A Spirit of Tradition

Dear Friends:
As I sit at my desk to write you this letter I am looking out my window and cannot help but notice that we are beginning to see the beautiful foliage associated with Fall in Ohio.  This time of the year truly reflects the majesty of God's creation. It is my sincere hope that each of you take some time to enjoy these beautiful autumn days.

I take this opportunity to thank the students, parents, faculty, and my administrative colleagues for what has been an outstanding start to our school year.  In conversations with both the students and faculty I have heard a similar sense of excitement and enthusiasm for a year that promises occasions for both challenge and accomplishment.  In these initial weeks of the school year I have been blessed to witness first-hand the work ethic and sense of community that has always been associated with St. Francis DeSales High School.

These attributes have been especially evident with our "Gala Opening," our Opening Mass, our Annual Autumn Awards Convocation, and especially this week, as we celebrate Homecoming week. In my estimation each of these events affirmed why we believe our students serve as wonderful examples of "Inspiration in Action."  On each of these occasions our community has been provided with a poignant reminder of God's abundant grace in our lives.

I wish to take this opportunity to once again extend a personal invitation to each of you to be active participants in your child's journey.  I feel blessed each day to "come home" to a place that has made a profound difference in my life and the lives of my family.  It is my prayer that your experiences at SFDHS will be equally gratifying.
 
I am sure you will agree that the early portion of our year has been blessed with success and growth; however, it is important for us to realize that we have considerable work to do. I humbly request your continued support as we work collaboratively to provide our students with all the necessary resources to meet with continued success.

As most of you are aware this time of the year is also quite active with reference to prospective students and their families visiting St. Francis DeSales High School. It is my hope that you will encourage friends and relatives who are exploring educational options for their children to attend our annual Open House on November 8th from 11am-2pm or to contact Julie Barber in our Admissions Office.  As a community we are proud of our rich tradition; please help us encourage "Future Stallions" to envision how they could add to our rich legacy by sharing their God-given talents with our school family.  Thank you in advance for being such outstanding ambassadors for our school.

In closing, as you move forward this year rest assure that our faith community continues to pray for your health, happiness, and peace on a daily basis. It is my hope that you will consider joining us for our annual Alumni Memorial Mass in conjunction with the Feast of All Saints on Friday, October 30th at 9:45 a.m. If you are unable to be present, please pray for us as we honor those members of the St. Francis DeSales High School community that have gone on to their eternal reward.


Peace and God's Blessings,
Daniel J. Garrick '79
Principal
 
Reach out your hand to your guardian angel so that he or she may lead you.  
Encourage your soul to make this choice.
-St. Francis DeSales-
Friends in the Courtyard
Friends in the Courtyard
When: Thursday, October 22 
6:30pm - 11:00pm
Where: SFD Gymnasium

Come and enjoy an evening with friends where you can sample the finest wines from around the world and participate in a live and silent auction.

Tickets are $35 if purchased by October 16, $40 if purchased on October 17-21.  Tickets will not be sold at the door. 

New this year! Participate in the "Reverse Raffle" for your chance to win at least a $1,000 cash prize! You can purchase your raffle tickets when you register for the event. 



Proceeds from this event provide financial support for St. Francis DeSales High School 
co-curricular programs including athletics, band, drama, and clubs.

To donate silent auction items or fine wine contact Nicole Clayton at ncclayton1@aol.com. 
Stallions in the Spotlight

Thi Nguyen, Michael Saxer, and Vincent Layne placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (respectively) this past weekend at SFD's Fishing Club Tournament. *The club's next meeting will be Thursday, October 15 in Room 219 at 3:20pm. See Mr. Z for more information. 

Congratulations to Lauren Morabito who was selected as the Student of the Month by the Westerville Rotary Club. She attended a special luncheon last week for this recognition. 

Seven seniors were named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, joining classmates Julia Murray and Brittany Truong (named semifinalists last month). This outstanding recognition was based on their test scores from the PSAT taken their junior year. Congrats to these Commended Students: Joseph Braun, Andrea Coffey, Jonathan Delaney, Megan Javitch, Sera Kitchen, Andrew Schwenk, and Alexandra Weikert. 
  
Thank you to all who supported our Friends of the Poor walk and the St. Vincent DePaul Club!
Important Information for those signed up for the Flu Clinic

Only the flu vaccine injection will be available at our school's flu clinic next Tuesday, October 13 (the Flumist will NOT be available). If you do not want your child to receive a shot, please notify Mr. Jones via email at jijones@cdeducation.org. 
First Impressions

The Business Club invites you to First Impressions, the first of five modules of the Emerging Leaders' Business Etiquette classes on Wednesday, October 21st. This first module will cover the following: visual poise, handshakes, eye contact, introductions, listening 101, body language along with other first impression lessons. Each participant is asked to BRING a JERSEY for an interactive exercise! Snacks and drinks will be provided at the beginning of the program and pizza will be available at the end of the module. This program is free to members of the Business Club. Non-members can attend for $5.00 per module that can be paid at the door (room 118). Any Non-Business Club member must respond to an EVITE by first e-mailing Mr. Montenaro at montenaro@desales.co by Friday October 9th.
Upcoming Events

DESALES PERFORMING ARTS ASSOCIATION MEETING
When: October 7; 7pm
Where: PA Room (down hallway behind theatre)
DeSales Performing Arts Association (DPAA) welcomes all parents of Theatre and Choir students to our first meeting of the school year.  All DPAA Board positions are open for the 2015-2016 school year.  Nominations will be accepted for President, VP, Treasurer, & Secretary.  Please contact DPAA through the school website under the Community tab, then Parents, then click link to DPAA President Chris VanCuyk to submit any questions/concerns.  Future meetings will be held the 1st Tuesday of the month. 

TRADITIONS MASS & BREAKFAST
When: October 9; 7am mass, with breakfast immediately following
Where: Gymnasium and Cafeteria

HOMECOMING ASSEMBLY
When: October 9; 9am 
Where: Gymnasium

HOMECOMING DANCE
When: October 10, 8pm to 11pm
Where: Gymnasium

TESTING DAY FOR FRESHMEN, SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS 
When: October 14
*No school for seniors. Early dismissal for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors at Noon.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTIONS
When: October 18, 6pm
Where: Gymnasium

Link to Full School Calendar
Pre-Sale Tickets for Friday

Pre-sale tickets for Friday's Homecoming Football game will be available for purchase in the cafeteria Wednesday through Friday during all three lunch periods (10:20am to 12:45pm).

$6.00 (adults), $5.00 (students), and $2.00 (Golden Buckeye Card)
Forward to a Future Stallion!

HALLOWEEN SOCIAL
Who: 7th and 8th Grade Students
When: Saturday, October 24
            7:30pm-9:30pm
Admission: $5.00 - Proceeds go to scholarships for the Class of 2020!

Costume Contest with prizes given out at 9pm. Plus the OSU game will be played on big screens!
Daily Reflection
The truly patient person neither complains of his hard lot nor desires to be pitied by others. He speaks of his sufferings in a natural, pure and sincere way, without grumbling or exaggerating them. When you are sick, offer up all your grief, pain and weakness in a service to Our Lord, and beseech Him to join them to the torments He suffered for you. Desire to get well so that you may serve Him, but do not refuse to suffer so that you may obey Him and prepare for death, if that is His will, in order to praise Him and be happy with Him forever. (INT. Part III, Ch. 3; O. III, p. 137)
St. Francis DeSales High School | 614-267-7808 | sfdstallions.org
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