The RamPage

February 3, 2023

Weekly Newsletter for Garces Families, Students, Alumni, & Friends.
Important Dates

February 7th

Junior Step Up Mass

8:30 AM in Chapel

Parents are Invited

Fog Delay Schedule

February 10

Progress Reports


February 13

School Closed

February 14-17

FFA Week


February 16

Pet Blessing

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Garces Memorial 75th Anniversary

Message from President Hickey

Dear Garces Families,


Principal Search Update

On Monday we posted the principal opening, including a new job description (click here to view job description). I have formed a Search Advisory Committee and our first meeting will be this Wednesday. I thank the following for agreeing to serve on this committee: 


  • Sherry Burns – staff, past parent
  • Silver Edwards – Spanish teacher, current parent
  • John Fanucchi – math teacher, alumnus, past president
  • Dora Loreto – Our Lady of Guadalupe staff, current parent
  • John Mendiburu – Advisory Board Chair, current parent
  • Sean Panick – theology teacher, Department Chair

 

Let me please share important context for this search: Never has it been harder to fill leadership positions at Catholic schools. While there were difficulties pre-pandemic, that experience and its aftermath have left many Catholic communities raw and reeling, and this has impacted current and would-be Catholic school leaders. The National Catholic Education Association’s job bank, for example, currently lists a whopping 51 principal and 18 president vacancies, and that’s just for February on one employment site.


Certainly, Garces is not immune from this national trend. We can blunt some of its impact, however, by making sure we are an attractive school. That is, leaders want to lead at supportive, welcoming, nurturing places. Let’s reinforce those positive characteristics here and be attentive to the ways we could improve. One way to prepare for our new principal next year is make sure that we are the kind of place he or she would enjoy being at this year. 

 

For those who would like to read about the leader-shortage in Catholic schools, please click here for an article I co-wrote that touches on the topic.   


Admissions Update

We created a new Placement Test experience for future Rams this year and it was a great success! First, the test itself is different: Instead of giving students a standardized test, we created our own English and Math tests so that we will be better able to place freshmen in best-fit classes. This is part of our holistic approach to admissions – placing the person first and modifying our approach accordingly. The second change is our incorporation of Ram Showcase as a post-placement test experience instead of a separate stand-alone event. This family-friendly modification was also a success. Families gathered in the gym after the placement test to visit with coaches and moderators and learn about our expansive co-curricular offerings. The third change we made this year was to offer placement tests on two dates (January 21 and 28) instead of one so as to better accommodate family schedules. There’s that holistic, person-centered approach again!


Our new model garnered many positive comments from Future Ram families and yielded outstanding participation numbers as well: The average attendance for test day in recent years has been 123 and our total number for our new two-date test model this year was 167, an increase of 44 students. If you know of a family that is interested in Garces but missed the placement test, please have them contact Eric Coleman, Admissions Director, at ecoleman@garces.org.

 

Blessings,

Kent Hickey

President

Vote for Garces

Please Vote Garces Best Private School


Garces is once again nominated as one of ten finalists for Best Private School in the Bakersfield Californian's Readers' Choice Poll. Thanks to the support of the Garces community, we have been voted the Best Private School for the past three years and we would love to have the honor a fourth year in a row! The Garces Gala is nominated for Best Non-Profit Event. Please click on the link and vote for Garces. You can vote daily through February 21st.


Best Of Voting Link

Student News

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

Grandparents' Mass & Lunch Highlight Video


On Monday, we kicked off Catholic Schools Week with our Grandparents' Mass & Lunch. Our gym was full and we absolutely loved having so many grandparents on our campus. Please take a minute to view the highlight video of Grandparents' Mass at Garces.

Grandparents Mass

Grandparent Day Photos


For our families who had grandparents on campus and took a photo in MLH at our photo opportunity stop, you can download your photo at the link below.


Thank you for supporting Grandparents' Day at Garces. It is one of our favorite days of the school year!


2023 Grandparent Day Photos

Teacher Appreciation Day


Thank you to our FFA students for the lovely breakfast! The students cooked eggs, sausage, biscuits, and gravy! There was also a delicious assortment of pastries along with an egg casserole. We had some donuts and cookies dropped off by some of our wonderful parents as well. Our teachers and staff felt the Garces love!

Community Appreciation Day


The Garces chapter of the National Honor Society put together treat boxes for the local parishes and delivered them on Wednesday. We are grateful for the support of our local parishes and religious for Garces and the Catholic education our school provides to students and their families.

Parent Appreciation Day


On Thursday, we opened up our campus for our parents to come up and join their child and friends for lunch. We had so many families on our campus enjoying some of their favorite foods - Luigi's, Wool Growers, Chick-fil-A, Jersey Mike's, Sequoia Sandwich, Caesar's Deli, Smith's Bakery, etc. Our parents clearly love their children and brought all the Ramily favorites! We loved seeing so many of our parents enjoying lunch with our students.

Student Appreciation Day


On Friday, Garces faculty member Mr. Blaine Geissel spearheaded lunch for all the students and for most of the staff as well. He worked with the cafeteria staff and had hamburgers for everyone! He also made sure everyone had chips, a bottle of water, and an ice cream bar for dessert. Our teachers, counselors, and staff were on hand to help distribute lunch to the students and to let them know how much we appreciate having them on campus!

Junior Class Step-Up Mass


On Tuesday, February 7th, Garces will hold its annual Step Up Mass for the juniors and their parents. Mass will begin at 8:30 and will be in the Garces chapel. Our celebrant is Fr. David Lopez. The Step Up Mass is a long-held tradition at Garces where students come together in prayer, have their class rings blessed, and every junior is pinned by faculty members who are also alumni of Garces. After the Mass and pinning ceremony, there will be a light reception for parents with lots of opportunities to take photos!

Spring Theater Production Cast List


Congratulations to the Garces Rams who have been cast in our spring production of Beauty and the Beast. The play is scheduled to be performed May 25th & May 26th.

Honor Flight Donation


Garces senior, Tommy McGrath, representing both the Garces Honor Flight Club and Garces CSF, delivered a donation of $6,200 to Honor Flight Kern County. The donation is more than enough to send four veterans to Washington, D.C. Tommy is pictured with two local veterans who are also Garces alumni - Mr. Don Border '50 and Mr. Ken Peters '50. Thank you to the members of both clubs for their generous donation to a worthy cause supporting our local veterans.

FFA Valentine's Day Flowers


The Garces FFA Floral Design class will be selling Valentine’s Day flowers on February 14th during break, lunch, and after school! Prices will range from $10 to $40. Make sure to shop before they are gone! 


If you have any questions, please contact FFA advisor Mrs. Ashleigh Rossi.

Mock Trial


On Saturday, January 28th our Mock Trial team competed in the final round against Stockdale and won the round! The team attended the awards ceremony later that day where schools find out what they placed in the County. Of 16 schools that participated, Garces Memorial High School took 3rd place! Veronique Curutchague and Alyssa Hurtado were also awarded the Honor Court awards. The coaches are extremely proud of every student who participated in Mock Trial. We had a lot of first-timers and they did an exceptional job portraying their roles as witnesses, bailiff, and attorneys! Garces thanks our attorney coaches for their numerous hours spent coaching our students, we are truly so blessed! 

Hispanic & Latino Culture Club


The Hispanic & Latino Culture Club got together Sunday, January 29th and cooked over 700 tamales! The club would like to give a big thank you to all who placed an order and supported their club. They were able to raise about $2,000! Club members had a fun time working together and look forward to planning a Cinco de Mayo festival at the end of the year. The club also wants to thank the Sala Family for all their support and for welcoming them into their home to cook the tamales!  

CSF Deadline - February 10th


The deadline for students to apply for CSF this semester is Friday, February 10th. The applications are located on a table outside of Mrs. Kloock's classroom, Room 72 in the Cerro Science Building. There is a $10 application fee and students must submit a copy of their transcript with the application. Students need to submit their applications by the deadline. There will neo late exceptions.

Admissions

Financial Aid


It’s that time of year again to apply for tuition assistance for the upcoming school year. Registration will begin on February 1st for incoming and returning families who qualify. We understand that financial aid is crucial for so many of our families and is an annual application process. Applications for financial aid and tuition assistance will close on February 28, be sure to update your 2023-2024 application. 


FACTS Grant & Aid Account: https://online.factsmgt.com/aid 


The tuition assistance process also requires the Request for Tuition Assistance Form to be submitted to Eric Coleman and can be found here: https://garces.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Request-for-Tuition-Assistance-23.pdf


There are also options for scholarships through the Bakersfield Catholic Education Foundation you can learn more about and apply for here: https://garces.org/admissions/affordability/


We will be offering a parent information night for tuition assistance to help guide you through the process and answer any questions that you might have; all from the comfort of your own home. This informational night will be held on Wednesday, February 1st at 5:30 pm on Zoom. To register for our Virtual Parent Information night on tuition assistance please use the link below to register or contact the admissions office. https://garces.org/admissions/virtual-parent-night-registration/


In the past few years, we have continued to grow our enrollment by providing meaningful Christ center education, small class sizes, individual support, high-level academics and top-achieving athletics. We are able to do all of this while watching our students grow spiritually as well as growing in all aspects of their young adult lives. We encourage you to reach out to your friends and family to apply for Christ-centered education, top-notch academics and championship-level athletics for the upcoming school year.  

Hear Garces senior and ASB Entertainment Commissioner, Paul Pacheco '23, talks about how much he loves being at a small school where everyone knows each other and where the teachers really care about the futures of the students. In addition to being active in ASB, Paul is a member of the Boys Basketball Team, the Baseball Team, the Hispanic & Latino Culture Club, the National Honor Society, and an Honor Roll Student. Registration is now open for the Class of 2027. Please go online at garces.org and begin the application process.


Click on the video below.

Paul Pacheco Class of 2023

Garces Athletics

National Signing Day

On Wednesday at lunch in the gym, three Garces Memorial seniors signed National Letters of Intent to four-year college athletic programs. Davis May, a four-year starter for the football team, signed with Sacramento State and will join 2020 graduate Aidan Meek on the offensive line for the Hornets. Gianna Garcia, a four-year starter for the girls water polo program that won two Central Section Division II titles in her time at Garces, signed with the women’s water polo program at Cal Lutheran. And Quentin Lueck, a member of the boys soccer team that won a Central Section and CIF SoCal state title last season, signed with the Merchant Marines Academy men’s soccer team.

Davis May

Football

Sacramento State University

Gianna Garcia

Women's Water Polo

Cal Lutheran University

Quentin Lueck

Men's Soccer

US Merchant Marine Academy

Sports Update

Provided by Trevor Horn, Sports Information Director


With just one week left in the regular season, the soccer and basketball teams at Garces are ready for a big push to the playoffs and the wrestling programs are readying for the postseason as well next week. We will celebrate senior night for girls soccer (4:30 p.m.), boys soccer (6:15 p.m.) and boys basketball (6:30 p.m.) on Tuesday night. The playoff brackets for soccer will be released Friday and basketball will be released Saturday.

 

Boys Basketball

The Rams went 1-1 this week in dramatic fashion. On Tuesday, Frontier took a two-point lead with 7.2 seconds left before Carson Acevado found Mishael Baninge for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer in a 66-65 victory for the Rams.The Rams went on the road and battled, but lost to Bakersfield Christian 77-66 on Thursday. The regular season concludes this week with Centennial at home on Tuesday and at Stockdale on Thursday.

 

Girls Basketball

What a week it was for the girls basketball team and senior Reese Pasternik. The Rams defeated Foothill on the road in overtime on Monday 55-51 as Pasternik had a game-high 29 points. On Tuesday at Fronter, the Rams won 60-47 behind a 37-point performance by Pasternik. Then at home on Thursday, the Rams lost to BCHS 54-38 and Pasternik again led the Rams with 19, good for a 28.3 points per game average.The Rams are looking to finish second overall in the River League with two games left. We will celebrate Pasternik, the lone senior, on Thursday before the 6:30 p.m. game against Stockdale.

 

Boys Soccer

After a heartbreaking 1-0 loss at home on Tuesday to Frontier, the Rams responded with a 3-1 victory over BCHS on Thursday as Matthew Mendoza scored twice. The Rams also beat San Joaquin Memorial last Saturday in a 2-0 victory over the Panthers.


Both soccer programs will play three games next week, beginning with Liberty at home on Monday from a make-up due to heavy rain last month before Centennial at home on Tuesday and regular season finale on Thursday at Stockdale.

 

Girls Soccer

The Rams are on a three-game win streak heading into the biggest week in the regular season.

After a 2-0 win over SJM last Saturday, the Rams defeated Frontier and BCHS this week in 2-1 contests. Monday, the Rams will host Liberty in a make-up game. The Rams lost to the Patriots (undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the Central Section) 1-0 on a last-minute goal on the road two weeks ago. Then the Rams will host Centennial on senior night Tuesday before a regular season finale with Stockdale on Thursday. Currently, the girls soccer team is ranked No. 9 overall in the section, giving all three games this week huge implications for the strong possibility of a D-I playoff appearance for the Rams.

 

Wrestling

It’s postseason time now for Garces wrestling. On Wednesday at Centennial, freshman Kaila Delfin and senior Kaydence Boyd represented Garces at the SYC Championships. Delfin lost in the semifinals at 101 pounds and Boyd lost in the finals at 131. Both will look for a shot at a postseason push next Friday and Saturday at the Area Championships at Golden Valley. The boys will head off to Madera-Torres next Friday and Saturday seeking the program’s first section title in the D-IV championships. 

Giving to Garces

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED!


It's going to be a fun night celebrating Garces Memorial's Diamond Jubilee. Fantastic dinner prepared and served by Garces alumnae, Lisa Borda of Bord A Petite, hosted refreshments, live and silent auction offerings, and then end the evening dancing the night away. If you did not receive your Gala invitation and would like to join us on February 25th, contact tabbott@garces.org. You can also use the online option to make your reservations.

Make Your Reservations

Remember to encourage your students' participation in this year's Gala Student Contest. If you need more information, you can click on "Contest Details" or contact tabbott@garces.org.

Contest Details

Sponsorships make a tremendous difference in the success of the Garces Gala. Thank you to the following businesses and individuals who have already made their commitment to support the event. To date nearly $60,000 in sponsorships and underwriting!

Garces Alumni News

In Our Prayers

 

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

 

Andrew Chacon

Father of Garces teacher Ms. Victoria Chacon-McKniff

2023 Hall of Honor Nominations


The Garces Memorial Alumni Board is accepting nominations for the 2023 Hall of Honor. If you know a deserving individual, please nominate them. Nominations are open until March 31, 2023.

Click here for the 2023 Hall of Honor Nomination Form

Community News

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