Garces Newsletter
A Letter From the Principal

Garces Family,

Wow, I cannot believe it has been two weeks now since I have seen any of you in person. I can tell you I miss those smiles from the bottom of my heart. I hope you are finding joy with your families in these hard times. I am beyond impressed with our teachers, and the endless hours they are putting in to make your child’s education continue. I am equally impressed with your children. They are truly amazing and continue to work hard on their academics.
On Tuesday, Channel 23 aired a story on just how amazing our Garces family is. If you missed it, please click on the photo to watch. I am so proud to say, "We are Garces!" 

The Office of Catholic Education has requested that our families and students complete surveys on how the transition to online learning is going. There is one for students and one for parents. We ask that you complete them so we can continue to strive to be the best school possible. For the student survey, click here. For the parent survey, click here.

Additionally, on Wednesday, Bishop Joseph Brennan released an official decree regarding the extension of the suspension of Masses and other parish activities. To read the decree in its entirety, click here. Yesterday, the Diocese of Fresno posted a great video message from Bishop Brennan that addresses the decree and the upcoming Easter celebration. It brought me some comfort in this crazy time. If you would like to watch it, click here.

Finally, this weekend, please stay safe and stay with your loved ones. The sooner we all begin to social distance, the sooner we can all be back on our campus, which we love! As I always say, we have the best students and families and am so proud to be a Ram! 

In Christ,
Myka Peck
Principal
GMHS Bi-Weekly Schedule
Click here to view the Garces Calendar
April Fools' Day
April 1st

No School - Bishop's Day Off
April 3rd

Spring Break
April 3rd - April14th

Next Newsletter
April 17th
Coronavirus Information
At Garces Memorial High School, our top priority is the safety and well-being of our students. A directive came down from the Diocese of Fresno to close all school campuses in the diocese for an indeterminate amount of time effective Monday, March 16th. The closure is out of an abundance of caution regarding the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The decision was made at the diocesan level in consultation with Superintendent Mona Faulkner, Bishop Joseph Brennan, Monsignor Perry Kavookjian and Principal Myka Peck. We continue to monitor updates regarding COVID-19 on a local, national and international level. For more information and the latest updates, click here .

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS
  • There is a software update for all iPads that must be installed on all devices this weekend. Failure to install iOS 13.4 on phones and iPads will result in certain apps not functioning properly, specifically the Notability app. To install/update this software, follow these instructions:
  1. Go to Settings
  2. Choose the General tab
  3. Choose Software Update tab
  4. Choose the Download and Install tab.
  • Parents and students are reminded that guidelines and rules for the online Zoom App classes are covered under the Garces Memorial High School Student/Parent Handbook and under the iPad Acceptable Use Agreement. Both the Student/Parent Handbook and iPad Acceptable Use Agreement were read and accepted by students and parents at the beginning of the school year and/or during enrollment. Students are not to record, alter and/or distribute online class instruction in any way. Any violation of these agreements is subject to disciplinary action.
  • We will no longer record Zoom sessions per the Diocese of Fresno. If you miss a class session, you will need to email your teacher for information on what you missed.
  • Students, please remember to charge your iPads so they are ready to go for your class meetings. If your iPad is low on charge during class, please move close to an outlet and plug in your iPad.
  • We know being on your phone or other devices is tempting, but please refrain from using personal devices during class time. Your teachers and classmates can see you and it becomes a distraction. If you would not be on it in the physical classroom, you should not be on it during your virtual class time.
  • Please check your email throughout the school day. This is the only way for teachers to contact you when not in class, and sometimes there is important information that you may need to know before or after class.
  • The Office of Catholic Education has requested that our students complete a survey on how the transition to online learning is going. We ask that you complete it so we can continue to strive to be the best school possible. For the student survey, click here.
Spiritual Life During Campus Closure
Every Monday at 7:45 a.m., Campus Minister Mrs. Eileen Perez will host a morning prayer on  Facebook Live  to kick off the week of learning. We invite everyone to join us. 

Every Tuesday at 7 p.m. , students are invited to join the Christ, Community and Connection gathering lead by Mrs. Perez on Zoom.

Every Wednesday , please join us during lunchtime on ZOOM to pray the rosary lead by Mrs. Perez. ZOOM Meeting ID #: 995-916-2564.

If you have any questions, please email Mrs. Perez .
The Garces Counselors are Available Through Zoom
The Garces Memorial counselors wanted to remind you that they are here for YOU! They are here to support you in your academics, college advising and personal/social matters. Students and parents, please feel free to email your counselors to set up a Zoom meeting!

Mrs. Candis Howlett : All freshmen
Mrs. Denise Limi : 10th-12th grade last names A through L
Mrs. Jillian Restivo : 10th-12th grade last names M through Z
Thank You Letters to Hospital Staff
We are so thankful for all those who are working day in and day out at our local hospitals during this time. We are asking for our Garces community to join us in writing thank you notes for hospital workers at Dignity Health. Please type your letters in size 16 font and email them to Toni.Harper@DignityHealth.org. They will be posting the letters in various places around the hospital for physicians and hospital staff to see.
Registration Fee for the
2020-2021 School Year
The $425 Registration Fee/Activity Fee for the 2020-2021 school year will be invoiced on FACTS in May. We know this is a difficult time with the effects of COVID-19, and we hope everyone is being safe and doing well. If, for any reason, this amount will cause any type of financial hardship, please contact Laura Lee with the Business Office so she can defer the payment.
 
Thank you for your commitment to Garces Memorial. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Laura Lee at llee@garces.org .
College Scholarship
Applications Due April 1st
The Bakersfield Catholic Education Foundation is accepting applications for college scholarships until April 1st. The information about each scholarship and the applications can be found on their website at www.bakcathedfoundation.com.
Mark Brown's Retirement Party
Holy Toledo Sports Fans! We had to postpone Mark Brown's Retirement Party but we will get together once we get the "all-clear" and give "The Man. The Myth. The Legend." the send off he deserves.

Stay tuned for details.
Garces Memorial
Summer School & Summer Camps
With the current closure of school campuses across the state, many of you might be wondering what that means for summer school. Our hope is that we will be back on our campus with plenty of time before summer however, we are working on a plan to be able to offer our summer school programs virtually if our campus remains closed. More information will be coming soon!
Garces Alumni Scholarship
Applications Due April 1st
The Garces Alumni Board offers a scholarship to incoming freshmen who are children, or grandchildren of Garces alumni. Applicants are required to have a 3.0 GPA, submit an essay and a letter of recommendation. The application is due by April 1st . Scholarships will be awarded by April 30th. Please click on the link below for more information or contact the Admissions Office.

Virtual Spirit Week
The last few weeks have brought a lot of changes for our Ram family, so we wanted to have a little fun this week! Thanks to our ASB class, our Rams had their first Virtual Spirit Week! From pajama day to crazy hat and sock days to dressing up like they were on vacation, it was a great way to relieve some of the stress and anxiety that comes with the current situation. We can't wait for the next one! Thank you, ASB!

All past present and future Rams, please follow @garcesasb on Instagram for interactive Instastories and Senior Spotlights!
Athletic Postponement
After the Kern High School District announced that classes would not resume until May 5 for the districts 18 high schools, all Southwest Yosemite League competitions for Garces Memorial spring sports have been postponed until that day, at the earliest. No other information has been given to Garces from KHSD other than that directive.
The CIF State office has yet to make a decision on the fate of spring sports state-wide until April 3. Until then, there is no definitive answer when, or if, spring sports will resume this season.
Shout Out to Our Alumni on the Front Line!
Please Pray for our Alumni Heroes

The Garces Memorial Alumni Board has begun asking for names of alumni who are on the front lines during this crisis. They are hoping to get the names of alumni who are in the medical field, first responders, volunteers, etc. along with any names of alumni who have come down with the virus so the Garces Community can all pray for them. Also we will keep those who are also working everyday to keep us safe and healthy - grocery clerks, farmers, truck drivers, restaurant workers, etc. - in our prayers.

Please pray for the alumni listed below who are helping all of us get through this very difficult time. Please send us any alumni we should add to the list to ldurrett@garces.org .
“God, as more people get sick, healthcare workers and first responders are working longer hours with fewer supplies and with more risk of contracting the new coronavirus themselves. Renew their energy and sustain them on long shifts. Bring Your protection upon them as they work with patients. Multiply their supplies so they have the protective items needed to stay safe on the job. Inspire and invigorate the research doctors developing better tests to diagnose the virus, create vaccines to prevent it, and identify protocols to eliminate the disease’s spread.”
Bernadette Eyherabide Root '78
Teresa Ramos '78
Lisa McInnes '79
Alyce Resendez '82
Annie Meert Bouldoukian '84
Donna Sullivan Gelios '85
Dr. Paul Ritchie '87
Dr. Sally Wonderly '87
Dr. John Lin '87
Dr. Patrick Suen '88
Dr. Gita Reddy '88
Dr John Etcheverry '88
Dr. Tricia Westhoff Pankratz '88
Dr. Miguel Cordoba '88
Dr. Josh Tobias '88
Maggie Mae '88
Joan Van Alstyne '88
Adriaan Garcia '88
Jeff Paglia '89
Mike Hale '89
Dr. Jeffrey Suen '89
Eva Pryor Dominguez '89
Anne Childress '90
Dr Katie Haller Metcalf '90
Trish Iturriria Garcia '91
Colleen Gutierrez '91
Dr Justin Tobias '91
Billy Menta '92
Dr Andrew Suen '92
Sara B Kuhs '93
Jill Caratan Krinek '93
Eric Coughran '93
Dr. David Hair '94
Dr. Rene Aguirre '94
Dr. Aaron Miller '95
Dr. Mazda Aghamohammadi '95
John Romero '96
Dr. Matthew Bock '96
Dr. David Aguirre '96
Fathima Abdulla Gutierrez '96
Jason Leung '96
Bernadette Ansolabehere '97
Dr. Raquel Rocha Aguirre '97
Matt Ashley '98
Dr. Marco Marzan Tan '98
Emily Louise Irene Dunn '99
Dr. Jessica Bears Mears '99
Dr. Femi Jinadu '99
Dr. Rachel Metz '00
Dr. Fletcher K. Jodhka '00
Dr. Sara Aghamohammadi '00
Crissy Iturriria Cadilla '01
Christopher Castaneda '01
Courtney Asbill '01
Ryan Clark '01
Zack Geissel '04
April Cachola '04
Jill Wideman '04
Renee Johnson Keene '05
Cora Clanton '06
Alex Lara '07
Michael Szewczyk '08
Lauren Ybarra Marmolejo '10
Alec Larroque '12
Shanygne Baltao '13
Luminne Lavilla '13
Cassie Handel '13
Abbey Porcho '13
Analisa Magana '13
Mackenzie Tidwell '14
Aitzbea Hyau '18
Alumni Hero
Helen Reischman Haller '57
Garces alumna Helen Haller '57 has kept herself busy by making face masks for her daughter, Garces alumna Dr. Katie (Haller) Metcalf '90. Katie is an OB/GYN and working in a hospital during the crisis. Katie shared with her mom that they were running out of masks, so Helen took things into her own hands.

There are several YouTube videos on how to make masks. If you like to sew, please consider making some masks and dropping them off at your local hospital.
Congratulations
Justin Verrell '12
Congratulations to Garces alumni Justin Verrell '12 who will be joining the Bakersfield College Renegades football coaching staff as the Special Teams Coordinator! After graduating from Garces, Justin went on to play four years of college football - two years as a BC Renegade and two years as a Fresno State Bulldog. Go Gades Go!