The Bear Facts
April 21, 2012

Good morning! I’m Austin Salz!

I’m Alex Boisjolie!

And I’m Craig Kohlhaas! Welcome once again to the “Bear Facts”, your weekly radio update from Bishop Garrigan High School.

Tonight is Prom Night 2012. Lots of Garrigan students and their friends will be dressing up and spending “A Night on the Nile” as they celebrate prom. For most people the evening will begin with a special dinner at Spring Valley. Following that will be an evening of dancing and socializing. The juniors borrowed many decorations from last week’s Gala, and they’ve also added such features as a pyramid that couples will walk through for the Grand March.

The fun will continue long after the formal part of prom is over. For two decades now parents have sponsored an after-prom party to entertain their kids and keep them safe They’ve worked hard to line up lots of prizes, and there will be fun and games that last all night long.

This is the second straight week the Garrigan gym has been decked out to look like a ballroom. Last weekend about four hundred guests gathered for Gala 2012. While it was a wet, stormy night, the evening went very well. Final totals aren’t in, but most likely this year’s Gala will end up bringing in the second highest total in the event’s 23-year history—with around $285,000 in income. Thanks to everyone who helped make Gala 2012 another big success.

Last week the Golden Bear danz squad held try-outs for next year’s team. The 2012-2013 squad will include four seniors, two juniors, seven sophomores, and five freshmen. Returning veterans include Hannah Boisjolie, Makayla Foertsch, Sam Kollasch, Logan Kumm, Anna Hohmeister, and Mallory Schiltz.

Next year’s danz squad will also include Paige Berte, Patricia Brandt, Sydney Elbert, Kaitlyn Fogarty, Megan Lappe, Cassidy Vitzthum, and manager Morgan Hanna. New to the squad are incoming freshmen Carolyn Baxter, Kylie Fox, Sophia Grandgenett, Hailey Kollasch, and Kassidy Schiltz. Two more dancers will be selected through individual try-outs. Congratulations to all the members of the Golden Bear danz squad!

Last Wednesday nine members of the BGHS quiz bowl team competed in the nationwide Knowledge Master competition. The group ended up with a score of 971 points. While that wasn’t as good as they did last fall, the score still places them right in the middle of academic teams around the country. Congratulations to competitors Philip Detrick, John Richter, Allison Frideres, Hannah Bernhard, Levi Bernhard, Sean Hart, Mark Fakler, Jake Hamilton, and Matthew Fakler.

Like all schools around the country, Garrigan and Seton are required to test students and keep track of their proficiency in core areas like English, math, and science. While no school is perfect, we’re pleased to say that our students compare very well with others both in the area and around the country. The definition of “proficient” is designed so that nationwide sixty percent of all students will be considered either proficient or advanced. In almost every group tested at Garrigan and Seton, a much higher percent of students did that well.

75% of Seton fourth graders were considered proficient or advanced in English. 57% of eighth graders did that well, and 75% of Garrigan’s juniors scored at the proficient or advanced level. In math, 75% of both fourth and eighth graders were proficient or advanced, while at the high school a whopping 87% of the juniors earned good scores. Science proficiency was 78% for fourth graders, 74% in eighth grade, and 85% for juniors. Again all those scores compare well with 60% of students considered “proficient” nationwide.

Today some of Garrigan’s most proficient students are down in Iowa City for the Iowa state mathematics championship, the statewide competition in the Great Plains Math League. Freshmen Dorothy Kirsch, Tony Kollasch, and Zach Kollasch will be representing BGHS at state. Seniors Craig Kohlhaas and Jenny Broesder and junior Allison Frideres also qualified but will not be competing due to conflicts. Good luck at state to the math team!

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Billy Schiltz. Here to tell you about him is John Richter.

Billy Schiltz is one of the reasons why the Golden Bear golf program is always one of the best in the state. He’s been golfing at the varisty level all through high school. Billy has also been involved in quiz bowl. Next year he plans to major in business at Des Moines Area Community College, and he would like a career as a landscaper. We wish Billy all the best in the future.

Thanks, John Richter. On our Golden Bear calendar this week, the boys golf team has a tournament at Algona today. Then tonight is Prom Night 2012. The Grand March is at 8pm, and the public is invited.

Tomorrow is Earth Day. Then Monday and Tuesday we’ll be playing dodgeball as part of our Live Healthy Iowa wellness initiative.

Tuesday night the boys track team runs at Emmetsburg while the girls will be at Forest City. We’ll have mass Wednesday morning. The golf teams play in the CYO meet that day—with the boys at Alton and the girls at Breda.

Thursday the track teams run at Armstrong. Then next Friday the golf teams face Humboldt, with the boys away and the girls at home.

Finally this week we want to note that next Wednesday is also National Secretaries Day. There are several women who work hard to keep our offices running smoothly: Janet Heupel and Sr. Janet Goetz in the main office; business manager Beth Byrkeland; and development staff Diane Elbert, Mary Ann Meister, Barb Grandgenett, and Mindy Laubenthal. A big salute and thank-you to all our office workers.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for this week. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to tune in again next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.