration for HSP summer camps is now open! Holy Spirit Prep offers summer camps for students age 2-18.
This year's summer camps include: PRESCHOOL A+ Tennis and A+ Golf Sports Fun Camp Heidi Harrington’s Science and Nature Camp Learning Ridge: Early Adventurer Camp Learning Ridge: Early Roboticist Camp Learning Ridge: World of Nature Playball Sports Camp for Girls and Boys Tony Young Karate LOWER SCHOOL Academy Soccer Camp Challenge Island: Space Wars Camp Challenge Island: Superhero Camp Code Rev: Minecraft Level Design & Engineering Code Rev: Modding in Minecraft Girls and Boys Basketball Camp Imagine That!: Build It... and Break It Imagine That!: Commanding Minecraft Imagine That!: Roborific Scientific Imagine That!: Rockets and Robots 3-2-1 Blast Off Learning Ridge: Mission to Mars Learning Ridge: Scientific World Little Cougar Soccer Middle School and Varsity Soccer Camp Ms. Brown’s Reading Alive Ms. Grisham’s Summer Reading Camp Painting Masterpieces with Esther Francis Sew Fun Studios’ Rock Star Accessories Sew Fun Studios’ Toys and Games Study Skills for 5th and 6th Grade Summer Fun Camp UPPER SCHOOL Cougar Football Camp Girls Basketball Camp Kids Tennis Camp Little Cougar Cheerleading Camp Mr. Harrison’s Marine Science Camp Mr. Harrison’s Zoology Science Camp Mr. Radosta’s College Application Essay Workshop Mr. Reger’s Introduction to Physics Mrs. Thornhill’s Math Camp Youth/Parent Running Camp
HSP students and parents are partnering with Volunteer for a Better Sandy Springs in a community service project. This is an annual event and a fun opportunity for the HSP community to get together and earn 5 SERVICE HOURS. All students & parents (dads) are invited. Please bring garden gloves if you have them.
DATE: Saturday, April 21, 2018 MEETING LOCATION & TIME: 8:00am at North Springs High School (Kick-off breakfast served) EVENT LOCATION: The Big Trees Preserve (7741 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs) ACTIVITY: Fun morning of mulching and clearing the trails PICK-UP: 12:30pm at The Big Trees Preserve Please reply to Brian Plati, bsplati@hotmail.com, if you plan on attending. All volunteers will receive a t-shirt, so please include your size when responding.
Wood Turning 101 Workshop April 23-27, 2018 4:30-6:30pm Cost: $25
The National Art Honor society will be sponsoring a pen-making workshop with HSP’s own Raul Jimenez. Students and parents are welcome. Learn the basics of wood turning and working on a lathe! All participants will leave with your very own custom wood pen. Spots are limited, so please contact Mrs. Rondeau at rrondeau@holyspiritprep.org for information.
On Wednesday, April 25, at 7:00pm in the Lower School cafeteria, the Musical Theatre and Scenery Clubs will present “The Music Man, JR.” Come watch 53 Lower School children perform this great American musical! Admission is free.
Download Spirit Night Flyer
This past Friday, April 13, we celebrated three of our seniors signing to play sports at the next level.
Vinny Antinori signed with Emmanuel College to play baseball. He is the first baseball player from HSP to sign to play in college. He started his baseball career with HSP as a sophomore, but even as an underclassman, “he has always been a leader of the team,” according to baseball coach Mr. Harrison. In his short speech at the signing ceremony, Mr. Harrison said that he sees Vinny as “someone who will come back to Holy Spirit and speak to future athletes about his experience and how he got to be where he is.” He added, “If you do things right, you end up in the right place, and Vinny is the perfect example of this.”
Sabina Grigorian signed with Villanova University to play tennis. Last year, Sabina was the GISA 1AAA state singles champion. Nelson Tyer-Jones signed with Sewanee: The University of the South to play tennis, also. Their coach Mr. Cole said, “It is an abundance of riches to have two athletes continue on to play at the next level.” In his short speech, he congratulated his athletes for their accomplishments, saying that “it had been a tremendous honor and privilege to work with athletes with such talent.” Mr. Cole looks forward to hearing of their success at their respective universities.
Varsity girls have been on a roll this week with five consecutive wins against Atlanta Girls, Fugee, Loganville, Lagrange, and Dominion in a marathon of games. They're tired, but champions!
On Monday, April 16, varsity soccer observed senior night, celebrating the 12th-grade athletes playing their final home game of the regular season. Those seniors include:
Cristina Cunningham Jordan Daly Sabina Grigorian Maddie Hardt Paloma Robledo Maddie Schultz David Sullivan
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 Ariana Lajara Daniel Villazon Joshua Weaver Raeanne Marcoot Roman Donner Tyler Baradel
4th Grade Alexis Coury Cullen Hillman Giulia Bryant Joseph Reger Jude Brown Lauren Wilhelm Madeleine Hathorn Madelyn Neff Nicholas Evangelista Olivia Casal Solyana Ketema Sophia Cardillo Valentina Loria Victor Onuoha
5th Grade Adam Young Grayson Ciprari Jennifer Griner Joseph Lee Mary Meyer Martin Michelle Sande Pierce Hughey Reese Hillman Samantha Lambert Tristen Lewis William Campbell William Oyler
6th Grade Alexia Riley Brooke Guillaume Cannon Alsobrook Cole Wicker Ella Johnston Robert Braun
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 & 6th 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 Camila Castellanos-Mora Emma Shurman Evan Craig Felipe Durand Matthew Cabrera Myles Maurer Sabrina Munoz
4th Grade Addison Cunningham Alexander Valenzano Araceli Ramirez-Sanroman Ciara Berggren Edward Durham Esteban Henriquez Quallo Jacqueline Mitts Lily Schmidt Lucas Robson Madeline Van Oss Samuel Yates Savannah Tate Sebastian Tomay Sylvia Anulewicz
5th Grade Alexander Carreras Alexander Klingsoehr Bridget Durham Dillon Harrington Dylan Craig Francisco Sotomayor Gabrielle Jasmin Graeme Marshall Hollis Weiss Katherine Tocci Kelly Kerew Luke Craig Mallory Kate Jones Raquel Marcoot
6th Grade Eleanor Jones Isaac Summers Jose Villazon Joseph Yanta Natalie Schultz Reagan Neff Richard Donner Ulises Ramirez-Sanroman Vincent Casal
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 & 6th grade)or more core subjects for that quarter and a grade of B- or above in the remaining subjects.
3rd Grade Anna Elizabeth Bernier Austin Schultz Isabella Robledo Maddox Warren Sofia de Castro
4th Grade Bradley Magnusson Jacob Kowalzyk Kian Jessop Nicholas Plachy
5th Grade Anthony Lombardi Christian Harrison Jack Wigbels John Masterson Michael Sciacchetano
6th Grade Dominick Plachy Jackson Sacco Joshua Gunderson Luke Coury Matthew Sayers Ndiya Onuoha Norman Labbe
Experience a night of food, games, and culture by joining us for Lower School International Night on Thursday, April 26, from 5:00pm-7:30pm. The World Cup themed event will begin with Mass followed by food, fun, and futbol!
We ask that each family bring an appetizer, salad, or dessert to share. When signing up for a dish, please indicate which country it comes from. The school will provide a main course and beverages. Families are encouraged to wear their soccer shirts or the colors from their native countries. The night will end with a parent-child soccer game, so please let us know who in the family will be participating!
Please RSVP by April 16, 2018.
Congratulations to Emil Sacco, Bennett Oyler, and Anna Grigorian, who took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place respectively in the school oratorical contest, sponsored by Modern Woodmen of America. The students, alongside a panel of their peers, delivered 3-5 minute speeches without the benefit of props or visual displays on the topic, "The Most Important Invention." Proposals included the light bulb, airplanes, boats, and the electric circuit, among other inventions.
The Lower School's Field Day is Friday, May 11 - we need parent volunteers! To volunteer at Field Day or for more information, please contact Laura Linkous at llinkous@holyspiritprep.org or Christian Riley at rileycn@hotmail.com.
A group of Upper School art students participated in the Art Throwdown at the Dogwood Festival this weekend. The competition runs alongside the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition (where several students had work featured, including Kaley Turpin, Natalie Didier, and Sarah Durham).
The Art Throwdown is an opportunity for high school and college art students to competitively exhibit their skills in drawing, digital arts, photography, painting, and ceramics.
This year’s participants were Camila and Julia Del Bosque, Sean Dolan, Juliette McKinley, and Cynthia Liao. The drawing competitions are live events open to the public where students draw each other and then live models. There are various time limitations – 5, 10, 20 minutes. The landscape competitors were faced with the task of creating an on-site rendering depicting a scene representing the festival.
Juliette took 1st for her digital art collage. Cynthia‘s portrait drawings placed 1st, and Julia placed 2nd in her competition. Sean’s landscape painting placed fourth.
Service hours are due April 30. High school student should submit documentation for their 20 hours of service before April 30. Junior high students require documentation of 10 hours of service.
With any questions, please contact Beth Van de Voorde at bethv@holyspiritprep.
Download the 2017-18 service hours form
The Knights of Columbus Council #6517 invite all graduating seniors to participate in their Scholarship Essay Contest. The Council will choose one male and one female to be awarded a $500 scholarship to their matriculating school.
Students are to write a 400-500 word essay on the topic of “The Importance of Maintaining Your Catholic Faith in a College Setting.” All submissions are to be received by April 23. Please include name, address, email, and contact number with the essay submission.
For additional information and essay submissions, please contact David Labbe at dlabbe@holyspiritprep.org.