AN E-NEWSLETTER FOR BORGIA ALUMS
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A MESSAGE FROM FR. MIKE BOEHM
Dear Borgia Alumni,
May the peace of the Lord be with you.
Recently Pope Francis offered his Urbi et Orbi blessing during which he blessed the City of Rome and the entire world. In his remarks on that occasion, he offered a reflection on the passage in the Gospel of Mark (4:35-41) when Jesus was in the boat with his disciples during a storm. Pope Francis said the following:
“Like the disciples in the Gospel, we are caught off guard by an unexpected and turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us comforting the other.”
Jesus then awakes, calms the sea and asks the disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” Friends, Jesus is with us during this storm, just as he was with the disciples on that storm-tossed boat. This is important to remember during this difficult time we are facing now. We are in this together. As a people of faith, we are called to put our faith in the Lord and trust that He will lead us through to better days.
As a school community, we are navigating these challenges as best we can. Though our students and faculty can't be at school, we are still in school. We have been engaged in distance learning since March 18. In the message below from our Principal, Pam Tholen, you can learn about what our “school” days look like now. Though separate, our students, faculty and administration keep connected through virtual classes and meetings.
I often get asked about how it is working. I think it is working well, considering the circumstances. Our faculty members have been creative, resilient, and diligent as they embrace new methods to teach and reach our students. Our students and teachers appreciate the structure, though it can be demanding. Many of our teachers have school-aged children who are also at home and require supervision and/or help with their school work. Many of our teachers' spouses are also working out of their homes. In many cases, the parents of our students are working from home. That's a lot of family time! I know our families are taking advantage of all the good that comes from being together. Yet we all know that this creates challenges of its own, so I applaud our faculty, students, and their families for working through this until we can get back to the Borgia campus.
I've also been asked by many folks what they can do to help. Here are a few ways:
- Pray. We are in this together as a family of faith, so let us support one another through our prayers for each other, for all who are sick and for all who care for them. For those families with parents on the frontlines and our alumni who are not able to work from home - healthcare workers, first responders, and public sector employees, let us offer gratitude and prayers for safety and mental wellness. For our students, especially our seniors who will miss out on many of the events they've looked forward to for four years, that they remain grounded in faith, open to growth, and connected during this time of physical separation. And for each other, that we may show grace and patience to others.
- Give blood. There is a desperate need for this now. Contact your local Red Cross or see this flyer for information on the Mercy Spring Blood Drive being held on April 14.
- Support our students and families. Layoffs, underemployment, etc. are affecting our families as well. We are helping them as best we can and will continue to do so as much as we can. Even though our classes are carrying on remotely, our operating needs remain as we continue to pay salaries and all the bills associated with keeping our school running and the buildings maintained. Though like any family, our funds are not limitless. The need for alumni support has never been greater. If you are in a position to help, I hope you consider a gift to our Annual Fund and/or give directly to our Tuition Assistance Fund via Venmo at sfbrhs or by donating on our website here.
- Support for our mini food pantry. See details in the article below.
In an effort to keep our Borgia family connected spiritually, we are continuing with our morning prayer, which gets sent out to our students and staff daily. We are also live-streaming our Sunday evening Mass weekly at 6:00 p.m. via our
Knightly News Live YouTube Channel
. At the same time, we are broadcasting the Mass live on KLPW radio (1220 a.m. and 92.7 FM), via
klpw.com
, and on the free KLPW app. I am so grateful to our partners at KLPW and our own student-driven Borgia internal news network, KNL4, for their help and support. Prayer can keep us connected, and I hope you can join us for Mass on one of these platforms.
Even if you aren't able to join us during our Sunday evening Mass, there are many ways to stay connected to your faith. Our faculty has impressed me in many ways during this time, through their determination and flexibility, but especially in their prayerful routines. To give you a glimpse, I invite you to view the video below from Patty Russell, an English and Theology teacher, as she reflects on the challenges and opportunities of this time through the lens of faith.
Even though our students, faculty, and staff are not together in the school building, we are still united as the Borgia Family. That's a bond that can't be broken. We are Borgia. We are strong. We are together.
Feel free to visit our
website
for more information.
Please know of my prayers for you, and I ask for your prayers for our school community.
God bless you. Stay safe and healthy.
St. Francis Borgia, pray for us!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Mike Boehm
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BORGIA ADAPTS TO DISTANCE LEARNING
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Thoughts from our Principal, Pam (Ruether) Tholen '02
We are very fortunate to have already had an eLearning day protocol set up for inclement weather days, so our students and faculty were familiar with the process. However, with looking at a month plus closure, we knew we needed to make some adjustments. We are on a block schedule, meaning we have four classes one day and four classes the next day. During our extended closure, blue day classes will meet on Mondays and Thursdays, while gold day classes meet on Tuesdays and Fridays. Classes are an hour each and go from 8 AM-12 PM. Teachers are also available to answer questions, give one-on-one help, etc. from 1-2 PM. During class, students might be working on synchronous activities, where everyone is doing the same thing at the same time, like discussing a topic in a video conference or reading a passage together. At other times, student learning might be asynchronous, where individuals are working at their own pace on their own time. On Wednesdays, the faculty has departmental faculty meetings, and the students participate in advisory check-ins and have the day to catch up on work.
Many of the technology tools our teachers already employed have translated relatively seamlessly into the extended eLearning. All classes use Google Classroom as their learning platform, a place where teachers can post assignments or discussion topics, and students can turn in work and demonstrate learning. Teachers are getting creative with how they’re delivering content and assessing student learning.
As a school, we are working hard to maintain the connections we’ve built with our students and their families. We have developed a simple
website
to share pertinent information with our school families. Faculty advisors and counselors have connected with students regarding their social and emotional wellbeing as well as staying on top of their academic needs. Our staff members are reaching out to school families to address any concerns or questions they might have, while the administrative team has met with grade levels to share information and address their questions and concerns.
Although this situation is far from normal, we are trying to provide as much normalcy to our students as possible by offering a structured learning process and several ways for our school community to stay connected.
We are making the best of the situation at hand, but we are anxious to get back to 1000 Borgia Dr.
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Click on each photo below to get a student's perspective on how e-learning is going.
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Dress Down Day for Borgia Food Pantry
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On Wednesday, April 1, our students participated in a virtual Dress Down Day in support of our mini food pantry which provides immediate hunger relief to those in need. Students were asked to directly drop off food items or make a contribution to the pantry.
If you are interested in helping, please note that the best foods are items such as peanut butter, Vienna sausages, and Spaghetti-O's which are ready to eat and filling. You can also donate monetarily via Venmo at sfbrhs with the note "Mini Food Pantry" or purchase a shirt from Legacy Embroidery and Screenprinting. All proceeds from the t-shirt sales will go directly to stock the pantry. Orders can be made through April 8 (please click shirt photo above to place your order). Shirts can be picked up at Legacy (curbside) starting on April 17, or you can have them shipped to you for $5 via USPS.
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STUCO PRESENTS VIRTUAL SPIRIT WEEK
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Just because we aren't physically in school, doesn't mean that STUCO hasn't stopped working hard for our student body. Last week we participated in our first ever virtual Spirit Week called Boosting Morale! Check out the theme for each day below.
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In an effort to stay connected, class meetings were scheduled. The first senior class meeting was held on Thursday, March 26, and included our admin team, our senior class moderators, and 55 members from the Class of 2020. While it is heartbreaking that our students, especially our seniors, are having to spend their last quarter away from each other, we are comforted knowing that we are all still there for each other!
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Sunday, March 28, would have been the day that our Junior class celebrated Junior Unity Day. Although the Mass was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our students celebrated the day by receiving their class rings from their families.
Above is Audrey Holdmeier '21 showing off her newly received ring. Audrey continued the celebration by visiting members of her family at their homes while still practicing social distancing, below.
Fr. Mike sent a special message to the Junior class, which included the following prayer:
God of love and life,
We give you thanks knowing that you are with us now, and we look to you for strength. Help us call to mind your presence. As we look upon this special item, this sign of tradition, progress, achievement, and unity, we ask your blessing upon it. May it remind us always that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. May it remind us that we are part of the Borgia Class of 2021, that we are part of the Borgia Family, and that we are part of your family. Let this item be a visible reminder of your call for us to do what we can to make our families better, to make our class and school better, to make our church better, to make our world a better place to live. Help us to embrace leadership by setting a good example for our fellow students. Help us to be the best disciples of Jesus that we can be so that when others see us or hear us, they might be able to see and hear Jesus. Your blessings and all good graces we pray come upon us, our families, our Borgia Family, and our larger human family.
We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
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ALUMNI MESSAGES TO OUR SENIORS
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Four recent graduates of SFBRHS share some thoughts with our seniors as they wind down their high school careers in unprecedented circumstances. Click on each photo to hear their message.
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ALUMS IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION RETURN TO BORGIA
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On Friday, March 6, five young alums with careers in the medical profession returned to St. Francis Borgia Regional High School and had a discussion with current students about navigating undergraduate studies, application versus direct admit programs and the wide span of medical professions within the field. Alumni seated from left are Lauren Neier ’10 (Physician Assistant), Kayla Bargen ’08 (Nurse), Jodi Klott ’11 (Physical Therapist), Alex DuMontier ’10 (Anesthesia Assistant), and Calvin Korba ’14 (Physician). This was the first year for the Alumni Medical Panel.
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Thank you to all of our Borgia alums who are currently working as health care professionals.
You are the last line of defense during this pandemic, and we are so grateful for your courage and strength!
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MISSOURI SCHOLARS 100 - ANNA ELBERT
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Anna Elbert, a senior at our school, has been selected for the 2020 Missouri Scholars 100 - Honorable Mention, a statewide program that honors 100 of Missouri's top academic students in the Class of 2020.
The selection for this impressive honor is based primarily on a formula using the student's grade-point average and ACT or SAT score. The student must have a minimum GPA of 3.750, a minimum ACT score of 29 or a minimum SAT score of 1,600, be ranked in the upper 10% of the class and have taken high-level courses in math, science, English, and foreign language. The student must also have excellent attendance, be an exemplary school citizen, and be involved in extracurricular activities at school.
Congratulations, Anna!
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St. Louis actor and Borgia alum Bill Parmentier '00 is the brains behind "
Storytime With Bill,
"
a YouTube channel designed to entertain, teach and cheer up children in this time of virus-related disquiet and unease.
Previously working primarily in commercials, an industry that has slowed tremendously in the midst of our current culture, Parmentier turned his basement into a studio and filmed himself reading children’s books aloud. The shows — each book is a different episode — give parents a few minutes to relax while he entertains their children, and reassuringly informs them about why they have to stay at home.
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Our weekly 6 p.m. Mass on Sundays will continue!
The Mass will be live-streamed via our
Knightly News Live YouTube Channel
. It w
ill be broadcasted live on KLPW 1220 AM and 92.7 FM as well as live-streamed on
klpw.com
and on the KLPW app.
This is a great service to our community and makes it possible for us to continue to gather for prayer, albeit remotely. Additionally, most parishes are either live streaming or posting a video of their Masses on their websites or through various social media platforms. Consider gathering as a family to pray along with one of the streamed Masses.
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March Mega Raffle Winners
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March 1, 2020
Kimberly (Witte) Ashworth '90 (sold by Sierra Ashworth '22)
March 15, 2020
Anthony Bequette (sold by Ty Bequette '22)
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Basketball (Boys)
Record: 14-13
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Basketball (Girls)
Record: 16-10
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Cheerleading
State Champs
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Swimming (Girls)
Record: 7-5-1
Both the 200 and the 400 relay teams qualified for State.
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Look for a wrap-up of our Fine Arts departments in the next edition of the Borgia alumni newsletter.
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YOUR SUPPORT IS NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER
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In light of the impact of the Coronavirus, we are greatly concerned for every member of the Borgia family. Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well being of our students, faculty, and the entire community.
However, our mission to provide a Borgia education to all who desire it remains the same, now more than ever. We have committed the support of many generous donors to help us reach our goal of raising $300,000 toward the Annual Fund. We understand that achieving this goal will be challenging, but we must try to remain steadfast in securing the additional $70,000 needed to reach this goal. We need the help of the entire Borgia community.
We pray that you and those near you remain healthy and supported during these extraordinary days. Thank you for your continuous support of St. Francis Borgia Regional High School.
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Alumni Prayers
Each day we pray for our alumni who continue to generously support our school to ensure that all current and future students experience the extraordinary, lifelong privilege of a Borgia education.
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Recently married? New baby or job?
Let us know what's going on in your life so we can share
it with your classmates in this newsletter!
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St. Francis Borgia Regional High School
1000 Borgia Drive, Washington, MO 63090
P: 636-239-7871
F: 636-239-1198
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