The Bear Facts
March 3, 2012
Good morning! I’m Terrenze Franklin!
I’m Alex Boisjolie!
And I’m Grant Reding! Welcome once again to the “Bear Facts”. Happy March from all of us at Bishop Garrigan High School.
Last Wednesday the Bishop Garrigan Schools held a strategic planning meeting that involved parents, teachers, students, school board members, and people from the community. Similar meetings are held twice each year, but this one was better attended and featured more in-depth discussion than most. Garrigan president Gene Meister and high school principal Lynn Miller led the discussion, which focused on many different ways that we can make our school even better.
One of things revealed at the meeting was a feasibility study that will be taking place this month in advance of a major capital campaign. The hope is to raise money for significant renovations and expansions at Garrigan and Seton—including new classroom and office space and a whole new gymnasium. Everything’s still in the planning stages at this point, but there could be some dramatic changes in store if the campaign goes through. We’ll keep you posted on things as they progress.
Today five Garrigan girls are down in Des Moines as part of the All-Iowa Honor Drill Team. Top dancers from all over the state are represented on that squad, which will perform between the championship games at the girls state basketball tournament tonight. Representing the Golden Bear danz squad are Samantha Kollasch, Logan Kumm, Sara Poeppe, Kimberly Schiltz, and Makayla Foertsch. Congratulations to all these girls and to their coach, Coleen Conway-Schiltz.
Throughout Lent Garrigan and Seton students will be collecting coins for Ste. Jeanne de Chantal, the church in Haiti that is twinned with St. Cecelia’s here in Algona. Haiti has one of the highest rates if illiteracy in the world, and the money we collect will be used to help children there go to school. Every family with kids at Garrigan or Seton has a cardboard bank where they can place their coins. Right before Easter we’ll total everything up and see how much of a difference we can make.
Each year health students at Garrigan and Algona High sponsor a blood drive to help out the American Red Cross. This year it’s Garrigan’s turn to host the event, and students will be giving the gift of life next Monday, March 5th. Health teacher Jeanne Wunder is in charge of organizing the blood drive, and this year Vanessa Dodds, Zach Keith, Nathan Krieps, Brayton Loss, and Chris Loss will be assisting with the drive.
The Golden Bear math team has another big competition today. They’re over in Sioux Center for a Great Plains Math League contest at Dordt College. This has been one of the top years ever for the BGHS math team, and they’re hoping to qualify even more players for state today. Good luck to Coach Daryl Kohlhaas and the math team.
Last Saturday Garrigan hosted the district individual speech contest, and the Bears had an outstanding day. Speech students earned nineteen Division one or “excellent” ratings and seven division two or “good” ratings. Erica Carlson, Levi Bernhard, and Alissa Kirsch received I’s in Poetry, while Andrea Altman and Jake Hamilton got top marks in Prose.
In Literary Program, Division One ratings went to Melanie Mergen and Tony Kollasch. Amelia Golwitzer, Matthew Fakler, and Mark Fakler all earned I’s in Acting; and Melanie Mergen got a top rating in Expository Address. In Improvisation all four Garrigan entries—Craig Kohlhaas, Matthew Fakler, Levi Bernhard, and Mark Fakler—earned excellent marks.
Other I’s went to Austin Salz in Radio News Announcing, Shawn Vaske and Philip Detrick in Musical Theatre, and Jenny Broesder in Storytelling. All students who earned ones now advance to state contest next Saturday in Sibley. Congratulations to Coaches Mary McCall and David Burrow and the speech team!
Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Austin Salz. Here to tell you about him is
Abbey Reding.
When we asked Austin Salz to describe himself, he said “awesome”. You can judge for yourself, because Austin has been one of our most frequent announcers this year on the “Bear Facts”. Austin also keeps busy with band, math team, speech, drama, quiz bowl, golf, and intramurals. You’ll also see him recording video at lots of Garrigan events. Austin is a National Honor Society member, and he’s won lots of academic awards. He enjoys technology, and he has a weekend job here on KLGA. After high school Austin plans to major in engineering at Iowa State, and we wish him all the best in the future.
Thanks, Abbey. On our Golden Bear calendar this week, there’s a math team contest today at Dordt College in Sioux Center. Then tomorrow intramural basketball continues.
Monday Garrigan will be hosting the annual student blood drive. Then Tuesday the chamber of commerce will have a team meeting in the Garrigan board room.
Wednesday we’ll have mass, plus an early dismissal for teacher in-service. That morning the juniors will have a college day at Algona High.
Friday we’ll have the morning off as our reward for meeting the school goal in the magazine drive last fall. That day will be orientation for incoming students. Sixth graders will visit the junior high in the morning, and eighth graders will have their high school orientation in the afternoon.
Finally next Saturday is the state individual speech contest. The speech team will leave early in the morning to head over to Sibley.
That’s the “Bear Facts” for another week. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to tune in again next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.