8TH GRADE TAKES TRIP TO SACRAMENTO

It has been decades since Sts. Simon & Jude School students visited our state capitol together as a field trip.

St. Simon & Jude Catholic School Huntington Beach, California

Volume XV• Summer 2012SPIRIT

could cut the excitement with a knife. Met by a smiling Mrs. Smith, our party went through a lengthy process to obtain boarding passes and clear security. We settled in to our seats along with many unsuspecting passengers on that Southwest Airlines flight. On to Sacramento!

We were met by our knowledgeable tour guides and es-corted to our luxurious tour buses. Our first stop was the California State Capitol building. After a group photo, we were once again led through security and then toured the recently renovated public areas. One of the high-lights was viewing the past governors official portraits just outside the governors’ office. After viewing the indi-vidual county display boxes, our students unanimously agreed that they could make some definite improve-ments to Orange County’s box, and the adults agreed.

Our next stop was the park surrounding the Capitol Building. We viewed the Fallen Firefighters Memorial and California Vietnam War Memorial. We all enjoyed the ambiance of the grounds while dining on Subway sandwiches. A mounted California Highway Patrol of-ficer passed by and allowed the students to greet his Belgian horse.

The tour continued down the street at the California Mu-seum. Docents led us through the beautiful 5-story tall sculpture of the preamble of the State Constitution. Stu-

Founded on the Franciscan faith...

Preserved with parent pride...

Sustained by staff and student spirit...

Under the direction of our 8th grade teachers, Mrs. Kathy Dale and Mrs. Patty Chastel-er, this year the tradition has been reinstated at SSJ as part of our 8th grade curricu-lum.

Here is the step-by-step de-tail of the very busy day, as reported to us by the 8th grade teachers:

It’s 5 a.m. and the cars be-gan to roll into the darkened parking lot at Sts. Simon & Jude School. After a brief roll call, students, parent chaper-ones and two groggy teach-ers boarded the plush tour buses for the brief commute to John Wayne Airport. You

dents had time to view the various exhibits honoring the Tuskegee airmen, Catholic Women Religious, Native Americans of California

and of course the ever popular skateboard exhibit. (Yes, it was the highlight of the day for many of our students).

Sutter’s Fort was next on our agenda. Students interacted with blacksmiths, iron workers, musicians, weavers, artisans, trappers and a gunsmith. Highlights of the fort included lemonade, fresh baked cookies and an abundance of stories about living in California during the 19th century.

Late in the afternoon we arrived at The California Railroad Museum. The muse-um is housed in an old warehouse in Old Sacramento and contains at least 100 railroad cars. They learned about the establishment of the Trans-Continental Railroad including building techniques and the life of the construction workers. Tours included a renovated dining car, sleeper engines and a mail car. As we left the museum, we rode a horse drawn buggy for a quick tour around Old Sac-ramento.

Soon it was back on the bus and off to Home Town Buffet for dinner where everyone had a scrumptious time. We then faced commuter traffic as we headed back to the airport for a quick flight home after an exhausting and informative day.

SACRAMENTO… (cont.)

SPIRIT

Sts. Simon & Jude School has been abundantly blessed in the last few years with exemplary members of the wonderful organization, Boy Scouts of America. Scouting is an active group on our campus, and SSJ has greatly benefitted from the dedication and service of these young men, particularly those who reach the highest honor within the organization, the rank of Eagle Scout. In this edition of our Spirit newsletter, we dedicate two of our feature articles to some of the wonderful members of Boy Scouts of America who are SSJ students or alumni, and who have reached the coveted rank of Eagle Scout.

According to the Boy Scouts of America, for every 100 boys who join Boy Scouts, only 2% will reach the rank of Eagle! They also are able to boast some very impres-sive statistics in the U.S. as to the achievement level outside of Scouts to which their members rise.

Did you know that the following leadership roles are filled in a tremendously high percentage by Eagle Scouts?

HALVERSON FAMILY - TRIPLE EAGLE SCOUTS!

SPIRIT

• 89% of Student Council Presidents • 89% of School Newspaper Editors • 85% of Student Class Presidents • 85% of Airline Pilots • 85% of FBI Agents • 72% of Rhoads Scholars • 70% of Annapolis Graduates • 68% of West Point Graduates • 65% of Congress • 26 of the first 29 U.S. Astronauts were Boy Scouts • 11 of the 12 U.S. Astronauts who have walked on the moon were Boy Scouts

In 2012, we had the honor of celebrating with the Halverson family the induction of not just one son, but THREE brothers, as they were wel-comed in a beautiful Court of Honor Ceremony. Eric (SSJ ‘07), Kevin (SSJ ‘08), and Scott Halverson (SSJ ‘12) were all awarded the honor of Eagle Scout on March 18, 2012.

Eric HalversonThe Assistance League of Newport Mesa Thrift Store receives many donated items that need to be sorted. There was very little organiza-tion in their storage facility. Eric’s project was to replace the existing sorting box and provide five new boxes. The new boxes have a mov-

able side to fold down so the elderly volunteer members can get to the bottom of the boxes. They also have casters so they are easy to move.

Kevin HalversonColette’s Children’s Home provides homeless single women and homeless mothers with children a safe home and nurturing environ-ment where they obtain compassionate support and services needed to obtain self-sufficiency. Kevin’s project was to construct a fence around a garden area on the side of the house, removing tree stumps, and installing stepping stones. In addition, he constructed a walkway for easy access.

SPIRITHALVERSON....(cont.)Scott HalversonSts. Simon & Jude School Library helps all the students to improve their reading skills, increase their comprehension and experience the joy of reading. Scott’s project was to construct two bookshelves, a 90-degree angle bookshelf and a table for the library space. He also constructed a new book return box with casters.

We wish to congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Halverson on this remarkable achievement of their sons. Their success is a tribute to the Halverson family, and a proud moment for all of us at Sts. Simon & Jude! We have seen firsthand that these young men embody all the characteristics that Boy Scouts of America list as to what a Boy Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.

BRIANNA ALBERT—FASHION DESIGNER EXTRAORDINAIRE! I feel so fortunate to be an alumni of Sts. Simon & Jude School, and now Mater Dei High School. From a very young age, SSJ instilled in me the qualities that I will take with me my entire life. I have always been very ambitious and driven, knowing what I wanted to do by age 10. Being in the 5th grade and having a desire for a career in

fashion, but being too young for a summer job, led me to start my own business, Avalon Bead Girls, where I was selling handmade sterling silver beaded bracelets, earrings and flower pins in my grandparents’ driveway on Catalina Island. Since then, I knew that fashion was the right choice for me. I specifically remember doing projects in different grades throughout elemen-tary school, while taking the opportunity to add my love for fashion in each project every way I could—whether it was designing dolls with traditional dress from an-

cient civilizations in Mrs. Dale’s 6th grade class, designing my lady slip-per orchid costume for Mr. Amelotte’s Phylum Phasion Show, or doing a speech about Fashion Throughout the Ages in Mrs. Juback’s 8th grade English class. I enjoyed doing projects which al-lowed us to use our own imagination to create something we were inter-ested in while it helped to prepare us for what we would want to do someday. During my junior year at Mater Dei, I was fortunate enough to be one of only four stu-dents in the state being accepted in early admissions to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, where I would be majoring in Merchandise Marketing. I have also been fortunate to be the recipient of the FIDM Fashion Club Presidential Scholarship. It has been my dream college since I had found out that it existed, and I am so excited to be going there. During

SPIRITmy senior year, instead of worrying about college apps or slacking off since I was already accepted to the college of my choice, I wanted to go above and beyond as the founder and president of the FIDM Fashion Club at Mater Dei High School. We ended the year with an extremely successful trunk show and partnership with Denimocracy, a designer denim company! With the proceeds we generated we plan to start a scholarship fund for a club member to attend FIDM next year.

Wearing a uniform for 13 years of my life and now going to a fashion school is a bit of an irony for me. I credit having to wear a uniform to challenging myself—instead of taking the easy road of wearing the same thing each day, I was always accessorizing my uniforms.

Whether it be headbands and bows in elementary school, or college sweatshirts and sweaters in high school, I always added my own personal touch. I have always believed that clothes matter in a way of presenting yourself to the world. A certain sense of professionalism goes into a uniform that makes you proud of where you go to school; however, you can always add a bit of your own personality as well.

From an early age at SSJ and continuing throughout Mater Dei, I have been motivated by teachers, family and friends to learn from every opportunity life gives me. Everyone finds their passion at different times in their life and I was fortunate to use lessons I had learned early on to set goals for myself. I will never forget looking forward to each quarter in Mr. Amelotte’s 7th grade class and making a new goal sign for my locker, writing about my quar-ter, yearly and lifetime goals. I vividly remember that my lifetime goal in the 7th grade was to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising one day. I feel so lucky to have achieved that goal, and I’m very thankful for doing assignments which made me think about my future at such a young age.

CLASS OF ‘93 FRIENDS, MATT JELLICK AND JACK GAUBE, MEET IN KOREA!

What are the chances that two SSJ alumni would meet up 19 years later and 5,956 miles from home? That is exactly what happened to two of our alumni!

Matthew Jellick (SSJ ‘93) is currently teaching English in Korea and looking forward to his third year there, in a country which while rooted in rich tradition, continues to expand its horizons towards a better and brighter fu-ture. Recently passing through the Land of the Morn-ing Calm was Jack Gaube (SSJ ‘93), who was on a tour of Asia for Nike, aiming to expand the global mar-ket for his company. Both Matthew and Jack were able to meet up for an amazing weekend in Seoul. They en-joyed reminiscing about their experiences at SSJ back when they were “Rebels!” Although Matthew and Jack currently find themselves living far from SSJ, they are each grateful for their time spent here, where accord-ing to Matthew, they were taught the value of things like long division and the importance of lifelong friends!

We are always thrilled to hear from our alumni! We have an extensive database of our graduates which we are willing to share with class ambassadors who are planning a reunion of SSJ alumni. If you are receiv-

ing a print copy of this Spirit newsletter, we have your physical address in our database.

SPIRITPLEASE SEND US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS! Should the time come when we no longer continue the ex-pense of printing and mailing our beautiful Spirit newsletter, it would still be available online or though email. We will need email addresses from our alumni, and alumni parents who wish to continue to receive the Spirit newsletter. Please send your email address, name and SSJ graduation year to kdomenici@ssj.org.

WE ARE CONTINUALLY SEARCHING FOR STORIES FROM OUR ALUMNI! We invite you to send in your proud moments, new jobs, weddings, babies – any announcement you would like to share with our readers. In addition, all those proud SSJ alumni parents are welcome to contact us to share your son’s and/or daugh-ters’ updates. We love to hear from you. You can also send your stories to kdomenici@ssj.org.

We don’t care if you’re a Dolphin or a Rebel, we want to hear from YOU! SPIRITFR. CHRISTIAN MONDOR SELECTED AS GRAND MARSHAL FOR

THE HUNTINGTON BEACH JULY 4TH PARADE! Sts. Simon & Jude’s very own Fr. Christian Mondor has been honored with the title “2012 Huntington Beach 4th of July Community Grand Marshal.” He will ride in the 108th Annual 4th of July Parade. Fr. Christian began

his assignment at Sts. Simon & Jude Church and School in Huntington Beach in 1990. His passion for community service soon took root in nu-merous community-based organizations. Fr. Christian served as past-president of the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council, as well as a member of the Advisory Board for the Huntington Beach Council on Ag-ing, and the planning committee for the city’s Centennial Celebration. Fr. Christian is currently involved in organizing the annual interfaith Blessing of the Waves at the Huntington Beach pier. Recipient of the Interfaith Council’s annual Peacemaker Award, Fr. Christian was recognized for his work in promoting better understanding and mutual respect for cul-tural and religious diversity.

Favorite pastimes include long-board surfing and competitive swimming. In 2011, he was in-ducted as a lifetime member of the Huntington Beach Longboard Association. In addition, he has

participated in the annual Huntington Beach Pier Swim and the Rough-water Swim in La Jolla and has taken gold and bonze swimming medals at the World Masters Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Always an energetic community advocate, Fr. Christian Mondor, O.F.M., PhD, vicar emeritus at Sts. Simon & Jude Church, is an outstanding choice for Hun-tington Beach Community Grand Marshal.

“THE SPIRIT OF GIVING BACK” by Simon Vu, SSJ Class of 2012We wish to congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Vu on the achievement of their son, Simon Vu (SSJ ’12), who will reach the rank of Eagle Scout with his project right here on our school campus! Please enjoy in Simon’s own words the story of how his project came to be, and how it was executed:

My name is Simon Vu and I have been attending Sts. Simon & Jude School ever since I was in kindergarten. I am in the 8th grade and will be graduating in June. I am also an active Life Scout in Boy Scout Troop 1226 of Huntington Beach. One of my goals is to earn the Eagle Scout rank, which is the highest rank in the Boy Scout-ing program. Among the requirements to earn the Eagle Scout rank is planning and carrying out a service and leadership project for the benefit of my community. I chose Sts. Simon & Jude School for my Eagle Service

Through the many months of planning and working on my Eagle Service Project, I learned valuable lessons and gained a great deal of experience: • I learned leadership skills when I had to oversee and provide direction to all the adult volunteers and scouts who came to help me cut the wood, assemble the planter boxes, and paint them. As a 13-year-old, this was not an easy task to do! • I learned about personal finance by raising 100% of the funds, staying within the project budget, and shopping around for the lowest prices for materials and supplies. • I learned project management skills as I needed to build in extra time in the schedule for rainy weather and the holi day season when my volunteers would not be available to help. • I also learned that I needed to be open-minded for unexpected changes to the original plan, and to adapt quickly to suggestions made. • I learned about three-dimensional illustrations by using the Microsoft Visio program to plan and present my project to the troop and district committee members. I also learned about counter-sinking and how certain screws can crack wood if the right technique was not used.

Project because it would be a great honor for me to give back to the school that has been a special part of my life for the last nine years.

Last summer I sent a note to our principal, Mrs. Smith, about my interest in doing a service project for the new Kindergarten class-rooms that were being remodeled for the full-day program. She answered my note right away, thanked me for my interest, and told me that Mrs. Chalk would contact me about a possible proj-ect. After meeting with Mrs. Chalk to exchange ideas, I was very excited to begin planning my project! It was my job to do some research on the type of design she requested and to come back with a plan that would work best for what the teachers needed for their outdoor science activities. In one month, I came back to Mrs. Chalk with my blueprint ready for her approval. She was thrilled with my design and approved it the same day. She also provided color strips for the paint. My Boy Scout troop and district committee also approved my project plan, building instructions and fundraising plan.

My approved Eagle Service Project was to build four free-standing garden planter boxes to benefit the TYKE, Kindergarten and First Grade classes. These planters would enhance the outdoor science experiments for the students as it would provide them with an opportunity to experience the joy of planting seeds, watering them and watching them grow into plants and vegetables. I also added wheels to the planter boxes so that they could be moved around when the sun rays shifted during the day. In addition, I also included lids in the design to convert the planter boxes into flat tabletops for arts and crafts projects when it was not in use for planting.

The entire project was completed in December by a team of hard-working scouts and parent volunteers from my troop who dedicated nearly 200 volunteer hours. With the generous donations from fam-ily, friends and local businesses, I had additional funds left over to buy potting soil, garden gloves, shovels and watering cans for each of the four classes. The four garden planter boxes were proudly delivered and presented to Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Chalk, Mrs. Andrews, and the students after the Christmas break. I felt so happy to see so many smiling and eager faces!

With these garden planters, the students now have new planting projects to grow every season. They will also enjoy outdoor science experiments for many years to come. It will be great to see the students walking out of their classrooms one day holding in their hands the plants and veg-etables that they have grown out of the garden planter boxes that this Eagle Service Project has provided them!

SPIRIT

St. Simon and Jude Catholic School20400 Magnolia StreetHuntington Beach, California 92646

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When most twelve year olds are approaching a birthday, the normal reaction would be great anticipation of a celebration and…well, of course - presents! When Jackson Lepper (SSJ ’14) and Davis Hombrecher (SSJ ’14) reached their twelve-year milestone, they had a different idea of how to celebrate, allow-ing their 6th grade class to reap the benefits of their unique idea. The generosity and maturity of these two SSJ students are admirable, and we are pleased to print their own summation of their birthday celebration this year!Thank you, Davis and Jackson!

Giving From The Heart When planning our 12th birthday party, we wanted to have an amazing party and include our entire 6th grade class. At the same time, we wanted it to be all about fun. We asked that in lieu of gifts, if our guests wanted to, they could donate to our 6th grade class wish list. The donations would be used to help the teachers buy special items that are needed for their classrooms. Many of our classmates’ families felt that this was a brilliant idea, and with their wonderful generosity, together we raised over $700 for the 6th grade. Although we both think it would have been fun to purchase some new video games with that money, we realize that we would soon tire of playing those games. However, these gifts to the school will continue to benefit students in the years to come. Both of our parents have always told us it is better to give than to receive. In the words of St. Francis of Assisi, “For it is in giving that we receive.”

SPIRITHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TWO OUTSTANDING 6TH GRADE SSJ DOLPHINS!