Saints SceneApril 2010 Vol 29 no. 8

NON-PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSAN DIEGO, CAPERMIT NO. 663

YOUR MONTHLY REPORT ON THE ST. AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

St. Augustine High School 3266 Nutmeg Street

San Diego, CA 92104-5199619-282-2184

www.sahs.org

Dear Parents and FriendsStriving to be Good Neighbors

St. Augustine High School respects and values its home, the historic North Park district in San Diego. We

strive to treat our friends and neighbors, the citizens of North Park, with respect in everything we do. Over the years we have worked to improve parking both for the members of the campus community and for the benefit of our neighbors. Years ago it might fairly be said

that parking was one of the most pressing concerns among our neighbors. Today, the situation has improved markedly due in large measure to our investments in new facilities and the related parking management program through which all members of the campus community, including all students who choose to drive to campus, are required to display parking placards in their cars. Although parking is much less an issue than it was just three years ago, there is still some room for improvement. Saints asks all parents and students to consider these parking guidelines in an effort to continue our pattern of responsiveness to neighborhood parking issues.• Do not block driveways of our neighbors.• Consider arranging a drop-off / pick-up location a few blocks from campus with your son to avoid the congestion on Palm and Nutmeg in the 15 minutes before and after school.• Organize carpools with neighboring students or members of your same team/activity in an effort to help us reduce traffic.• Always greet neighbors courteously and respond to their con-cerns politely. If you are a neighbor and have comments about parking or want to report an issue with a car displaying a Saints parking plac-ard, please contact us.

Yours in the Spirit of Catholic Education,

James HornePrincipal

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Principal James Horne

Mud, Sweat & Cheers—Saintsman Rugger Phil Ona (’10) powers his way through two Pt. Loma players in the Saints Rugby team’s official first league match. Willie Fleming (’10) trails behind. Saints won the match enroute to a 4-3 win/loss re-cord for its inaugural league season.See Page 8 for more on Saints Rugby.

Parents Helping ParentsContinuing the Commitment toOur Sons, Our Communities

By John Marin, APA President

Saints has been quietly educating young men in an out-of-the-way residential neighborhood of San Di-

ego for over eight decades. But no matter where you seem to go or who you meet, we continue to be amazed at how many people have had a son or relative attend Saints. The conversation always energizes when Saints is mentioned, the praise is universal and forever positive. No other schools are described in the same way. Saints edu-cates beyond the books, beyond athlet-ics, challenging our sons to look beyond themselves, to their greater role in God’s community. No other school offers such an education. And for over eight decades, behind every Saintsman, there has been the guid-

Continued on page 2.

April 2010 Calendar Highlights Event Name Date Time/placeEnd of 3rd Quarter April 1

Easter Vacation Begins – Good Friday April 2

School Resumes – 4th Quarter begins April 12

“Under The Tuscan Sun” Saints Big One Event April 17 Under the Big Tent/Campus

Campus Ministry Kairos Retreat for Students April 20-23 Palomar Christian Conference

Center

Report Card Night – Speaker Series April 21 7 pm / Gym

Seniors Mother & Son Luncheon April 25 12:30 pm / Marina Village

For a complete list of sports schedules and locations, visit the online calendar at SAHS.org .

Don’t Miss!

Under the Tusc

an Sun

Dinner/Aucti

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April 17

Two Cultures, One Community, 18 Golf Holes,

One Great Event

On Friday, June 25, 2010, St. Augus-tine High School will again hold its annual golf tournament, this time

with a twist: the tournament will take place at the Tijuana Country Club, or Club Campestre Tijuana. Saintsmen from as many as 50 Mexican families live in Tijuana and make the cross-border commute each day. Their families are helping to stage the tournament, demonstrat-ing the same binational commitment required to put their sons, nephews and grandsons through Saints. The tournament will accom-modate up to 144 players (36 foursomes) in 18 holes of scramble competition and will feature a raffle, shootouts and three meals.

How Often Do You Get to Play Golf in Another Country? The agenda for the all-day event is as follows: • 8:30 AM: Coach transportation from Saints for San Diego players • 9:30 AM: Arrival at Country Club, breakfast • 10:30 AM: Registration, driving range practice • Noon: First tee time. All players receive box lunches • 5:30-7:00 PM: Drinks, awards, raffle • 7:00-9:00 PM: Dinner and live auction • 9:00 PM: Return transportation to Saints, with expedited border crossing “This tournament will be a red letter day for the school,” notes Edwin Hearn, the president of St. Augustine High School. “Most cross-border efforts in this region come from leaders on both sides deciding to hold a joint event, but this is different. Several Saints families from Tijuana approached me, eager to host a big event in Baja, and they have jumped on the Annual Golf Tournament as a vehicle for supporting and enriching the school community with their culture. Just think about it: How often do you get to play golf in another country?” Tournament fees for foursomes are $1000, and individual rounds are $250. Fees include round-trip transportation, green fees, break-fast, box lunch, dinner, hosted bar, one raffle ticket and a gift bag of promotional items.

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On Saints CampusSaturday, April 17

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Tickets:858-449-1151 or858-228-7638

The Partyof the Year

In the Big Tent!Live and Silent Auctions,plus Dinner & Raffle.

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Augustine: A student,a Teacher, a Parent

Part EightMore of Augustine’s own reflections

on being a teacher

By Fr. Bob Gavotto, O.S.A., (’55)Saints Chaplain

A teacher is one:

Who Acts with Authority and Exercises Discipline Let us guard against any excess in the use of pun-ishment, and against any shortcoming in our readiness to pardon. Let us not punish

if it is not for the sake of improvement, and avoid all indulgence that may lead to worsening behavior. Let us consider as our family all those who have been put in our charge. Let us be at their service as if were embarrassed at having power over them, and use the power in such a way that we enjoy serving them. (Order, 2,8,25) When we decide to learn something, often what stimulates our enthusiasm is the authority and enthu-siasm of those who teach the subject. (The Trinity, 10,1) Carrying out a position of leadership doesn’t consist in being above, but being before. (Sermon 340,2)

Fr. Bob Gavotto OSA (’55)

Who Both Learns and Teaches As long as I am a good teacher, I will continue being a student. (Sermon 244,2) The love of knowledge and truth should invite us to continue learning. The love of others should compel us to teach. (Answers to the Eight Questions of Dulcitius, 3) Don’t hope to receive from me all the answers that you need. I am not a perfect teacher, but rather I continue learning new things every day in the very activity of teaching. (Letter 266,2,4)

Who Understands that Love is the Great Difference If we are bored by repeating the same things over and over again, especially if they have been adapted to chil-dren, let us join ourselves to our listeners with a brother’s, a sister’s, a father’s or a mother’s love so that united with them in heart, these things will seem as new to us as they do to them. (Catechesis of Beginners, 12,17) Consider yourself happy, not because you exercise authority over those for whom you are responsible, but rather because you have been given the opportunity of serving them with love. They are your brothers and sis-ters. (Rule, 7,3) Those are more likely to love the person in charge if they are aware of the genuine love that person has for them. (Catechesis of Beginners, 4,7)

Who promotes a Climate of Kindness and Under-standing Teach with happiness. Sadness darkens the atmo-sphere and it withers our words. (Catechesis of Begin-ners, 10,14) It is relatively easy to list what needs to be taught. What requires the greatest consideration is the means by

which it is taught, so that teachers enjoy their work when they teach. The better they succeed in this, the more attractive they will be. (Catechesis of Begin-ners, 2,4) If teachers who speak wisely also wish to teach eloquently, they should so mange their approach that they are listened to with understanding, with pleasure and with assent. (Christian Teaching, 4,26,56)

Who Give Good Example: the Best Lesson Teachers offer themselves for imitation. In many cases this is what we mean by teaching. (Music, 1,6) The good behavior of those who exercise author-ity is the best and most effective confirmation of the truths that they teach. (Order, 2,27) Although the way of saying things has great importance, the teacher’s own life is the most decisive factor affecting the receptivity of the audience. There is never a shortage of those who, in order to justify their own shortcomings, find an excuse in the faults of their teachers, saying in their hearts if not even to the faces, “Why don’t you practice what you preach, if it is as good as you proclaim?” Distracted this way and rejecting the teacher, they end up rejecting the teach-ings. (Christian Teaching, 4,27,60)

[Editor’s Note: These excerpts are from Education, An Augustinian Approach, pages 37-41.]

Next time Augustine as a parent.

St. Augustine, pray for us!

Tuition Grant ApplicationsClose April 9

Attention Parents: The deadline for submitting applications for 2010-11 tuition assistance is April 9. Any family wishing to be considered

for a grant must complete both the Private School Aid Services (PSAS) form and the St. Augustine Supple-mental Form. New forms must be submitted even if a family received a grant in 2009-10. The PSAS Form and required documentation

Golf and CommunityContinued from page 1

A U G U S T I N I A N H E R I T A G E

Scenic Locale – St. Augustine High School’s Fourth Annual Golf Tournament goes International to be played June 25 at the beautiful Tijuana Country Club.

Announced sponsors so far include Agua Caliente Racetrack, Honda, Nextel and Grupo Farmaceútico de Tijuana.

A Reflection of the Region “Our first big binational event is going to be another answer to the question, ‘Why should I send my son to Saints?’” continues Mr. Hearn. “A cross-border culture is evolving between San Diego and Tijuana. This is reflected in the school: in our student population, in our school families and extended families, and now in our high-profile events. It’s an exciting time for the region and it’s an exciting time for Saints, so I invite golfers from both San Diego and Tijuana to join us for the tour-nament.” “This is the fourth time we’ve put on this event,” adds Pancho Marty, tournament committee co-chair-man, “and holding it in Tijuana is icing on the cake. My co-chair, Roberto Encinas, is one of 10 Saints dads from both sides of the border working on this tournament, and Mario Fajardo is a past chairman of the board for the Tijuana Country Club, so the combination of the golf course and the school is perfect.” For more information, contact Casey Callery, As-sociate Director of Advancement, St. Augustine High School, ccallery@sahs.org, 619-282-2184 ext 5541. For details on the Tijuana Country Club (el Club Campestre Tijuana), visit www.tijuanacountryclub.com.

Editor’s Note: This spring there are two important golf tournaments supporting the school. In addition to the Baja Tournament being held June 25; the 25th Annual Alumni Golf Tournament will be held on May 14. For details see “Save the Date for Saints Alum Golf Classic” announcement in this edition of Saints Scene.

must be mailed and postmarked before April 9. The Supplemental Form is returned to the school’s main office in Vasey Hall. The office will be closed April 2, 5, and 6 for Easter break and will be open from 8:00 to 1:30 April 7-9. Both forms are available at the main office or on the school website.

It’s Easy To Contributeto St. Augustine!

Now that your son is a proud Saintsman, please consider adding St. Augustine to an existing eScrip account that you had established at his previous school!

eScrip allows you to target contributions to up to three organizations. The amount of your contribution will be divided equally amongst the organizations you choose. It’s easy to add St. Augustine to your existing account!

■ Go to www.escrip.com

■ Click on “my escrip”

■ Login with your existing username and password. If you don’t remember your pass-word, it will guide you through a process to remind you.

■ Click on “change my group selection” Add or delete any groups you would like (up to 3 groups are allowed).

■ Saints’ group ID is #137716597

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Year in ReviewUpdating ASB Student Activities to Date

By Reilly Marin (’11)Commissioner of Community Relations

Associated Student Body

The St. Augustine High School Associated Student Body has made some remarkable

steps forward during this 2009-2010 school year. During the first semes-ter, dances, pep rallies, barbecues, and Freshman Welcome Week all filled the calendar with excitement.

We kicked off the school year with the Back to School Dance, which was a great op-portunity for the new freshmen to meet girls from OLP. We continued into the Fall Sports Pep Rally and ASB Barbecue for the entire student body. Soon it was time for Freshman Welcome Week, and the ASB planned every day’s events. These included dance contests, chariot races, and a day off from classes, when seniors and freshman had a nonstop day of activities. In October, the ASB organized the Freshman Dance Lessons with OLP as well as the biggest event of the semester, Homecoming. Planned by the Junior Class Of-ficers, the Homecoming Dance had nearly one thousand attendees, and was held at SeaWorld. The Juniors also co-ordinated a video to be made of the Homecoming Queen candidates, and it was shown at the Homecoming Rally. The Sophomore Class Officers organized a Father-Son Breakfast during the month of October that went very well. Elected in November, the Freshman Class Officers were in charge of a barbecue and helped greatly during the November Turkey Trot. Our Saints ASB also has a new logo, designed by Senior Anthony Riel. We wear it on our new sweatshirts and windbreak-ers, making the members of ASB very visible around

campus. This year, the Executive Council of ASB has met with the executives from OLP’s Associated Student Body once a month to discuss activities for both of our schools. By actively working with OLP, we have been able to plan many more events for the student bodies of Saints and Our Lady of Peace. The Saints ASB has had a great first semester, and, coming back from Intercession, we are looking forward to a great spring semester. Some great events are already in the making, such as a Saints Grand Prix of go-kart racing, a Junior Boat Dance, the Hypnotist Show, Spring Sports Pep Rally, Prom, and Sober Grad Night. We have also made big improvements in our announcements and are beginning to record weekly video announcements. As we move forward as an Associated Student Body, we strive to satisfy all the needs of the Saints student body and community. If there is anything that we can do to improve our events here at St. Augustine High School, please contact us. We meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7 a.m. in room 105. Our ASB moderator, Mr. Gregory Hecht, can be reached at (619) 282-2184 ext 5544.

...Road TogetherSummertime Do’s:

Long-TermAdvantages

Of Summer ClassesBy Edwin Hearn, PresidentSt. Augustine High School

When our country was in its infancy, the Founding Fathers knew an educated

citizenry was the critical factor in the ultimate success of this noble ex-periment of governance. A system of public, private and parochial schools

slowly took shape. At that time, the United States was a land of yeoman farmers; the harvest required a huge labor force and children were a key factor in that. For this reason, schools were in session from early fall to late spring, allowing them to help their families. Today, most American school schedules are still based on the agrarian economy of the past. Despite the industrialization and urbanization of our society, American students attend school from September to June an average of 180 classes a year. This is much less than most students in other countries of the world, so it comes as no surprise that foreign students outperform their American counterparts on standardized exams in math and science. In Japan, students must attend school 240 days a year and are typically world-class perform-ers on these exams. While summer can be a time for vacation, it can also be an opportunity for students to remediate an academic problem or to take an enrichment course in an area of interest. Research has demonstrated that students who are inactive during the summer tend to lose skills and have trouble recalling some of the previous year’s les-sons. Many students use the summer to take a difficult class and get it out of the way. Concentrating on only one class often allows them achieve a higher grade. For those heavily involved in athletics or co-curricular ac-tivities, a difficult class taken during the summer allows for a less stressful class load during the regular year. Colleges are looking for students to be involved in productive pursuits during the summer. The summer break is an excellent chance for students to explore the world and discover their strengths and weaknesses. Internships, jobs, camps, travel and community service are all opportunities to grow in both intellect and matu-rity. While it is just April, and summer seem a long way off, it is really just around the corner. This is the perfect time to sit down with your sons and create a plan to use this summer well. Providing a well-planned experience will enrich your son and ready him for the next academic year.

Edwin J. Hearn, Jr.

Reilly Marin (’11)

SAVE THE DATE For Saints Alum

Golf Classic

Entries for the 25th Annual Alumni Golf Classic are now available and can be obtained by contacting the Alumni Office (619-282-2184 ext 5539) or from the Alumni link on Saints web site (www.sahs.org). This year’s event will be held May 14 at Cotton-wood’s Ivanhoe course in Rancho San Diego. Tee time is 12:30 pm. “Play is not limited to just alumni and teams can form their own foursomes which makes for a great day of fun with friends, business associates, and fellow alums,” says Event Chair Ed Querin (’85). To mark the 25th anniversary occasion, the Alumni Association has reduced this year’s entry fee by $25 per person. The entry fee includes shared cart, green fees, tee gift package, refreshments on the course, and a dinner following play. The deadline for submit-ting entry forms is May 3. For further Golf Classic in-formation and sponsorship opportunities contact Ed Querin at edquerin@sbcglobal.net

Save time,Subscribe to E-Saints!

To receive the Saints e-Scene to your inbox or subscribe to other lists, please just go to the home page, sahs.org to register. Saints will deliver important information, including Saints Scene and Saints Alive!, right to your email.

Around the Patio

School AnnouncesAustin Exam Participants

St. Augustine High School is pleased to an-nounce this year’s Austin Exam participants. The “Austins” are rigorous oral examina-

tions in the fields of English, mathematics, reli-gion, science, and social studies given to selected seniors. The senior with the highest weighted cumu-lative grade point average (with P.E. excluded) automatically is invited to sit for the Austins. The remaining students, normally five, are selected by the Academic Council from the top 10 percent of the graduating class. Criteria in making the final selection include, but are not restricted to, mem-bership in CSF for at least three semesters, number of honors or Advanced Placement courses, grade

point average, and recommendation from the Aca-demic Council. The Austin Exam is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14, 2010. This year’s participants are Jose Acosta, Scott Briggs, C J Curtis, Cody Oei, and Bryce Persichetti. These students will graduate as Austin Scholars, and depending on their performance dur-ing these exams, they will graduate as either “summa cum laude,” “magna cum laude,” or “cum laude.” We applaud these young men for reaching this honor and wish them good luck on this exam.

—By Mr. Tom Cudal, Saints Assistant Principal for Academics

Wholly Mackerel – Saintsmen (Left to right): Juan Arce (’11); Glen MacDonald (’12); and Will DeCino (’10) are creating a fish print in Art Teacher Mickey Carson’s class. They’re ap-plying paint to a recycled seafood market fish so as to print it onto paper; then to transfer it onto a surf board for an authentic ocean design.

Gift Gathering Party– Fr. Bob Gavotto, OSA, (’55) chats with Sandy and Lawrence Manzer (’53) at the recent gift gathering party held at the beautiful home of Saints Com-munity members Dave and Cathy Smith. The La Mesa party was one of four held this year to help support the Saints Din-ner Auction on April 17.

Mosaic Cross – Juan Arce (’11) (left) and Will DeCino (’10) combined their art class skills to create a large mosaic cross for the annual dinner/auction fundraiser slated for April 17 here on campus. Saints Moms Julie Riley and Peggy DeCino assisted.

Face Looks – Drawing the human face is a tough assignment for beginning artists, but judging from the art work that recently galleried in the main office lobby, our Saintsmen have a knack for this artwork.

Top Scholar – Christopher “C.J.” Curtis (’10) is the school’s lone National Merit Finalist. In his four years at Saints he was a regular on the Principal’s honor list and al-ways gives his best in academic pursuits. His recognition as a National Merit Finalist is just one more example of his drive to become a distinguished scholar.

Boyz Makin’ Noyz—Last month, Saints Varsity Football team showed its support for the playoff-bound Pilots Varsity Bas-ketball team from Academy of Our Lady of Peace.

Scott Briggs Juan Acosta Bryce Persichetti C.J. Curtis Cody Oei

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PLANNING AHEADMay 7 “MORP” Dance

May 13 Disneyland Grad Night

May 15 Senior Prom

May 24 Senior Retreat Day

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Easter Break

Off April 2 Hop Back April 12

Around the Patio

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Saints Family ProducesFour Eagle Scouts

Plus, two Eagle Scout Grandfathers

Saints Scene doesn’t believe there is another school in the nation that has such a long waiting list to have news published about Saintsmen becoming

Eagle Scouts. Saints Parents Maureen and Bob Marks had to wait most of the year to read the news that their youngest son, Daniel Marks (’10), who earlier in the year attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Normally, that’s news enough. Not in this clan.In addition, with four brothers who have become Eagle Scouts, the Marks Family from St. Brigid’s Parish in Pacific Beach may have the biggest nest of Eagles any-where. Three of the brothers are Saintsmen: Michael (’97) Andrew (’99) and Daniel this June. Older brother Christopher graduated from Grossmont High in 1994 and has served two tours of duty in Iraq in the U.S. Army.That’s just in one generation. The Marks men are fol-lowing a Eagle Scout tradition. Both grandfathers were Eagle Scouts and Marks sister Ellen (OLP-’05) earned a Girl Scout Silver Award. Mrs. Marks’ father, Reamer Argo, won a national Boy Scout Medal of Honor for sav-ing a drowning man. “Scouting was a wonderful experience for our boys,” says Mrs. Marks. “They learned how to enjoy and appreciate the outdoors, and they acquired leader-ship skills. Daniel admired his brothers growing up. The boys worked on one another’s Eagle projects, so it be-came a family affair. The older boys were in the troop at Our Lady of Grace in El Cajon. They had a great troop and I think that is what kept them interested and enjoy-ing Scouts.”Saints faculty member, Mr. Brendon Johnston was a member, and Eagle, from this troop. Daniel’s required community project involved the

yard at the Children’s School in La Jolla. Many volun-teered to support him in the effort. He landscaped the preschool play area. This included removing and pouring concrete, planting trees and shrubs, and building a play structure. The school was very pleased with the contribu-tion, says Mrs. Marks. “Saints and the Scouting programs both develop leadership and promote service to the com-munity,” she adds, “Combine Scouts and Saintsand our sons are ready for life!” Now, somebody please notify the Guinness Book of Records.

Finished Project – Children’s School in La Jolla has new landscaping to read in the play area for primary grades.

Deluxe in Tux – Members from the brass & percus-sion section of the Saints Symphonic Band perform at a recent Music Festival held at SDSU.

The St. Augustine High School music program spans well beyond our campus. The March-ing Band you see at football games breaks into smaller bands that perform at concerts, commu-nity events, basketball games, and high school competitions throughout Southern California. This year, the Jazz band is a 19-piece Big Band that will perform for you at the April 17th Fund-raiser, The Big One, Under The Tuscan Sun. Other musical groups include the percus-sion powerhouse, Saints Drum Line, and the 60 member Symphonic band, which now is joined by 5 students from OLP. Music Director, Brandon Jagow, and Saints musicians are in-volved in over 60 performances throughout the year, and is currently creating a list of students interested in participating during the 2010-2011 School year, especially incoming freshman and soon to be sophomores. For more information, email bjagow@sahs.org

Marks Men – [Left to Right]: Christopher Marks (Grossmont High ’94); Daniel Marks, Saints (’10); Michael Marks, Saints (97) and Andrew Marks, Saints (’97).

Group Effort – Senior Saintsman and new Eagle Scout Dan-iel Mark’s required community project involved the yard at the Children’s School in La Jolla. Many helped out, includ-ing (Left to right): Daniel Marks; Luke Vickrey; James Wiggle; Matt Gray; [Back to camera]: Robert Marks, dad to Daniel; [Partially hidden:] Kyle Gudstadt and in a hat and sunglasses is Scoutmaster Clark Smith.

Have you LeftSaints a Gift in Your

Will or Trust?If not, a simple codicil or amendment to your estate plan can benefit future Saintsmen through our endowment fund. When naming the school as beneficiary, please direct your attorney to use the legal name of the school: St. Augustine’s School of San Diego. If you would like further information, please contact Mr. Ed Hearn at (619) 764-5517.

All Star Cast—The Saints Players turned in a series of superb performances in last month’s spoof, “Three Murders and It’s Only Monday.” Venue was the Coronado School of the Arts. Kudos to Saints and OLP talent, faculty, staff and parents for proving once again Saints is the best in theatre arts and musical productions. [Top row, left to right]: Jeff Benton (‘13), Cole Neal (‘11), Cole Rougas (‘13), Bryan Cullen (‘10), Andrew Leyva (‘13), Kevin Smalls (‘10), Ajejandro Ibaibarriaga (‘13) in captain’s hat; Nick Hessling (‘13), Donovan Theseira (’11), Nick Klotz (’10), Robert Estrella (’11), Jacob Whispell (’11), Paul Williams (’11) in

From The Band Room

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white tux. [Middle row beginning with nurse]: Claire Sparr, Miranda Hart in hat/white gloves, Hannah Gradijanwahl, Victoire Marque, Brooke Rubino, Kevin Guico (’10), Sebastian Alberdi (’13), Mr. Ned “Sir” Wilson (’58), Tanner Safir (’12), Nadia Lopez and unidentified OLP crew member. [Seated on Sofa, L-R): Young lady in evening gown Julia Dendle, Irish Giron (’12), Me-gan Callery, Kenny Gouin (’10) and cowboy Austin Schmid (’13).

PLANNING AHEADMay 7 “MORP” Dance

May 13 Disneyland Grad Night

May 15 Senior Prom

May 24 Senior Retreat Day

Prayer For MySaintsman Son

Loving Father, Please guide my son to always do Your will; allow him to see what is really important, and remind him how much I love him. Send good and wholesome friends into his life, keep him safe, bless him with good health, and give him the courage to do the right thing when difficult or tempting choices cross his path. Make my son strong in character, rich in sym-pathy, and generous in spirit. Bless him with a gentle nature, and a kind heart. Let him become a man committed to the Gospel of Your Son Jesus. Grant him a lasting faith, and lead him to a profound love for You, his family, and himself.

Amen. Prayer by Rev. John R. Sanders, OSA (’66).

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ing hand of a parent, introducing and encouraging them to consider a Saints education. As parents, we believe in the school’s mission and the leadership of our Augustin-ians. Parents seek out Saints for the formation of their boys from all walks of life, from all across the county and into Baja. Those parents who can least afford a private education to those who generously give to assist those who cannot. It has created a student body that reflects our entire region, giving our sons the opportunity to develop meaningful and lifelong friendships. For more than two years, almost 25 percent of the Austin Parent Association’s fund raising monies have been dedicated to tuition assistance and scholarships to help parents in need. As we approach the APA’s 32nd annual fund raising event on Saturday, April 17th, re-member that your gifts, your participation and your con-tributions go far beyond the immediate financial needs of the school. We are parents helping other parents in God’s community, a positive and energizing goal. We look forward to seeing you at the Dinner Auction.

Parents Helping ParentsContinued from page 1

It’s 6:30 in the morning. Where are you? While most students are just waking up, many students are in Room 220 getting needed help on their

homework or being tutored on a subject few under-stand, math. Beginning as an idea by principal James Horne and teacher Tom Isaak, morning math tutoring has been a helping hand on campus for six years. “It’s open five days a week and officially starts at seven, but I get here at 6:30, so many students decide to come even earlier,” explains Isaak, the teacher overlooking the morning tutoring. With a total of 45 different math tutors, these morning math sessions cover any level of math rang-ing from pre-algebra to pre-calculus. Accompanied with the satisfaction of helping their fellow students, tutors also receive service hours for their help. “Stu-dents are literally helping other students. If the tutors can’t figure out a problem, I can of course help, but for the most part the students are able to work together to find the answer,” explains Isaak. All students, fresh-man to seniors, are accepted. “I’ve been taking ad-vantage of this program off and on for my entire high school career.” says senior Mark Gracyk. “It’s an easy way to get the help I need on the homework from the night before or just to study for a future test.”

Don’t be afraid. Math tutoring isn’t a place for failures and rejects. It’s a safe haven for students of any caliber. It’s a place with no prejudice where stu-

Students Helping StudentsEarlybird math tutoring sessions a hit

By Adam Johnson (’10)

dents can get the help they need without the fear of embarrassment that one may feel in a normal class setting. “People are either in the same boat you are or there to help you,” says Gracyk. “Either way, we always come up with the right answer.” For the past six years, this program has been coming up with the right answers. It has helped countless students and will continue to thrive. The next time you need help with math, where will you be?

Math Mentors – If your son needs an extra boost with Math there is a mentoring program available on campus at no cost that’s put on by Saints faculty under the leader-ship of Mr. Tom Isaak, which utilizes several volunteer student mentors. This peer-to-peer mentoring is proving to be a highly successful opportunity to help math skills for many Saintsmen. More info: tisaak@sahs.org

Jerry DowneyHead Coach, Trackand Field

More Athletes Than Ever– Track and Field

One in four Saintsmen is going out for track and field this year.

“Big numbers – that’s the story this season,” observes Coach Jerry Downey. “We started with 191 boys across all four grades out here, which is the most we’ve ever had in the 28 years I’ve been coaching track at

Saints. “The freshmen always come

out in really big numbers, and we have about 50 of them this season. But the surprise this year has been that 50

By John White, Parent (’11 and ’13)

seniors – almost half the members of the class – have come out. Normally, that figure is between 20 and 25. Many of them have just told themselves, ‘I can do this,’ so they decide they’re going to buckle down and do the work it takes. I think they have that Olympic motto in mind, ‘Higher, faster, stronger.’ That’s good, because they seem to know what they’re in for. Track is a matter of strength and speed.” Coach Downey looks forward to a good year in the field events, particularly shot-put and discus throw. Thomas Hart (’10) placed ninth in California last year in discus and is currently the top-rated high school athlete in the state in discus. He has recently begun putting shot as well, hitting 48 feet with little training. A 50-foot throw is enviable in high school circles, and Hart is knocking on that door. Other standouts in the field events include Kevin Pinciotti (’11) and Eddie Medrano (’12). Among the sprinters, Johnny Jackson (‘11), Ricardo Azcarraga (’10) and Nick Gonsalves (’12) are this year’s standouts, with Jackson and Gonsalves strong jumpers as well. In the long distance events, most of the cross country team is competing, with a strong group of ju-niors this year. This early in the season there is always attrition. “Of course, not all of the kids will stick with it because – face it – these events are really hard work, and some kids’ bodies are better suited to other sports,” continues Coach Downey. “Some of the boys will find that out and leave, but I don’t begrudge them the fact that they gave it a shot. It’s important to me that they at least try something new, and if they’re willing to stick with it and let the coaches and me help them do their best, I’m glad to have them stay on. There’s also the fact that partici-pation in a sport like track looks good to a prospective college, so when a student wakes up to that and comes out willing to do the work, it’s a win for everybody: the team, the boy and the college.” Track and field also appeals to the independent streak in most students because, other than relays, each athlete competes on his own. Coach Downey’s long years of experience have shown him that good students

Top Rated in the State—Tom Hart (’10) is among the promis-ing Saints track & field athletes competing for the school this season.

in particular gravitate to the track and field, with its mix of bonding with teammates on one hand and competing as an independent athlete on the other. “Our field is beautiful this year,” Coach notes. “because we laid new turf over the Christmas break. The track itself is in bad shape, and it’s only 340 meters, which is why we never hold meets here. We usually host our home meets at San Diego High School instead of here on campus, but their track is under construction until May, so all of our home meets this season will take place at the schools against which we’re competing: Scripps Ranch, Mission Bay, La Jolla. Of course, San Diego High has better seating for the spectators than any place else in town, and once their track is finished, I think it will be the best one in the city. We’re looking forward to that, but not this year, unfortunately.” Parents willing to help, take note: Track meets require a lot of work, and the team welcomes volunteers to help with logistics on the field. An even more impor-tant job is to keep an eye on duffel bags and belong-ings, which are vulnerable during meets. The coaches recommend that athletes leave their gear near the Saints spectators for safe keeping, so if you’re attending a track meet, offer to adopt a bag and ease a Saintsman’s mind. You can do your part to help him go higher, faster and stronger.

Baseball CampThis Summer

Saints annual Baseball Camp will be held July 12-16 for youngsters 7-14 years of age. It is designed for a wide range of skill levels. Cost is $250 per and is available on a first come basis. Camp will be held at Hickman Field in Kearny Mesa. Contact & mailing info: Saints Baseball c/o Craig da Luz, 3266 Nutmeg St., San Diego CA 92104. Email: cdaluz2@sahs.org Phone: 619/282-2184 ext. 5525

7

If you spend all of your time on the volleyball court stand-ing up, you’re probably not

playing for Saints. This year’s varsity players get horizontal a lot, diving and digging, finding out how the wood tastes. At a recent practice in Dough-erty Gym, Coach Gregory Hecht was as relentless as ever, launch-ing serve after serve into play from the back line and ham-

mering the varsity team into shape. His voice rings out through the gym over all the ball-pounding: “C’mon, guys, we can do better!” “You’re too good to be doing that over and over. Let’s go, everybody – five laps.” “Don’t make me say it again! You gotta want it more than Scripps Ranch does, or you know what’s going to happen.” “That’s what I want to see. Way to finish tight!” “Everybody get water. Hydration. Good job, you guys.”

Dig, Set, Spike Nine players from last season’s varsity team gradu-ated in June, so Coach Hecht is rebuilding this year with a crop of aggressive, young players, many of whom par-ticipate in club teams as well. Their defensive skills are especially strong, which makes for exciting volleyball. “I’m grateful for the students’ attitude,” says Coach Hecht. “It’s healthy and positive, and I’m really looking forward to watching the team grow this season. Spencer Castillo, our starting center, and Austin Oriol are sopho-mores I’ve brought up to varsity, and the rest of the team is an almost even mix of juniors and seniors.” Last year was Coach Hecht’s first season at Saints. He played volleyball at Los Alamitos High School and ob-tained his coaching certification from UC Santa Barbara, then ran the program at Marian High School from 1993 to

1995. Returning to Santa Barbara, he was campus minis-ter, vice-principal and volleyball coach at Bishop García Diego High School, then returned to San Diego and his current position at Saints in 2008. In large part, his job is to build more interest in the school’s volleyball teams, and his tenure had an auspicious start last year when the team made it to CIF finals.

“Dripping Adrenaline” Volleyball is one of several sports and activities com-peting for attention during the spring, so there is little op-portunity for pre-season tryouts and practices before the time comes to take the court against other teams. Coach Hecht emphasizes both the fire in the belly that he sees in this year’s players and the commitment of their parents to the ramp-up of the sport. “We’re in a growth phase on all three teams – varsity, junior varsity and freshman – and that’s a big thrill for all of us. I’m particularly proud of the freshman squad and really want to see that part of the program get off the ground, because that’s how we can develop the bench-depth we need over time. “This isn’t about batting a ball around a grammar school playground anymore, and the boys realize it. The volleyball program at Saints produces great young men and gets these players to grow as individuals and stay true to the school’s mission statement.” Junior Varsity Coach Aaron French has gotten the re-ligion as well. He works at Serra High School as a special education assistant, but claims that his heart is in Saints volleyball. “I didn’t go to Saints,” he explains, “but I re-ally love volleyball. The program here beats anything I’m seeing in nearby public schools, so I jumped at the chance to coach here. “We’re getting good attendance for home games, and it’s not only parents in the stands, but also teachers, sib-lings and friends. These players are just dripping adrena-line, and when you watch the way they bounce off of one another, catapult themselves across the court, and high-five one another over a good spike, you see the energy

that’s pulling fans in here to find out how exciting and fun a Saints volleyball game can be.” Coach French is right. At a recent home game against Scripps Ranch, Principal Ed Hearn was enjoying the game with friends in the Saints Skybox (top row behind the scorekeeping table). “Who knew volleyball is this much fun to watch?” he said. “These games are terrific.”

Fans Wanted – Bring Noise The big change in this year’s volleyball program is in the freshman squad, whose new coach is Chris Top-ping. Chris has personally contacted coaches and athletic directors at a number of high schools to get Saints onto their playing schedules. As a result, he has quadrupled the number of games the freshmen will play – from four to 17 – and signed the team up for tournaments at Steele Canyon and La Jolla. “This freshman program is in its infancy,” notes Coach Topping. “Except for one player, everybody on the team has played one year or less, so it’s a new expe-rience for everybody, including me. I played volleyball the whole time I was at Saints, then graduated last year. We’re starting from the ground up in a lot of ways, so we constantly practice fundamentals: passing, setting, hitting, rotating. With so many more games on the sched-ule, everybody is going to have plenty of opportunities to improve.” Coach Topping has another goal: more fans. “I re-ally want the program to attract enough notice among students and parents so that our games aren’t so quiet,” he continues. “I think we should be able to build a good home crowd. I mean, with only four games last year, we didn’t give our fans many chances to cheer, but this year, the freshman volleyball game is on!” Volleyball fans and future fans: All three coaches have great games in store for you, and they strongly en-courage the entire Saints community to watch the Saints calendar and go see a game this year. Just watch out for the dripping adrenaline. It’s infec-tious.

V O L L E Y B A L L

But Really – How’s Our Wood Taste? Volleyball 2010By John White, Parent (’11 and ’13)

Volleyball CoachGregory Hecht

Block Party – Patricio Healy (’10), left and Matt Ryan (’11).

The Set – Saints vs. Canyon Crest (L-R): Geoff Supplee (’11); Matt Ryan (’11) and Spencer Castillo (’12).

The Win!— Saints top Canyon Crest High 3-2 (best of 5). That’s #27 Reilly Marin (’11) leading the victory shouts. Visible (L-R) are #16 Brandon Macheck (’11); Spencer Castillo (’12); Grant McNamara (’10); Matt Ryan (’11); Matt Pekin (’10) and far right is Andy Kondon (’10).

Tasting Wood – Senior Robbie Cantonwine hits the floor to keep the ball in play and secure a sideout for Saints. Saints seniors in back-ground are Matt Asaro, left and Chris Guarin.

Spike – Patricio Healy (’10) soars over the net for a perfectly executed point.

The Team— Saints Varsity Volleyball is coached by Gregory Hecht, pictured in the team huddle. Visible (L-R) are Spencer Castillo (’12); Andy Kondon (’10); #5 Matt Rush (’11); #8 Kevin Dixon (’11); Matt Ryan (’11) and #2 Robbie Cantonwine (’10).

All photos by Thom Vollenweider unless otherwise designated.

Photo by John White

Publisher: Edwin J. Hearn, Jr. Saints President Editor-in-Chief: James Horne Saints Principal Senior Editor: Steve Chipp (’68), Alumni DirectorManaging Editor: Thomas Shess, Alum Parent (’05)Thomas.Shess@gmail.comArt Director: Carol SherwoodChief Photographer: Ernie Torgeson, Alum Parent (’08)Circulation Director: Casey Callery, Associate Director of AdvancementAustin Parents Assn. Editor: Annette FlemingContributing Writers: John White, Steve Chipp and John MarinEditor Emeritus: John D. Keller O.S.A. (’55)

Correction PolicyWhile every effort is made to be accurate, we occasionally err. We do apologize to those impacted and kindly ask that you notify the Managing Editor so we may choose to publish corrections or amplifications in future issues.

Saints Scene Your monthly reporton the St. Augustine

High School Experience

Mud, Sweat and CheersPretty much sums up Saints

outstanding first Rugby seasonBy Annette Fleming (Parent ’10).

The St. Augustine Rugby Football Club had its inaugural season this past winter sport season. The team had 65 members who competed against other high school age clubs in San Diego county. The number of students who participated allowed the club to offer a

JV and Varsity team. This meant the players had a chance to play a lot of rugby in intersquad games or versus the other teams’ B side teams. The first game was the Mud Bowl versus Pt. Loma. It was a memorable game because it was the team’s first game played as Saintsmen and it was played on a very wet field. The Saints were victorious that day and went on the win victories over Serra and Los Alamitos. The Saints played some more established programs and played well. The Saints final record was 4-3. The team had an exceptional first year and is gearing up for next season. The club is go-ing to provide more opportunities to get involved over the spring and summer. Anyone who is interested in Saints Rugby or getting involved with the program should contact Eric Dent at edent@sahs.org.

Muddy Good Time—Top photo would make a great commercial for a heavy-duty brand of detergent. It’s a classic reminder of Saints first-ever Varsity and Junior Varsity rugby seasons. In its first league game, the Saints Varsity side outmuddied Pt. Loma High’s rugby squad. The victory brought postgame smiles and high-fives all around for Coach Eric Dent’s Varsity (in pure mud) and JV (clean shirts) squads.

True Grit—Saints rugby player Nick Church (’11) in first-year vic-torious rugby action against Pt. Loma High.

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