ROOTED IN FAITH, TRADITION, AND ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE |
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A LETTER FROM OUR PRINCIPAL |
Dear Alumni,
We welcomed 96 new members to the Borgia Alumni Family last week! Congratulations to the Class of 2023 on your graduation!
Each fall, we welcome our new freshman class with the Luke 18 retreat. This retreat, begun in the mid-2000s, sets the stage for a great four years at SFBHS. Ninth graders get to know their new classmates, meet some supportive upperclassmen, grow in their faith journey, and become familiar with their new school.
There’s a theme song chosen for each Luke 18. The Class of 2023’s song was “Home” by Phillip Phillips.
Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home
I pray that all of our graduates found a home while at Borgia High. I pray that they grew closer to becoming the person that God created them to be. I hope that they are leaving here with a love for learning, lifelong friendships, and a heart full of dreams. I hope they graduated feeling prepared, challenged, supported, and loved.
That’s a wrap for School Year 2022-2023! I hope that all of you have the exact summer you need to have!
Sincerely,
Pam (Ruether) Tholen '02
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It's not too late to make your gift to the Borgia Annual Fund! |
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Our fiscal year ends on June 30, 2023, and we want to count you among our supporters this year.
Please consider making a gift to this most important fund today!
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The Borgia Community Partners Program |
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St. Francis Borgia High School's Community Partners program is a one-stop shop for marketing opportunities that are valuable to our business supporters while providing the critical resources for Borgia to continue successfully serving our students. This program is designed to provide businesses with true marketing value through various multi-platform media. Borgia is proud to offer advertising opportunities for local businesses through various sponsorship levels. (See below)
The Community Partners Program provides an opportunity for businesses to:
- Support St. Francis Borgia High School's mission
- Gain prominent exposure for their company or organization
- Take part in a convenient, one-time annual sponsorship process
- Enjoy special perks, including VIP event tickets
This sponsorship program provides access to an extensive network, in-person and online, reaching thousands of people in the Borgia community and beyond.
Borgia High School has a longstanding commitment to keeping Catholic education affordable. This commitment creates a gap of over $2,800 per student between the actual cost to educate and the tuition that we charge. This gap and the fact that 63% of our students receive tuition assistance are significant challenges. This $1M budget deficit is covered through the support of generous donors and businesses.
If you have questions or would like additional information, please contact Matt Schutte, President, at matt.schutte@borgia.com or Donna Grahl, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at donna.grahl@borgia.com.
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Save These Dates for the 2023-2024 School Year |
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Christopher M. Locher '99 Memorial Scholarship |
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Chris Locher (Class of 1999) passed away in March after a courageous battle with cancer. He was well-loved and a friend to all.
To honor his memory and to continue the good works Chris did during his lifetime, his wife, Shari, created a scholarship in his name with the Roman Catholic Foundation of Eastern Missouri to provide tuition assistance to students attending St. Francis Borgia High School.
More than 200 people have already made gifts to launch the fund, for which Shari is more than grateful. Your love has provided her with comfort beyond measure.
We are pleased to announce that the first students to benefit from the fund will receive assistance for the 2023-2024 school year.
If you have not yet made a gift to honor Chris, you can make an online gift by clicking on the button below or writing a check payable to:
Roman Catholic Foundation
Attn: Michael Weisbrod
425 N. New Ballas Road
Suite 200
St. Louis, MO 63141
Should you wish to make a gift from your IRA or appreciated securities, please contact Michael Weisbrod at 314.918.2893 for information.
On behalf of Shari Locher and the St. Francis Borgia High School community, we thank you for your kindness and generosity!
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Hello from St. Francis Borgia High School, where we are in our ninetieth year of providing a top-tier education rooted in our Catholic faith.
As the Borgia High School president, I have responsibilities that are both immediate and long-term. My primary long-term responsibility is to ensure Borgia’s financial health so that it may continue to allow students in our community to learn in a safe, academically challenging, and spiritually enriching environment.
Borgia HS is blessed to have an endowment fund, established in 1990. It is the backbone of our financial security with a current balance of approximately $4.6 million. The principal in the endowment fund is kept intact, while the investment income is used for various school-driven purposes. This allows us to provide our top-tier education at the lowest tuition rate of any Catholic high school in the St. Louis Archdiocese, while also offering ample financial assistance to those who need it. Continuing to grow the endowment fund will allow us to keep a quality, faith-based education affordable for students in our area.
The growth of our endowment is primarily driven by planned gifts from estates of the Borgia family - alums, parents, friends of the school, faculty, and more. I respectfully request that you consider including Borgia HS in your estate plan. You could name it as a beneficiary of your will, trust, life insurance policy, or bank or investment account, in any specific amount or percentage you consider appropriate. It is especially convenient for you to name Borgia High School as a beneficiary of an IRA, 401k, or other qualified retirement plan, allowing it to receive a tax-free distribution which, if left to an individual, would be subject to tax on the recently accelerated distribution schedule imposed by the IRS. These options provide an opportunity to help you maintain your desired level of security for your lifetime and leave a gift to Borgia High School that will continue to benefit students and families in our area indefinitely.
We hope to partner with you to continue the work of our school that we hold so dear. I invite you to contact Donna Grahl, our Director of Planned Giving and Alumni Relations, or me with any questions or to set up an appointment for a discussion. If you have already made a provision for Borgia High School in your estate plan, let us know so that we can update our records and give you suitable recognition.
Please accept my prayers for you and your family. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Matt Schutte
President
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Important Meeting for All Stakeholders |
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SFBHS president Matt Schutte is hosting an information session on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in the cafeteria about school safety and the school's consideration of partnering with other local private schools and the Washington Police Department to add a School Resource Officer on campus. Law enforcement officials and SFBHS administrators will be on hand to present information and answer questions. This meeting is open to all Borgia stakeholders. |
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Our annual Borgia Ladies' Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, June 12, at Franklin County Country Club. The SFB Athletic Association also sponsors this ladies' day of golf or simply Fun in the Sun.
For questions or information, please contact Tracy Alferman at 314-520-6799.
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IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR CHERISHED ALUMS |
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Norma Jean (Hellebusch) Horn '47
March 6, 2023
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Barbara (Schmitt) Moran '55
March 25, 2023

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Chris (Shirley) Gunn '92
April 16, 2023
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Jim Menner '83
May 11, 2023
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 Ralph Wallmeier '68
March 13, 2023
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Royce Voelkerding '67
March 25, 2023
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Floyd (Flip) Meyer '54
April 22, 2023
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John Straatmann '03
May 23, 2023
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Taylor Brickey '13 married Justin Clark in Boynton Beach, Florida, on May 13, 2023.
Several members of the Class of 2013 were there to help the couple celebrate.
Congratulations to Taylor and Justin!
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Amanda Gubbels '11 married Tyler Long on May 20, 2023.
Amanda's siblings are Bradley Gubbels '08, Stephen Gubbels '10, and Elizabeth (Gubbels) Kampschroeder ' 12.
We wish you a lifetime of happiness!
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Bridget Leach '10 got married on May 20, 2023, to Brandon Rosenberg.
Bridget's sisters are Allison (Leach) Ulrich '08, and Carrie (Leach) Kuchem '14. Her mother is Shari (Walde) Leach, '79.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
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Sarah Braun '11 married Alex Quiros in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on May 19, 2023.
Sarah's brother is Jonathan Braun '17.
Here's to a lifetime of happiness!
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In thanksgiving for the sacrifices and contributions offered by those before us on our behalf, we at St. Francis Borgia 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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Congratulations to the Class of 2023 |
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On Thursday, May 18, we celebrated our seniors and all they have achieved at our annual commencement. We wish them all the best as they travel forward.
Click below for a video highlighting the future plans of each one of our amazing graduates!
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2023 Bright Flight Scholars |
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Congratulations to our 2023 Bright Flight Scholars! Missouri Bright Flight Scholars must receive an ACT score of 31 or above.
Pictured above are this year's recipients.
Front row from left: Ava Mohart, Lexie Meyer, Elena Rembusch, Madi Raymond
Back row from left: Samual Dunard, Gavin Lebish, Tyler Dill
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2022-2023 Teacher of the Year
Stacia Houlihan
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We are proud to announce our 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year. This year's honor goes to Stacia Houlihan, who has dedicated the last 25 years of her life to our students.
Here's what our principal, Pam Tholen, had to say about Mrs. Houlihan.
“Even a mosquito doesn’t get a pat on the back until he’s well into his work.” Mrs. Houlihan, then Miss Parsell, shared that quote with me when I was a member of her freshman basketball team. We recognized Mrs. Houlihan earlier for 25 years as a teacher. It’s safe to say that she’s well into her work, and it’s my privilege to get to share with her a big pat on the back. I’d like to recognize Mrs. Stacia Houlihan as the 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year.
Fellow Social Studies teacher Mr. Unnerstall stated, “Stacia does a fantastic job of making her course content memorable, relevant and interesting. Her rapport with the students and other faculty members is irreplaceable.” Mrs. Addison had this to say about Mrs. Houlihan: “When Stacia takes the time to do something, she does it right. She gives her students the support they need to be successful, while also keeping it challenging. Stacia takes on new challenges as a teacher such as teaching AP, working on her Master's degree, and leading her department with curriculum writing.” Mrs. Snider shared that Mrs. Houlihan “is passionate about history and loves to share her passion with her students. She has high expectations of her students to be people of respect and accepting differences in each other.” While Mrs. Houlihan is a trusted colleague and an expert in her content area, it’s also apparent that Mrs. Houlihan cares deeply about her students as people. Sophomore Maya Bley, mentioned that she “is very helpful and down to earth when you need anything or when you need to hear things you don’t necessarily want to hear.”
Congratulations to Mrs. Stacia Houlihan, our 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year.
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We say goodbye to a legendary staff member
MOIRA (HUBER) VOSSBRINK '80
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Thank you for all the years of unselfish service to our great school and for touching the lives of so many students. May you continue to find success in all your future endeavors. You will be missed! |
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We also bid farewell and good luck to the following teachers/administrators who have made significant contributions to our school. |
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Jodi (Brinker) Cruz '11
Spanish
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Terri Fisher-Reed
Assistant Principal
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Kim Flores
College Counselor
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Rachel (Brinker) Marcial '13
Math
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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 High School
1000 Borgia Drive
Washington, MO 63090
P: 636-239-7871
F: 636-239-1198
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