The Ram Page

December 15, 2023

Bi-Weekly Newsletter for Garces Families, Students, Alumni & Friends

Important Dates

Dec. 15-20

Final Exams

Dec. 21-Jan. 2

Christmas Break

Christmas Mass and Tree Lighting

Last Friday evening, Garces Memorial held Mass for the Immaculate Conception in the chapel before heading into the quad for a tree lighting ceremony while tamales and hot chocolate were served to those in attendance.

Thank you to Mr. Pierce, Father David and Principal Leon for a wonderful evening.

Then on Monday, Garces Memorial celebrated with the final Mass of the semester outside in the quad on a beautiful and blessed sunny day on campus.

From all of us at Garces Memorial, we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Student News

2023 Ram for a Day was a Success!

Over 175 eighth graders joined us for Ram for a Day, as well as close to 80 family members. A special thank you to our Garces Rambassadors for their help in making the day so special for our future Rams.

Click here to start your student's application to Garces for the Fall of 2024. If you need more information or would like to set up a meeting with our Director of Admissions, please email Tonya Abbott.

Christmas on Campus

This was a festive time on campus with the annual "Christmas on Campus" where students and faculty got to show off their creativity. To see more photos of the fun, following Garces ASB on Instagram @GarcesASB.

Jeans and Jewels Dinner

The St. Isidore FFA Booster Club invites you to become a sponsor for our first annual “Jeans & Jewels” dinner. This exciting event will be held on January 27, 2024 at The Basque Club. Cocktail social will begin at 5:30 with dinner following at 6:30PM. It is a fundraising event that will include a live auction, raffles, NY steak dinner, DJ, dancing, and an open bar. The primary source of funding for “Jeans & Jewels” is from sponsors, such as you.

Your sponsorship will help assure the success of “ Jeans & Jewels”. Enclosed please find more information on this exciting event and its sponsorship levels. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. All contributions are tax deductible as allowable by law.

Future Medical Professionals Club

The Future Medical Professionals Club would like to sincerely thank Dr. Bernard Maristany for being our guest speaker last month. Dr. Maristany shared so much helpful information on preparing for medical school and gave insight into the field of radiology. He also shared lots of cool images for club members to view real world medical diagnoses from the lens of a doctor of radiology. His passion for what he does is clear, and it seems to be shared by his daughter and club member, Julia, who hopes to follow in his footsteps. Our club would like to extend a genuine “THANK YOU” for taking the time to come share with us.

The Helping Hands Club

The Helping Hands Club met on Thursday and put together 200 hygiene kits for the homeless in our community. Each kit contained deodorant, soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, hand sanitizer, a pair of wool socks, a candy cane, and a Christmas card signed by a student. The hygiene kits along with fast food gift cards and children's toys were deliverd to the St. Vincent de Paul Homeless Center.

International Students

Vikki Cruz, a 1999 graduate of Garces Memorial, opened her home to an international student last school year. Last month, Vikki travelled to South Korea to meet with the students' family. Below is her experience and how Garces Memorial is enriched by our international students on campus.

Our hosts, Won’s family, were incredibly generous when we arrived, treating my friend Laura Catanni (Garces class of ‘99) and me like royalty. We had little to plan, as they took charge of arranged meals, transportation, lodging and unique tours. Exploring museums, gardens, temples and palaces added a layer of richness to our experience. Seoul is a vibrant city with incredible food, great shops and cultural sites, but having a local connection made it extra special.

As we traveled in the fall, we were treated to the changing colors of the ginkgo trees, painting the city in hues of yellow. Seoul itself is a testament to safety, cleanliness and efficiency. One of the most memorable experiences was joining Korean Rotarians in the assembly of kimchi - an authentic and unique cultural experience made possible by our gracious hosts.

The overwhelming generosity we received during our stay left a lasting impression. I can’t wait for the time when Won’s parents revisit Bakersfield. I am eager to reciprocate the generosity they showed me and Laura. Hosting Won has been a wonderful experience for me and my husband, creating what feels like a lifelong connection with him and his family.

Vikki Cruz

Garces class of ‘99

If you are interested in becoming a host family to an international student at Garces Memorial, please reach out to International Admissions Advisor Henry Lee at hlee@garces.org

This Week in Garces Athletics

Boys Basketball

The Garces Memorial varsity boys basketball finished in fifth place at the Lloyd Williams Shootout at North High last Saturday. The Rams trailed Stockdale by 15 points at halftime before a 23-3 run in the third quarter led Garces to a 49-48 win over the Mustangs.

The Rams finish up a three-day tournament in Fresno at Hoover High tonight against Lemoore. The Rams are home twice next week heading into the holidays with Kennedy on campus Wednesday and Ridgeview on Friday.

Girls Basketball

The Rams are looking to get back into the win column tonight at home against Mira Monte at 5 p.m. The Rams beat the Lions earlier in the season in tournament play and recorded a win last week at the Shafter Tournament.

Boys soccer

The Rams played two tough opponents in the Garces Holiday Soccer Festival last weekend in a 2-0 loss to Arvin and a 1-0 loss to Southern Section power West Hills-Chaminade. The Rams are back in action today and tomorrow in the Liberty Tournament at Polo Park in the final action before Christmas Break.

Girls Soccer

In a match-up of two of the top teams in the Central Section, the 7th-ranked Rams went on the road Tuesday and beat No. 3 San Luis Obispo 3-0 to improve to 6-1 this season. The lone loss came in the first day of the Garces Soccer Holiday Festival to West Hills-Chaminade. In the six victories, the Rams have posted shutouts and are in the Liberty tournament at Polo Park this weekend heading into Christmas Break.

Wrestling

At the Coyote Classic at East High last Saturday, Miguel Montano and Zakary Ortega both finished first in the their weight classes and Jonathan Arias finished fourth, leading the Rams to a 10th place finish as a team. On Wednesday, the Rams took part in the first of five dual matches with a 60-12 win at North. The Rams are at the Zinkin Classic today and tomorrow in Clovis and at the North Duals on Saturday.

Stay current with Garces Athletics on social media @GarcesAthletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Employment

Garces High School is currently in need of a part-time robotics instructor. We are looking for individuals with a strong background in robotics who have a bachelor's degree. Interested candidates should email their resume to Denise Limi at dlimi@garces.org

45th Annual Garces Gala

"The Magic of Garces"

THE MAGIC HAS ALREADY BEGUN...

The Save the Date postcards are on the way - so look for yours in the mail next week. There is a special announcement regarding our "Magic Tickets". Someone will win two tickets to see David Copperfield perform at the MGM in Las Vegas along with hotel accommodations for a two-night stay!

STUDENT PROCUREMENT CONTEST

Every year, Garces asks our students and their families to donate items so that we have a successful auction at the Gala. The contest will begin after we come back from Christmas break, but if you're out Christmas shopping and you spot something - it's not too early to either ask for a donation from a business or to purchase it and donate it yourself. Below is a link to the donation form you can use. The form includes our Tax ID. Garces Memorial is a non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Gala Donation Form

2024 Gala Committee

We are blessed beyond measure with our volunteer committee members for this year's Gala. They are an outstanding group who want to make this year's Gala an exceptional event for the Garces community.

Ingrid Lake '97, Co-Chair

Mia Selvidge '87, Co-Chair

Lisa Andrew '84

Suzie Antongiovanni '97

Jennifer Borba

Terri Collins '72

Lindsay Denison '94

Megan Echeverria '86

Gina Fanucchi

Lauren Helper '98

Sarah Hoekstra

Deanna Lugo

Julissa Maristany

Cindy Meek

Tami Opie '88

Melissa Ortega

Teresa Ramos-Alvarez '78

Raji Sanghera '87

Courtney Tobias '92

Annalisa Townsend

Andrea Weishaar

Jenny Asaro

Lou Ann Durrett

If you are interested in volunteering your time to help in some way with Gala, please let us know. Many hands make light work and we welcome everyone who would like to help out. Please reach out to Jenny Asaro, Development Associate at jasaro@garces.org.

Annual Fund Drive

Annual Fund Drive - The Garces Fund

Year-End Mailer

Check your mail for a letter from the Chairman of the Garces Memorial Advisory School Board, Mr. Al Sandrini '57. Along with a wonderful message from Al, there is a list of those who have generously donated to The Garces Fund to help the school with our operational costs.

We hope you will prayerfully consider supporting the school with your year-end giving. We are all so excited for the next chapter at Garces under the leadership of Mr. Steven Antongiovanni'76 as our President. We have a bright future ahead and your support of our mission is more important than ever.

Donate to The Garces Fund

In Our Prayers

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

May they rest in peace. Amen.

Vince Fanucchi

Mary Theresa McGovern

Please keep them and their loved one in your prayers.