ROOTED IN FAITH, TRADITION, AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE |
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A LETTER FROM OUR PRINCIPAL |
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is already here and gone? One of the very special things we do here at Borgia High is the Grandparents' Mass the Friday before Thanksgiving. It's a visual reminder of just how many people we have supporting our school and our students. The gym is packed with hundreds of grandparents and loved ones, and students get to sit with their families. You see groups of cousins sitting all together with their common grandparents. It's hard to put into words, but the love in that gym can be physically felt. You don't just see grandparents and special aunts and uncles at Grandparents Mass, though. I see them in the stands at sporting events, in the seats at theater and music performances, turning in checks to support their loved ones' education, greeting students on the first day of school, or waving in the crowd during the Homecoming parade. Their love is woven into the fabric of our school, and their love and support so bless us. If you are a grandparent of one of our students, please know that we are thankful for the significant part you play in our community.
With Christmas right around the corner, many of our recent grads will be home for their college break. It's so exciting to see our visitor log fill up with the names of our young alumni who return to Borgia High to visit teachers and counselors. Not much fills a teacher's cup more than having past students return to say thank you or to fill us in on their lives. I love that they want to come home to the school they hold so dear.
We pray for our alumni daily in our all-school prayer before the start of 4th hour. We are so thankful for your continued prayers and support of our school. I hope that you and your family have a very happy holiday season.
Pam (Ruether) Tholen '02, Principal
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CONGRATULATIONS TO SANDI GILDEHAUS AND OUR BORGIA CHEER PROGRAM! |
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Congratulations to Coach Sandi Gildehaus and the Borgia Cheer Program for being inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, November 14 at the Chase Park Plaza! |
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On Thursday, October 28, we celebrated National First Responders Day, when we honored and recognized the heroic men and women who take immediate action when disaster strikes. They have specialized training and are often the first to arrive to provide assistance during emergencies.
On September 1, 2021, Sgt. Jason Weggemann (Borgia class of 1995) was presented the Governor's Medal of Valor by Gov. Mike Parson in addition to the Crusade Against Crime of America Medal of Valor on June 10, 2021, and the Purple Heart and Medal of Valor on September 29, 2020, presented by Sheriff Steve Pelton of the Franklin County Sheriff's Office. Jason is pictured above with Governor Parsons and Deputy Burgess after receiving his awards.
Jason is married to Lauren (Aholt) Weggemann '03, and they have two children Braydon and Vivian, who attend St.John the Baptist Gildehaus.
Thank you, Jason, Deputy Burgess, and all first responders for all you do and sacrifice to help make our communities safer!
Congratulations to all!
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IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR BORGIA ALUMNI |
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John Devine '57
October 25, 2021
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Melvin Strubberg '56
November 10, 2021
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Richard Vernaci '71
October 18, 2021
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE RECENTLY MARRIED ALUMS |
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Hanna (Michels) '14 and
Gus Henry
Married on October 23, 2021
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Cassandra (Halsted) '15 and Brandon Guehne '15
Married on October 30, 2021
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Jennifer (Patke) '95 and
Mike Straatmann '95
Married on October 9, 2021
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WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST LITTLE KNIGHT! |
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Congratulations to Borgia High School music program teacher Robert Jasper '99 and wife Brittney on the arrival of their 2nd child, son Samuel Joseph. What a wonderful blessing to be thankful for! |
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In thanksgiving for the sacrifices and contributions offered by those before us on our behalf, we at St. Francis Borgia Regional High School offer our afternoon prayer for different members of our alumni each day. |
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If you have children who are graduates and still receive mail at your home, but no longer live there, please contact Donna Grahl, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, to update your child's address. She can be reached by phone at 636-239-7871 ext. 131 or via email at donna.grahl@borgia.com.
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Planned gifts can substantially impact SFBRHS, creating a legacy for our ministry that lasts for generations.
Planned gifts can offer you significant benefits. For example, planned gifts allow you to maintain control of your assets during your lifetime, take advantage of several tax benefits, or perhaps even secure a lifetime income stream for yourself or others.
Planned gifts typically come from your assets rather than income. Therefore, they are perfect for individuals and families of all ages and levels of income who wish to leave a sustaining gift to the school they hold dear. Strategic planned giving can allow anyone to create a lasting legacy for Borgia.
Learn more about how you can sustain our school for generations with a planned gift to SFBRHS www.rcfstl.org.
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GIFT THE BORGIA EXPERIENCE |
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Dear Friends,
As we head into the Christmas season, I am pleased to share that our students have enjoyed a fall semester of in-person learning, immersing themselves in our academic, spiritual, and extracurricular experiences.
The generosity of friends of the school, such as you, helps make the Borgia experience a truly magnificent one. Because of you, a wide variety of elective courses, faith-based retreats, cutting-edge robotics gear, and more are all possibilities at Borgia.
As president of St. Francis Borgia, I daily have the privilege of witnessing firsthand the learning process. The impact that gifts to the school make on our students is easy to see. You help us keep our tuition among the lowest of any private high school in the state of Missouri, allowing many students to attend who otherwise may not have the opportunity. This benefits not only the student but also our school and our community.
We appreciate your support of Borgia and hope you will continue to help our school. You can designate your gift toward a specific fund:
- General Operating: Deliver support to the daily/annual needs of our institution.
- Education: Attract and retain top-tier faculty, provide innovative programming, enhance our academic excellence, and integrate new technology into our learning.
- Spiritual & Professional Development: Allow our teachers to strengthen their skills as great educators and further address our students' spiritual needs through prayer days and retreats.
- Tuition Assistance: Make our school accessible to all students wishing to attend. Each year, approximately 60% of our students receive some sort of need-based financial assistance.
Thank you for your consideration of a gift to our school. Your support helps our Knights stay at the top of their academic and extracurricular pursuits.
Sincerely,
Matt Schutte, President
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A tree planted in someone's memory or honor is a living tribute that benefits present and future generations and is perhaps the most fitting memorial gift of all. Your memorial trees planted on Borgia's campus will be honorable monuments that beautify our campus.
The gift of a tree starts at just $200 for one, and either the gift giver or recipient will receive a personalized card to commemorate the tree planting. Multiple trees can be dedicated. You can give a gift of trees, memorialize a loved one, celebrate a milestone, plant a tree in remembrance of a pet, or honor someone with a tree simply because he or she loves Borgia.
To purchase a tree online, click the button below and enter Tree Project in the "Other" field at the bottom. Or, you can write a check and send it to 1000 Borgia Drive, Washington, MO 63090, ATTN: Donna Grahl, and write Tree Project in the memo.
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If you shop at Schnucks, you can earn up to 3% of your purchase amount for St. Francis Borgia Regional High School. Click the link below to sign up. Our eScrip school id is 6674669. Thank you! |
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Did you know that many companies match employee donations?
Find out if your company will match your contributions by clicking on the button below. Double the Donation makes applying for matching gifts simple and easy with everything you need all in one place.
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Next month, St. Francis Borgia will launch a new online professional networking and mentoring tool for our alums called AlumniFire. Geared only to our alums, this platform will allow members to be more focused than other social and professional networks. AlumniFire will provide Borgia alums and students with a way to exchange industry expertise and career advice.
We will provide more information about this free service in the upcoming weeks.
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Each year St. Francis Borgia Regional High School gives away $25,000 in prizes through our annual Borgia Mega Raffle. There are two $1,000 drawings each month and an additional $1,000 drawing on October 10 to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis Borgia. |
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November 1
Aaron Dobsch '21
sold by Aaron Dobsch '21
November 15
Sharon Resnik
sold by Lucas Wolfe '24
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ACA ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS |
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Each year, juniors in every Catholic high school throughout St. Louis are invited to write an essay on the Annual Catholic Appeal and stewardship. The students describe how they learn from those who have made sacrifices for them and other people in their lives who inspire them to give back.
This year's winners from SFBRHS are juniors Madelyn Hellebusch ($1,000 scholarship), Zach Mort ($750 scholarship), and Evan Laurent ($500 scholarship).
Each year Borgia receives $130,000 from the Annual Catholic Appeal. These funds are earmarked toward keeping our tuition as low as possible. The generosity of this gift affects every family at Borgia.
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Following our Hometown Heroes parade, we honored veterans with an inspirational talk by John Strawn, veteran and current Borgia parent who spoke eloquently on serving others. Followed by Garren Parks, a senior & Junior ROTC member who has enlisted in the Marines and will start serving in 2022.
Thank you to all who have served and continue to serve our communities and our country!
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On Thursday, December 16 at 8 a.m., our sophomores and guests will say our second class rosary of the year in the Borgia Chapel. |
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On Friday, November 19, we hosted one of our favorite days! We loved having our grandparents back at Borgia for Mass, refreshments, and quality time with their grandchildren. |
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Check out our very own Spirit Shop for gifts and apparel for you and your family! |
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WE'RE EXPANDING OUR READERSHIP |
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We're excited to announce that the monthly alumni e-newsletter will now be distributed to all current parents, grandparents, and parents and grandparents of alums (if we have your email address). If you know of anyone that would like to be included in our distribution, please email donna.grahl@borgia.com with contact information. If you would like to discontinue the receipt of the newsletter, you may unsubscribe below.
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Athletic and Activities Schedule |
Welcome to another exciting year of Borgia Athletics and Activities. Together, let’s always and, in all ways, celebrate the efforts of our students, players, coaches, and teachers as they strive to make Borgia #1 in class, style, sportsmanship, and competitiveness. Go, Knights!!
Click on the logo to see a comprehensive athletic and activities schedule.
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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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