ST. ISIDORE SCHOOL
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER
August 24, 2019 Volume 3
Welcome....
Dear St. Isidore School Alumni, Parents and Friends:
 
As we begin another school year, I am reminded that the beginning of school is truly a special time. We all remember the excitement of purchasing school supplies, picking out new shoes and trying on new uniforms. Some of us even remember trying to find the perfect lunch pail, the one that would be the envy of every kid in the class. It's a wonderful time of year, a new beginning of sorts and I am happy to say that St. Isidore School continues to be a team consisting of dedicated staff, supportive parents, energetic learners and esteemed alumni. We offer a rich history and an exciting future. Thank you for being part of both!
 
We offer many community events throughout the year. I hope you will consider joining us. These events provide an excellent opportunity to be acquainted with old friends and meet new families. Further information on our events can be acquired on the school website, www.stisidore.org .
 
SIS Classic Golf Tournament: Monday, Sep. 30, 2019
SIS Book Fair: Tuesday, Sep. 24 - Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019
Sip & Shop Holiday Boutique: Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019
The Annual SIS Gala: Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020
 
Growing the Alumni Program is a gradual process and your support is crucial to its success, so please forward this email to as many old friends as you can think of. We won’t rest until we reconnect with each and every one of you. If you are new to receiving this newsletter, please take a moment to complete the Alumni Information Form.  
Again, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, I hope you enjoy it!
 
Yay St. Isidore!
 
Maria Ward
Principal, St. Isidore School
Where are they now. .
Tell us what you've been up to! We're eager to hear and share your stories of life, love, happiness, service, and adventure. Email alumni@stisidore.org to share!

Serving up community...
SIS Class of 1987
Justin Walsh
356 Hartz Avenue, Danville, Ca.

Justin Walsh was in the graduating class of 1987 at
St. Isidore School. After St. Isidore, Justin attended
De La Salle High School, graduating in 1991. After DLS, Justin attended Chico State College, majoring in construction management. He then spent the next several years working underground construction. His path brought him back to Danville, where he accepted a job working at a local restaurant. He quickly realized his passion for the food service industry and strived to open his own local establishment. Justin found the perfect location for his bar and grille in beautiful downtown Danville on Hartz Avenue. After remodeling the establishment, he was ready to open his doors to the community. Justin’s dream became a reality when Norm’s Place opened on July 2, 2014. Norm’s has become a local favorite, serving up great food in a great environment. Justin and wife, Cindy, have 2 children: Ryan, who is currently a junior at University Reno Nevada, and Rocky, who is a second grader at SIS. We are grateful for the generosity Norm’s has shown the SIS community by participating in our annual school sponsorship program.
Favorite SIS Memory:
Justin’s favorite SIS memory was going on an overnight trip to Sutter’s Fort in Sacramento with Mrs. Schroeder’s 5th grade class. They wove baskets, made candles, and churned butter. His favorite part of the trip was pulling the midnight shift in the guard tower. Justin worried about falling asleep during his 2-hour shift but quickly realized that sleeping wasn’t the problem; Justin and his buddies couldn’t stop laughing and feared waking up the rest of the class.
Leading with heart...
Alyse Cronin
SIS Class of 2008
Founder and CEO of Running with Love Charity

Alyse Cronin was in the graduating class of 2008 at St. Isidore School. After St. Isidore, Alyse attended Carondelet High School, graduating in 2012. After Carondelet, Alyse headed east to attend college at Villanova University. Alyse had the opportunity to study abroad in Europe twice during her time at Villanova. She graduated from Villanova in 2016 with a BA in economics concentrating on the political economy and minors in business and Spanish. She currently lives in New York City and works as a consultant for IBM. Alyse visited St. Isidore School in May, serving as a commencement speaker at the 8th grade graduation ceremony. It was wonderful to see Alyse and hear her reflect on her time at SIS.
 
In 2010, Alyse had an opportunity to participate in Carondelet’s Ven a Ver retreat. The retreat immerses students in a migrant farm worker community in Salinas, CA. At the retreat, days are spent cooking and serving food for the homeless, tutoring children, and harvesting vegetables with migrant farm workers. The encounter with the migrant farm community touched Alyse’s heart and inspired her to do something. In 2011, she created the non-profit organization Running with Love . The vision for Running with Love is to enable children of migrant farm workers to achieve a 100% high school completion rate and be college ready. Running with Love focuses on removing the environmental barriers that inhibit children from attending college. Running with Love equips children to be classroom ready. This includes backpacks, notebooks, pens, scissors, and paper. They ensure children have appropriate clothing and shoes. In addition, Running with Love enables migrant children the opportunity to explore with educational field trips to tech museums, corporate offices, fire houses, college campuses, wildlife sanctuaries, and more. To read more about this amazing charity, click here . St. Isidore School is proud to support Running with Love every Thanksgiving by hosting a food drive. Students enjoy bringing in traditional Thanksgiving food items and love knowing they are going to brighten a child’s holiday.
Taking time to give back...
We look forward to visits from our alumni after they graduate. They return to visit with staff, see campus updates, and volunteer at our school. Recently, several SIS alumni volunteered their time and talents by playing at Ms. Pat Crossen’s last band concert. It was wonderful to see Duncan Beyer (2016), Matthew Beyer (2014), and Jack McCort (2014).
One big happy family...
At St. Isidore School, we truly operate as one big family! Our school’s rich history and exciting future continues to bring us together. It was wonderful to see former SIS administrators—Mrs. Schroeder, Mrs. Gannon Briggs, and Mrs. Slavonia—enjoying time with the current administrators, Mrs. Ward and Mr. Keane.
Alumni Achievements...
We continue to celebrate Alumni achievements long after they leave our school. Congratulations to all our alumni who recently graduated high school and college! Listed below are the 2019 Graduates from Carondelet High School along with the colleges they will be attending in the fall.

Ragan Bingham - University of Colorado
Kate Cilley - Boston College
Delaney Dunn - University of Alabama
Isabelle Frasca - George Washington University
Julia Greene - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Lauren Guistolise - University of San Diego
Jessica Martin - University of Tennessee
Nicole McGowan - Chico State
Caroline McLaughlin - Saint Mary's College
Erica Miller - New York University
Carley Ross - University of San Diego
Sophia Schmitz - Loyola Marymount University
Alexandria Schwenger - Eastern Nazarene College
Angelina Scoma - St. John's University
Bridget Smith - University of San Diego
Peyton Vernon - Sonoma State
Sasha Williams - University of Southern California
A snapshot in time...
Going through old photos allows us an opportunity to take a look back. It may seem like just yesterday or it may seem like a lifetime ago that you walked the halls on La Gonda Way. Take a minute to travel back in time and enjoy a few fun photos from the past. Who knows? You may even see yourself. Alumni photos are always welcome. Please email photos to alumni@stisidore.org .
Help us continue to grow...
Be sure to follow St. Isidore School on social media to get glimpses into campus life and to connect with other SIS family and friends. Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and our SIS blog !
Come to the SIS Book Fair...
Take Me Out to the Book Fair!!!!!!!
Calling all alumni! It’s time to play ball! Remember those Scholastic Book Fairs that you used to love? We have good news for you! On September 24 th , we will open this year’s fair. Come visit us in our ballpark (aka the Bensen Gym) and get ready to hit some homers with our world series winning books! Make sure you visit before we close on October 3 rd – we don’t want you to strike out! See you at the ballpark!
Take a campus tour...
Make a gift online...
Thank you for supporting the SIS Alumni fund! Your donation,
large or small directly impacts the growth and success of
St. Isidore School. The campaign assists with our continuing efforts of keeping tuition cost low and accessible to our school families,
despite the reality associated with the growing costs of a
Catholic education at St. Isidore School!