SAINT THOMAS
AQUINAS
CATHOLIC HIGH
SCHOOL
SAVE THE
DATES!
August 19,
4-7pm: Public Kickoff of
the Capital
Campaign
October 5:
Homecoming Game
November
10: Falcon
Fling
(formerly
known as the
Lobster Bash)
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE:
Distinguished
Graduate
2
Alumni News
4
Class of 2012
6
March for Life 9
iPad 1:1
10
Athletics
12
Mock Crash
16
the
Flame
A P U B L I C A T I O N O F
S T A A D V A N C E M E N T
T H E
O F F I C E
S U M M E R
2 0 1 2
STA Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary
Several guests spoke of
their pride in being a
part of St. Thomas
Aquinas from its very
humble beginnings to
its current successes.
A reception followed
in the Commons
where guests were
entertained by a slideshow depicting images
of how the school has
Several Dominican sisters returned from Springfield, Illinois, to help
grown. Memorabilia
STA celebrate its 25th Anniversary. Pictured from left are Sister
displayed around the ComPatricia Burke, Sister Judith Anne Haase, Principal Jose Becerra,
mons was a big hit and inSister Teresa Marron, and Sister Virginia.
cluded old football jerseys,
the
original
Dominican
sisOn February 4, 2012, the St.
cheerleader and Starlette
ters
from
Springfield,
Illinois,
Thomas Aquinas Regional
uniforms, old yearbooks,
Catholic High School commu- who staffed the school from
and photographs.
1986
until
nity gathered to celebrate 25
2005. Also
years of providing a strong
recognized
Catholic education to high
school students in our region. were the
STA opened its doors on Sep- “secondtember 2, 1986 with 37 fresh- generation Falcons” whose
men and today boasts nearly
parents gradu400 students. The 25th celeated from STA.
bration began with a prayer
The service
service in the gym. Current
was conducted
and past families, alumni, current and former faculty mem- by our coChaplains, Fabers, founders of the school,
thers Mark
and community leaders gathFreshman Ally Inman is joined by her parents. Ally
Beard
and
is a second-generation Falcon as her mother Kimered in thanksgiving for our
Randy Cuevas. berly Crapanzano Inman graduated from STA in
school. Special guests were
1996.
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Principal Jose
Becerra congratulates Major Johnson
during Catholic
Major Marc Johnson ‘95 is 2012 Distinguished Graduate
Marc Johnson was selected as
the 2012 Saint Thomas Aquinas High School Distinguished
Graduate. After graduating
from STA in 1995, Marc attended the United States Air
Force Academy in Colorado
Springs and graduated with a
Bachelor’s of Science Degree
in Management with Military
Honors. Marc then underwent
training as an undergraduate
pilot and pilot instructor along
with attending Fighter Fundamentals training. From 2005 –
2008, Marc was assigned to
the 335th Fighter Squadron at
Seymour Johnson AFB, NC.
He was deployed to SW Asia
in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom in 2006. He was
named the Distinguished
Graduate of Air Combat
Command’s Air and Space
Operation’s Center Basic
qualification course in 2008.
In 2008, Marc was deployed
for 12 months to SW Asia in
support of Operations Iraqi
and Enduring Freedom at the
USAF Central Combined Air
and Space Operations Center (CAOC). He planned all
combat support missions for
both theaters of operation
and served as the Executive
Officer to the CAOC Director. Marc was then assigned
to the 336th Fighter Squadron
at Seymour Johnson AFB,
School’s Week.
NC. He was deployed again to
Bagram AB, Afghanistan until
March 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Marc currently resides
in Clayton, NC and is a United
States Air Force Senior Pilot,
multi-ship flight lead with more
than 2,300 flight hours. He has
flown more than 600 combat
hours and 120 combat sorties
in support of Operations Iraqi
and Enduring Freedom. He has
flown the T-37B, T-38A, T-38C,
F-16D and F-15E aircrafts. Marc
says his experience at STA
“instilled discipline, commitment and dedication to my beliefs while solidifying the importance of character, integrity and
faith in any situation.”
Coach Gauff Chosen for All-American
Championship Game
In his 16 years as
head coach at
STA, Coach Gauff
has an overall
record of 362-190,
two state
championships,
two trips to the
semifinals and six
district titles.
STA Head Basketball
Coach, Errol Gauff, was chosen to be an Assistant Coach
for the 2012 All-American
High School Championship
Game. The game was held on
Sunday, April 1st and was
played at the UNO Lakefront
Arena in conjunction with the
“Final Four” games. A panel
of the nation’s most respected
media covering high school
basketball serves as the selection committee for the AllAmerican Championship.
Errol Gauff has been
the head coach at St. Thomas
Aquinas for a total of 16 years.
He has also been an assistant
coach at St. Stanislaus, Hahnville, and St. Paul’s during his
19 year coaching career. He
has compiled an overall record at St. Thomas Aquinas of
362-190, while winning the
State Championships in 2007
and 2008. In both 2009
and 2012, STA advanced to
the state semi finals. During his tenure, STA has
won six district titles as
well.
He has twice been
named as 2A State Coach
of the Year and has been
named District Coach of
the Year five times. He has
been a member of the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association
(LHSBCA) for 14 years, four
of which he served in the
executive office as Secretary
and Vice President. He has
also served as Coordinator
for boy’s basketball on the
LHSAA’s executive council on
three separate occasions.
Errol is married to
Medria Robinet and they
have one daughter, Hailey
Elizabeth.
STA’s own Coach Gauff chosen for All-American High
School Game during the Final Four in New Orleans.
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Grandparents’ Day sets attendance record
Freshmen Grace
and Bobbi Amar
visit with their
grandmother, Mrs.
Margaret Ann
Amar.
The always popular Grandparents’
Day breakfast was held this year
during Catholic School’s Week on
February 1. This event is one that
has continued growing in number
over the years as well
as in popularity.
Grandparents’ Day
had traditionally been
held in the Commons but was
moved to the gym in 2010 due
to the growth in numbers.
More than 500 attended this
year’s breakfast.
Grandparent’s
enjoyed visiting
with their grandchildren and
friends and were
entertained by the
STA Choir and
Glee Club. Each
grandparent received an STA
coffee travel mug
and several prizes Senior Brandon Cancienne and his
were raffled also. grandmother Lucille Traylor enjoy
breakfast.
STA celebrates National Counseling Week
National School Counseling Week was celebrated in February to focus public
attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors and
how they positively impact their students. The week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school
success and plan for a career. At STA, Counseling Week was recognized in
many ways, including a suicide prevention training program called “Teen Life
Counts”, campus visits from colleges and universities, faculty and staff appreciation, and more. Additionally, the Counseling department has implemented
parent and student meetings geared to each class and their specific challenges.
Information regarding college preparation, career and college goals, and
Hammond Mayor Mayson Foster proclaims
answers to the high school journey are all addressed.
National Counseling Week with STA counselors Meagan Candiotto ‘05 and Ashley Arnone
Brady ‘97.
Mother Seton honoree is Veronica Bonfiglio
Congratulations to Veronica Bonfiglio who has been selected as STA’s 2012
Mother Seton recipient. The Mother Seton
Award was created to honor those individuals whose volunteer service and dedication to home, school, and church have
been exemplary. Mother Seton recipients
have strong Catholic values and a selfless
dedication to Catholic schools.
Veronica has been an STA parent
and member of the Home and School Association since 2000. Veronica and her
husband, Mark, have three sons: Jonathan,
Class of 2004; Joshua, Class of 2008; and
Jordan, Class of 2012. Veronica has been a
dedicated volunteer for the Falcon Soccer
team and has served as the annual Lobster
Bash’s decoration chairperson.
Veronica said, “Some of my and
my families happiest times in the past 12
years have been at the STA Soccer Field. I
truly appreciate STA, Coach Cox, and all
of the players and parents for being such a
blessing in my life.”
Bishop Muench and Superintendent of
Schools Melanie Verges congratulate
Mother Seton recipient Veronica Bonfiglio.
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4
Brandt Meyer ’01 supervises one of the
crawfish pots for his
team.
If you have news to
share or simply want
to share what’s going on in your life for
a future edition of
the Flame, please
email it to the Advancement Office,
kkarcher@stafalcons
.org.
Saint Thomas
Aquinas Regional
Catholic High
School
Falcon Alumni
Association
STA - Class of ‘92
Inaugural Alumni Crawfish Boil-off
The Falcon Alumni Association
proudly hosted the inaugural
Alumni Crawfish Boil-off during
Easter weekend. More than a hundred alumni and their families
gathered for the camaraderie. Six
teams competed in the crawfish
boiling contest. Competition was
fierce and dirty, Louisiana style!
First place honors went to the
team of Matt ‘92 and Jared Lyons
‘96. Will Johnson ‘95 and his team
garnered second place honors,
and the third place paddle belongs
to Trey Tantillo ‘02.
“This was a great function to bring our alumni back to
our campus and reconnect
with their school,” said
AlumniDirector Errol
Gauff. “I am looking forReese Whitaker, daughter of Lindsay
ward to many more events
Taylor Whitaker ‘00, and Zoe Jackson,
such as this for our alumni.
daughter of Shelby Brignac ‘10 and
As I told our graduating
Zay Jackson ‘11 are future Falcons!
seniors, this is your home.
Come home sometimes to
visit. Let us know how you
are!”
In addition to the
awards for the Boil-off, the
afternoon ended with an
Easter egg hunt on the
football field for our future
Will Johnson ‘95 and Jeff Cashe ‘91
Falcons.
visit over corn and potatoes.
Keeping Up with Falcon Alumni
Congratulations to Marquette Guerin
Pegler ’98 and her husband Jeff on the
birth of their daughter, Layne Marquette.
She was welcomed home by her big
brother, Luke.
Congratulations to Christin Canal Merrifield ‘01 and her husband Chris on the
birth of their son, Rowe.
Also, congratulations to Trey Tantillo
‘02 and his wife Selena on the birth of
their son, Salvador Peter Tantillo IV,
“Cort”.
Falcon Fest! Jonathan Bonfiglio ‘04 and
Lindsay Day ‘04 graduated as Doctors of
Physical Therapy. Bryce Fugarino ‘04
and Nicole Ersek Quinn ‘04 graduated
as Doctors of Medicine and will begin their
residencies. Donnie Chaucer ‘04 earned
his Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Kathryn Edwards ‘04 recently earned
her juris doctorate from LSU Law School.
Dawnielle Rollette ‘04 graduated as a
Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine AND got
married the same month! Congratulations.
Best wishes to Morgan Scherer ‘04 and
Grady Seale ‘04 on their recent marriage. Two Falcons are better than one!
Jessica Downing Mathis ‘04 recently
graduated with a doctorate in Veterinary
Medicine from LSU.
Catie Chaucer ‘05 recently graduated
summa cum laude with her Pharm D and
will be employed as a pharmacist at Don
Chaucer’s Pharmacy.
Brooke Gasaway ‘07 graduated summa
cum laude from Virginia Tech University
with a professional Bachelor of Architecture.
Reports from the LSU Health Sciences
Center at New Orleans graduation ceremonies in May were that it looked like a
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STA celebrates at HGS 100 Year Parade
STA was proud to help Holy Ghost Catholic School celebrate its
100th Anniversary by participating in its celebratory parade. The
Parade was led by the STA Band, Starlettes and Cheerleaders, as
well as the STA Falcon mascot. Following that were two floats
filled with STA students who are also alumni of Holy Ghost.
“Holy Ghost can always count on the students at STA to help.
Our students were so excited that the ‘big kids’ came to celebrate with them,” said HGS principal Tangee Daugereaux. “It is
so wonderful for our students to see the camaraderie that we
continue to experience, even after we move on from HGS.”
STA seeks information on Elusive Falcons
If you have contact information for
any of the following graduates, please
contact the STA Advancement office
at (985) 542-8941 or email
kkarcher@stafalcons.org.
CLASS OF 1990:
Allen Capdeboscq, Jr
Cathryn Martin
Elizabeth Hill
Erin Ryerson
Jude Smith
John Wiginton
CLASS OF 1991:
Karen Romero Frazier
Steven Diebold
Heather Booth
Margaret Burgess
Joe Gallinaro
Julia Hagood
Michael Kidd
Michelle Kimball
Lance Recile
Meredith Savoie
Jayme Weber
CLASS OF 1992:
Nicole Genova
Juliet Gray
Heith Huguet
Jenise Jacques
Tanya King
Melissa Muscarella
Sidney Perez
Michele Rolling
David Soileau
Troy Tubre
Christen Whiddon
5
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6
Class of 2012 Leaves
Their Mark
The Class of 2012 received over $3.3 Million
in Scholarship Offerings
82% of the Class of 2012 received a TOPS
scholarship
Average ACT score of the Top 15 was 28
2012 Valedictorian
Maria Alphonso and
Salutatorian Phillip
DiBenedetto
Average ACT score of the Class of 2012 was
23.5
Six seniors have an ACT composite of 30 or
above
The Class of 2012 will be attending the following Colleges and Universities: Birmingham
Southern, Clark Atlanta University, Delgado Community College, Louisiana State University, Louisiana
Tech University, Massachusetts Maritime Academy,
McNeese State University, Millsaps College, Nicholls
State University, Northwestern State University,
Southeastern Louisiana University, Spring Hill College, Tulane University, University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of
Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Wyoming.
89 seniors completed
5887 hours of
community service
at: All Saints Episcopal
Church, Belle Maison
Nursing Home, CASA,
Catholic Charities,
Crime Stoppers of
Tangipahoa, Diocese of
Baton Rouge,
Hammond Kiwanis,
Hammond Nursing Home,
Hammond Rotary, Hammond
Strawberry Fields, Holy Ghost
Catholic School & Church,
Hospice House, Humane Society,
Lallie Kemp Medical Center, Mater
Dolorosa Catholic School &
Church, Ministries of Hope, New
Horizons, North Oaks Medical
Center, Options, Our Lady of
Prompt Succor Catholic Church &
School, Relay for Life, Our Lady of
Pompeii Catholic Church, St.
Joseph Catholic School & Church,
St. Vincent DePaul, Special
Olympics, TARC, Tangi Food
Pantry, and Trafton Academy.
Seated: Tony
Miller, Maria
Alphonso, Baleigh
Olah, Jensine Joseph, Garrett
Woodall.
Standing: Jourdan
Moschitta, BJ
Miles, Phillip
DiBenedetto,
Blake Elliott, Corbett Ourso, Scott
Wheat, Mark Holt,
Ryan Magee.
Standing: Trey Latino and Trey
Duhe
The 2012 Top Fifteen
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Brotherhood, Sisterhood and Student of the Year
At left are Brotherhood and Sisterhood award recipients
Hailey Boutwell and Mark Holt. Above is STA Student of the
Year Jourdan Moschitta with her parents.
Alumni Pinning is a new tradition
The Class of 2012 began a new tradition following
final exams. The departing seniors gathered in the
gym for a final meal together and watched the senior slide show. Alumni Director Coach Gauff addressed the seniors, congratulating them on their
successes and reminding them that STA is their
home: a home we would like them to come back
to visit. Kate Valenti Perrilloux ’92, president of
the Falcon Alumni Association, welcomed the
graduates to the Alumni Association and then was
joined by Alumni faculty members and 2012 siblings in pinning the graduates with their coveted
STA pin. The senior Student
Council members presented
the administration with a
check for $1400 as their gift
to the school for the Falcon
Photo Gallery, part of the
25th Anniversary celebration.
The event was closed with
the unveiling of STA’s alma
mater, a collaboration between Karyn Huggett Kingrey ‘04 and Jonah Zieske
‘12.
STA student receives
Tulane Legislative
Scholarship
Pictured left to right are Principal Jose Becerra, STA graduate Jensine Joseph and
State Representative Chris Broadwater.
Representative Chris Broadwater
awarded his Tulane Legislative Scholarship to St. Thomas Aquinas Senior
Jensine Joseph. The Scholarship for the
Fall of 2012 and Spring of 2013 academic
year is for one year and covers full tuition for that period.
“Veritas Veritas”
We hail to our Saint Thomas
We give our hearts to thee
All the time we spent with her,
Will never leave our memory.
The flame of truth will always
guide you.
Be a Falcon strong and true!
Our Alma Mater,
We’ll always remember you!
Lyrics by Karyn Huggett Kingrey ‘04
Score by Jonah Zieske ‘12
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Louisiana State
Trooper Nick
Manale (right)
instructs sophomores Jordan
Jarreau and
Bryon Garrety in
the use of simulated Fatal Vision
goggles.
8
Sophs participate in “Sudden Impact”
STA sophomores were
invited to
attend The
Sudden Impact Program
at Lakeview
Regional
Medical
Center. The
students
were presented with
a Safe Driving Presentation including Traffic Laws, Seatbelt Safety, DWI, Underage DWI,
Vehicular Homicide, Driver Distraction, Texting while Driving,
Common Driver Violations,
and more.
As part of the program, students were exposed
to actual crash photos, videos,
and the Standardized Field
Sobriety Tests using the Fatal
Vision (Drunk) goggles. After
the law enforcement presentation, the students were addressed by an ER physician
about the medical aspect of
the dangers of driving, and the
impact that is felt long after
the initial crash. Also, a representative from LOPA
(Louisiana Organ Procurement Association) spoke with
them about organ donation.
The day ended with a guest
victim speaker, as well as a
short tour of the hospital’s
ICU and ER. This program is
targeted at the sophomore
level for students preparing
to get their driver's license.
The Sudden Impact Program is
truly unique and beneficial
due to the fact that it exposes youth to vitally important information in an environment that is not their
usual classrooms or school
gym setting. Sudden Impact is
a collaboration between
Lakeview and the Louisiana
State Police.
Finance Fest for the Falcons
Sandi Lambert and Kim Bourgeois from the Louisiana Federal Credit Union recently hosted a “Finance Fest” with the
Discrete Mathematics class at Saint Thomas Aquinas. Students were quizzed as
though they were on a
TV game show on
finance topics such as
the stock market, savings, loans, etc.
Sandi Lambert
of LACAP with
STA students
Andrew
Peralta and
Thomas Brothers
LACAP’s Kim Bourgeois
with STA students Corey
Drell and Devin Sondes by
the finance “Plinko Board”
STA Students Selected for Honor Choir
Three freshmen students from STA were selected by audition for the District Nine Honor Choir to sing with other young musicians from St. Tammany, Washington, and Tangipahoa Parishes. The ensembles rehearsed
weekly during January and presented a concert at Ponchatoula High School
on Saturday, January 21, 2012. Clinicians traveled from across the state to
lead the three honor groups: elementary, junior, and senior high. Pictured
from left are Sadie Daugereaux, senior high division; Emma Schillage, junior
high division; Laura Huggett, senior high division.
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STA Marches for Life in Washington D.C.
Ten STA students traveled
to Washington, D.C. to
participate in the March
for Life in January. The first
March for Life was held on
January 22, 1974: the first
anniversary of the controversial United States Supreme Court case Roe v.
Wade on the West Steps
of the Capitol. The Roe v.
Wade case resulted in a
ruling making abortion
legal. Every year since the
ruling, people gather from
across the nation to participate in the March. In
its thirty-ninth year, over
200,000 marched for the
cause this year! In addition
to marching with thousands of pro-life supporters, some of the trips activities included touring
the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception,
Museum of Natural History, and the Holocaust
Museum.
Pictured are (front row, l-r) STA Campus Minister Sandi Johnson, Victoria
Burke, Lauren Taylor, Kristina Givens and Raegan Hebert; (back row, l-r)
Zane Buckner, Mark Holt, Trey Latino, Chaperone Stephen Johnson, Zachary
Burke, Shelbi Neal, and Patrick Laborde.
The STA Beta Club attended and competed for the first time
at the State Convention held at the University of Louisiana at
Lafayette’s Cajundome. Beta Club members excelled in many
categories, including:
Sean Adams, 1st place, On-Site Pencil Drawing
Beta Rocks State
Kalie Beckers, 2nd place, Photography
Trey Latino, 3rd place, Computer Technology
Catherine Faust, Lawrence Ingraffia, Emily Kopfler, Rudi Darouse, and Sarah Whittle, 4th place, Banner
First Row: Baleigh Olah, Morgan Trapen, Emily Kopfler, Anna Miller, Erica Tricou, Jensine Joseph, and Emily Egan. Second Row: Juan Valenzuela, Katie Williams, Kohl Kent, Kaitlin Didier, Mara Milazzo, Catherine Faust, Kristina Givens, and
Tristan Bland. Standing: Scott Wheat, Corbett Ourso, Sean Adams, Bryce Cothern, Logan Perrilloux, Spencer Wyld,
Austen Powell, Seth Bleakley, Lawrence Ingraffia, BJ Miles, Clay Parker Phillip DiBenedetto, Trey Latino, Blake Elliot,
Jonah Zieske, Garrett Woodall, Trey Duhe, Ryan Magee, and Christopher Gaudin. Not Pictured – Kalie Beckers and Rudi
Darouse.
9
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10
Wade Smith ‘12 and
Joseph Wong ‘08
help with rewiring
the campus.
ACT predicts that,
used properly and
faithfully, scores
should increase by
three points with
the ACT Online
Prep program.
Left:
Madison
Chauvin
and below: Kalie
Beckers
Excitement Builds for iPad 1:1
Infrastructure prep work
and intense training sessions are the next steps in
preparing for the iPad 1:1
program beginning in August. Rewiring of the campus was completed in early
May. On Sunday, May 20th,
the new wireless infrastructure was put in place.
Wireless access on campus
was expanded from 6 wireless access points to 31
access points. A special
thank you to Joseph Wong,
Michael Thornhill of
Nortech Downtown, Brian
Acosta, and STA Tech
Squad for all the work in
wiring and wireless setup.
In early June, Apple will
install a new server which
will be used to manage the
iPads. In late June and early
July teachers will attend a
two-day training sessions in
which they will receive
training on the iPad in their
content area. In late July
and early August, all students will be required to
attend a 3-hour iPad orientation session. This session
will cover the Acceptable
Use Policy for technology
at the school and training
on the iPad. Students will
leave the session with their
iPads with textbooks and
apps loaded and ready to
go for school on August
8th.
STA Utilizes ACT Online Prep Course
STA is offering students a
critical new tool for success
with the ACT. ACT Online
Prep is available to all students and offers the following:
Practice tests with real
ACT test questions
Practice essays for the
new optional ACT
Writing Test, with real
-time scoring
Comprehensive content review for each of
the ACT's four required tests—English,
Math, Reading, and
Science
Diagnostic test and
personalized Study
Path
Anywhere, anytime
access via the Internet
This program is offered in
partnership with ACT and
predicts improved test scores
in students who use it properly
and faithfully.
“Improving test scores
is always a priority,” said counselor Meagan Candiotto ‘05.
“We are happy to provide the
students with this opportunity.”
The ACT Prep Online Program
was funded by the STA Home &
School Association.
STA Students Honored
The Louisiana Center for
Women & Government at
Nicholls State University
recently selected STA sophomore Madison Chauvin as
one of 50 girls (grades 9-11)
chosen from statewide nominees, to attend the Louisiana
Girls Leadership Academy.
The LGLA chooses young
women from across the
state, based on their leadership potential, to attend this
coveted adventure in networking with and learning
from celebrated professional
and political leaders.
Additionally, STA
junior Kalie Becker’s
drawing will appear on the
cover of the program of the
31st Annual Super Confer-
ence on Special Education
sponsored by the Louisiana
Council for Exceptional Children (LACEC). Kalie also is
currently ranked 3rd in the
nation by the US Equestrian
Federation’s Junior Riders
and is excelling in the Premier Poultry Exhibitor Division for 4-H.
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One of the many
campus improvements made during
this past school year
was the addition of
both exterior and
interior signage. In
addition to this
beautiful lettering,
other improvements
include building
identifications,
Chapel signage,
classroom numbers,
and Commons spirit
lettering.
STA Thespians Break a Leg
The Drama department at STA had an exciting year, not only
producing two successful shows, but also going through a remodeling of the Theatre. The fall production of Just Leave it to
Us brought together a talented group of actors in a satirical
farce of the advertising world. The show featured several newcomers, as well as drama veterans.
As soon as the fall show was over, remodeling began.
No longer do audience members have to walk through the
kitchen to get to the Theatre. A beautiful new entrance now
enhances the dramatic experience of attending a live performance. Several modifications were made backstage for an enclosed and more functional workspace. Additionally, new risers were built for the existing seats
for better visibility for audience members. New
carpeting was installed and floors have fresh coats
of paint.
The spring brought a production like no
Cast members from Just Leave It to Us
include (l-r) Bret Wagner , Madi Chauvin,
Macy Rivet, Jonah Zieske, Spencer Wyld,
Breanna Threeton, Sadie Daugereaux,
Devin Baize, and Emma Schillage.
other. Letters
from Tommy was
a powerful, wartime story that
left most audience members in
tears. The show
was written by
Will Johnson ‘95, who was inspired by a friend waiting for her
boyfriend to return from Afghanistan. It included the largest
cast in recent years and dealt with serious, real-life issues.
Kudos to all involved with the STA Drama Department.
At right, the
ladies of Letters
from Tommy:
Macy Rivet,
Kara Tucker,
Emma Schillage,
Madi Chauvin,
and Sara
Gambel.
At left, the men of Letters from Tommy: Joey
Giavotella, Bret Wagner, Tony Miller, Dominic Giavotella, Devin
Baize, Tyler Scott,
Bryce Cothern, Patrick
Ingraffia, Jonah Zieske,
and Spencer Wyld.
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Girls’ Track WINS State!
Congratulations to the
Lady Falcons Track Team
for winning the LHSAA
Class 2-A State Title!
We are
proud of
you!
Falcons
Soar to
College
Teams
Corbett
Ourso, III
Cross
Country,
Track &
Field ULL
Steven Wronkoski
Basketball - ULL
Brooke
Balser
Volleyball
- SLU
Tony Miller
Track & Field - SLU
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Starlettes Bring Home TWO National Trophies!
Congratulations to
the STArlettes for
placing 17th in the
NATION in jazz and
5th in the NATION
in hip hop! Keep up
the good work!
Another Great Year to be a FALCON
FOOTBALL:
Winners of the HAMMOND CUP
by defeating 4A Hammond High
Academic All-State: Tony Miller,
Nicholas Gibson, Lane Kropog,
Garrett Woodall, Lawrence Ingraffia
Advanced to 2nd round playoffs
VOLLEYBALL:
State All-Star Game: Brooke Balser
Advanced to Quarterfinals
Academic All-State: Brooke Balser,
Amy Dugas, Emily Egan, Jensine Joseph
GIRLS BASKETBALL:
District Champions
Advanced to Regionals in State Playoffs
BOYS BASKETBALL:
District Champions
Advanced to State Semi-finals
SOFTBALL:
Competed for District Honors
Academic All-State: Brooke Balser,
Amy Dugas, Emily Egan
TRACK & FIELD
Boys: Indoor State Runners Up
Girls & Boys: District Champs
Girls: Regional Champs
Boys: Regional Runners Up
Girls: State Champs
Academic All-State: Phillip
DiBenedetto, Nicholas Gibson, Tony
Miller, Corbett Ourso, Scott Wheat
CROSS COUNTRY:
State Runners Up
Academic All State: Phillip
DiBenedetto, Christian Loving, Corbett Ourso, Scott Wheat
BASEBALL:
District Champs
Advanced to Regionals in State Playoffs
Academic All-State: Lane Kropog
GIRLS SOCCER:
District Co-MVP: Brooke Balser
Advanced to 2nd round playoffs
Academic All-State: Brooke Balser
POWERLIFTING:
1st in Super Heavy Weight: Reid
GOLF:
Travis
Two members qualified for State
2nd in Super Heavy Weight: Andrew
Academic All-State: Blake Elliott
Truxillo
2nd in 123: Kaitlin Didier
SWIMMING:
3rd in 242: Austen Powell
Academic All-State: Trey Latino,
5th in 198: Wade Smith
Christian Loving, Ryan Magee
Academic All-State: Kaitlin Didier
BOYS SOCCER:
District Co-Champions, State Semifinals
District MVP: Jordan Bonfiglio
Academic All-State: Jordan Bonfiglio,
Garrett Woodall
TENNIS:
ALL team members qualified for Regionals
Academic All-State: Kaitlin Didier,
Amy Dugas, B.J. Miles, Garrett
Woodall
PAGE
14
The Falcon’s Nest Returns to STA
The Daily Star supplement and
three school editions produced
by the Newspaper Club.
Newspaper is back at STA!
After a hiatus and an attempt
at an online edition (take
note, Times-Picayune!), the
student’s wishes were granted
with the formation of a
Newspaper Club. It began
with an epic product: a 40page tabloid produced in partnership with the Daily Star in
celebration of STA’s 25th
Anniversary. Then the staff
produced three editions for
the students in the spring
semester. The staff was small
but dedicated, and next year,
the newspaper will be produced by the Publications
class. Editor-in-chief was
Macy Rivet. She was joined
by staff editors Madi Chauvin, Kaitlin Farkas, Jacob
Smith, Alex Von Almen,
Zane Buckner, and Alex Milazzo. Other staff members
included Sean Adams, Tristan
Bland, Alexis Dunn, Emily
Egan, Miranda Howes, and
Paul Mitchell.
Class of 2009 supports the
Several members of the Class of 2009 showed up at the
Columbia Theatre in March to support classmate Charles
Robert Miller in his performance with the Hullabahoos.
“The Hullabahoos are a group of guys at the University of
Virginia who like to sing other people’s music without
instruments. And wear robes while they do it. Since the
group was founded in 1987, they have been fortunate
enough to sing at venues large and small, including the
Hard Rock Cafe in Manila, Philippines, the George W.
Bush 2007 President Dinner at the Washington Convention Center, on ABC Good Morning America, and for
President Obama at the Democratic Caucus.”
ACT 30+ Club
Congratulations to these students who
made a 30 or higher on the ACT for
2011-12. Seated are Sara Gambel,
Jourdan Moschitta, and Laura Crother.
Standing are Trey Latino, Archie Powell, Phillip DiBenedetto, Jonah Zieske,
and Tony Miller.
A
PUBLICATION
OF
THE
STA
ADVANCEMENT
OFF ICE
News from the Advancement Office
You may have noticed in the Save the Dates on
the front page that the Lobster Bash has a new
identity: the “Falcon Fling”! This great event will
still have the live and silent auctions, raffles, and
camaraderie you’ve come to expect and treasure,
but we are revamping the Bash to keep it fresh
and exciting! So, mark your calendars for November 10th! Committee meetings will begin after
school starts.
While you’re marking your calendars,
please make plans to be at
STA on August 19 for the
public kickoff of our Capital
Campaign. Join Bishop
Muench, Superintendent
Verges and the STA family for a fun day of family,
food, and fellowship. Don’t miss the 10-minute
campaign video - it’s a winner!
We look forward to seeing you and sharing the vision for the future of STA.
Keeping Tuition Affordable
One of the many challenges facing
Catholic schools today is keeping
tuition affordable while still providing the quality programs that
people have come to expect.
An endowment is a gift
that provides a stable source of
economic support. When you
establish an endowment, the
money you give becomes a permanent investment for STA, with
the annual interest from that investment providing financial resources to support an area which
you choose. The initial investment
amount (principal) is never used.
An endowment is a great opportunity for you and for STA. Your
desire to leave your legacy for
future students (or to honor or
memorialize a loved one) will give
you the knowledge that your gift
will go to provide perpetual support for Catholic education. You
(or your estate) will receive the
tax benefits that come with making this donation. Your gift - alone
or combined with others - can
provide a lasting and much
needed financial resource for
STA.* Endowments are one of
the many ways that we are able
to help families who need assistance, as well as to honor students who are deserving of recognition. STA currently has several
active endowment funds. If you
would like to contribute to these
funds or would like to set up an
endowment of your own, please
contact the Advancement Office
at 985-542-8941. The following
endowments are currently in existence at STA:
Dr. Joseph Michael DePaula
Memorial
Father Bill UpDeGraff Memorial
Father Mark Leuer Memoral
Colonel Randall Mayer Memorial
Joseph Lobue Memorial
Lawrence Twickler Memorial
Sam Distefano Memorial
Ceny Gueldner Memorial
Christine Gugliuzza Bivona
Memorial
Tim Catalano Memorial
Don Chaucer Memorial
James Michael Darouse Memorial
Bruce Anton O’Krepki ‘09
Memorial Endowment
Frank & Mary Linda Van
Mullem Cornerstone Award
Frank Jackman Memorial
The Dominican Sisters Endowment
Endowment for the Arts
James Ware Memorial
Dr. Fanancy Anzalone Memorial
Ottomar Krafft Memorial
David Ledbetter Memorial
Guagliardo Family Endowment
Moncrief Grandparents Endowment
Fr. Leo Guillot Endowment
Anne Sherman Memorial
Fund
*Courtesy of the Diocese of San Francisco Website.
PAGE
15
State Police Host Mock Crash at STA
STA was
honored
to partner with
the Louisiana
State
Police
and
other
first responder agencies to produce the
first “Consequences of Choices” mock
crash on our campus.
“Obviously, the choices our
students make regarding drinking, smoking, drugs, sex, and more concern us,”
said principal Jose Becerra. “We want to
do everything in our power to give
them the knowledge and the opportunity to make the right choices rather
than self-destructive ones. This program
taught our students far more in an hour
than we could have done on our own.”
Juniors Rachel Greer and Elena
Wisecarver joined seniors Tony Miller
and Phillip DiBenedetto in creating a
realistic and frightening crash scenario,
including the death of one student, the
arrest of another and critical injuries to
another. The scene demonstrated the
reality of impaired and distracted driving.
Many thanks to the Tangipahoa Parish
Sheriff’s Office, Tangipahoa Parish Coroner, 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Hammond
and Natalbany
Fire Departments, City of
Hammond EMS,
Interim LSU
Public Hospital
Trauma Center,
Gene’s Towing
Service, and
Lakeview Regional Medical
Flame
NONPROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HAMMOND, LA
PERMIT NO. 15
the
14520 Voss Drive
Hammond, LA 70401
985-542-8941
Saint Thomas Aquinas Regional Catholic High School is a
diocesan co-educational school shaped by Christ-centered
values and the Dominican tradition of Truth. Our mission is
to teach Gospel values in an environment of academic
excellence that fosters the development of the whole person
in a Catholic-Christian community.
Center
for
their
assistance
in this
event. The Mock Crash will be followed
in the fall with a Mock Trial, to further
teach students the legal ramifications of
poor choices and their consequences.
www.stafalcons.org