westnotesA Publication for Alumnae,

Alumni and Friends of West Catholic

Fall 2012

BURRs At tHe BeACH 25tH AnnIVeRsARYOn Sunday July 8, 2012 the annual Burrs at the Beach all class reunion was held at Westy’s Pub in North Wildwood.

This event that started in Sea Isle City 25 years ago

continues to enjoy great success! Despite this Summer’s

extreme heat more than 1,000 alums and friends enjoyed a

great day at the newly renovated Westy’s Pub. A big THANK

YOU to all that came out and especially to Tom Dorrian ’61

and George Light ‘58 and their committee members for

working through the year to organize this wonderful

event. Over $20,000 was raised from this event and is

restricted to be used as tuition assistance for our

qualified and deserving students.

PlAns ARe AlReAdY UndeRwAY foR next YeARs BURRs At tHe BeACH, to Be Held sUndAY JUlY 7, 2013.

RememBeR to mARk YoUR CAlendARs.

The Foundation is

committed to further the

cause of Catholic education

and to help schools with

specific development and

enrollment goals.

The school’s identities,

missions and curricula

will still be overseen

by the Office of Catholic

Education. The initial

contract will run 5 years

with subsequent agreements

to run for 3 years.

The impact of this

initiative is very positive

for the longevity and

sustainability all Catholic

schools, specifically West

Catholic. For questions on

the implications to West

Catholic, contact Paul

Colistra, Vice President

for Advancement at

215-384-2266 x230 or

pcolistra@westcatholic.org.

fAItH In tHe fUtURe

Official Magazine of the West Catholic Community

on tuesday August 21, 2012 Archbishop Charles J. Chaput

announced that the faith in the future foundation,

headed by former Cigna chief executive H. edward Hanway

will on september 1, 2012 begin to manage the

17 high schools and 4 special education schools.

deAR AlUms And fRIends,

For many I am a familiar face, having served at West Boys (1973 – 1979) and at the merged schools (1999 – 2005). For some others I am new to the community. No matter how you know me, know that I am delighted to be back at West Catholic and to assume this leadership role among you. My dreams for West continue to be big. I am not blind to the needs for enrollment growth and fiscal accountability. The challenges are great and demand of each of our loyal Alums a commitment for the next several years. First among my priorities is to reacquaint with you and keep you informed of happenings here on campus and in the local community. My next highest priority is to grow our enrollment by developing our curric-ular offerings and technology. Already you should know that West Catholic has established several partnerships with key universi-ties and cultural institutions. As these develop I will be happy to unfold them for you. I am delighted to announce that Saint Charles Seminary has partnered with West in sharing athletic fields for our teams to call a HOME and develop. It is my hope that these teams will develop in both skills and numbers.

I am delighted to work with Mr. Paul Colistra and Mr. George Light in advancing the school through association with our Alums and Friends. You will be hearing more from both of them about new initiatives to market the school and grow enrollment. I am certain you will take pride in what will be produced from our Advancement Office. In this regard I need you to support all efforts of the school to take responsibility for its direction. Your generous support of our Annual Fund and events can only guarantee the school you say you

love. This year’s fund raising efforts will set a goal of 1.3MM. Ambitious but doable based on past achievements. This time it will take ALL of us to be successful. Can I count on you?

Over the summer, a new Board took responsibility for our future. Our school’s Board is chaired by Mr. Al Gabriele and 17 new Board Members. I will share more about the Board in future notes. Know that I am excited to be part of this beginning. Unlike previous groups our new Board will be one of “limited jurisdiction” with members serving terms limited to six years. At the same time, the school will be accountable to both the Faith in the Future Foundation and the Office of Catholic Education.

Whenever you are in the community, please simply ring our doorbell and stop by for a visit. West is for many a second home and we look forward to welcoming you to the FAMILY.

Looking forward to meeting you,

BRotHeR RICHARd kestleR, fsC President

POSITIVE CHANGE IS UPON US AND WE’rE ExCITED TO SHArE THE NEWS WITH ALL OF YOU! AS THE NEW VICE PrESIDENT FOr INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO INTrO-DUCE MYSELF AND SHArE WHAT WE’VE BEEN WOrKING ON THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

This summer, I took the opportunity to come to West Catholic not only because of the inspirational mission of the school, but also because we are in the midst of positive change within our nation’s educational systems and I believe West Catholic is amongst the leaders of this movement within the Philadel-phia landscape.

HeRe ARe some PRoJeCts YoU sHoUld Be AwARe of:

• Re-BrandingInitiative(seeinsidearticle)

• BuildingPartnershipswithPenn, Drexel, PlayOn Philly!, Google

•BuildingNewWebsite www.westcatholic.org

•PhysicalImprovements to Campus

• AdvertisingCampaigns

Of course, the primary goal of this office is fundraising. It’s is your support of the Invest in West appeal which allows us to attract and maintain the best and brightest through offering financial aid and scholarships. In the best of years, you have contributed over $1,000,000 in support of West Catholic!

We understand and appreciate that many of you may be hesitant to Invest in West because of perceived uncertainty of our future. If that’s the case, we ask that you continue to allow us the opportunity to prove to you through action that we are aggressively committed to a productive and sustainable future at West Catholic. We encourage you to visit us here at 4501 Chestnut to see first-hand what’s going on. tHen, now, And foReVeR. Sincerely,

PAUl ColIstRA Vice President for Institutional Advancement

westnotes 2

3

AdmInIstRAtIon

InVestInwestPICtURed fRom left to RIgHt: mR. JoHn JACkson Assistant Principal for Student Services, mR. JoHn JenkIns Director of Admissions, sR. mARY e. BUR, I.H.m. Principal, mR. PAUl ColIstRA Vice President for Institutional Advancement, BRotHeR RICHARd kestleR, f.s.C. President

Our unrestricted annual fund effOrts are

the backbOne tO West cathOlic. Unrestricted support

allows us the ability to apply funds where most needed –

financial aid and scholarships, student services, academic

and athletic resources, professional development,

transportation, marketing, etc. Our main vehicle to support

our unrestricted annual fund is our Invest in West appeal.

We will continue to seek annual support through reunions,

alum events, Burr Booster, etc., but we would like to begin

to centralize our efforts to the Invest in West Fund.

2012-13 combined unrestricted annual fundraising goal: $1,300,00020-year combined unrestricted fundraising average: $941,206 (record year: $1,715,934)

2012-13 invest in West fund goal: $850,00020-year Invest in West Fund average: $552,214 (record year: $1,391,982)

in 2012-13, West Will prOve sustainability, and this is yOur chance tO be part Of the team!

lOOk fOr yOur mailing in OctOber.

Re-BRAndIng InItIAtIVe During the summer months, we underwent

an initiative to re-brand West Catholic.

We decided that although internally we

know that our product of education is

strong, the larger community needs to be

told. The underlying goals of the efforts is to

attract and maintain traditional and

non-traditional enrollment areas, boost

student/parent/alum morale, and increase

community awareness. Here are the

re-branding projects we’ve taken on:

•Logo

•GOWESTmessaging

•Viewbook

•SEPTAmarketing

•Website

•Internalmessaging

westnotes 4

5

VolUnteeRs needed: WEST WELCOMES THE SErVICE OF VOLUNTEErS IN A VArIETY OF WAYS. HELP IN THE MAIN OFFICE,

SCHOOL ArCHIVES, GArDENING AND GrOUNDS MAINTENANCE, STUDENT TUTOrING AND CArE OF CHAPEL, VAN DrIVEr,

CUSTODIAL SErVICE. CONTACT: BrOTHEr rICHArD KESTLEr at rkestler@westcatholic.org or 215-386-2244

sPoRtsThis year, our Volleyball team sets sight on an exciting season, led at the helm by Nancy Le ’91. Coach Le played on our Volleyball team that got to the Catholic League Championship game in 1990. We have 18 girls that are eager to get started in league competition.

Our Cheerleaders this year, coached by Mary DeMasi, are 17 strong and ready to cheer the Burrs on to victory starting with the season opener on September 8. Last year, the girls were very proud of their 3rd place finish in the Catholic League Competition and hope to build on that success for this year.

Hopes are high for our 5-time Catholic League Champion Burrs Football team. They started their quest for another state title with an OT lost to George Washington

in week 1, but then rebounded by scoring 42 unanswered points to beat Bonner 42-24! They will take on Wood at Home in week 3. We have 47 boys representing the Burrs this year, and they are primed for an exciting sea-son. Coach Brian Fluck’88 and his staff have challenged their athletes to keep up the success from the past several years and get the job done. Best of Luck to all the Burr Athletes in the Fall Season!

InteRnAtIonAl stUdIes PRogRAmThe international studies program, led by Mr. Joseph Selfridge has been given the 2012 Award for Outstanding Program of Excellence by the Pennsylvania Council for the Social Studies.

The Award ceremony in Bethlehem, PA will be on OCT. 11, 2012 will be attended by the program directors, Mr. Joseph Selfridge, Ms. Nicole roper and Ms. Margueritte Di Mattia.

The Cultural Diversity Club, which has twice been the recipient of the National Liberty Museum Young Heroes Award, celebrates the many ethnicities in our school community. There is a flag hanging in our hallway for every nation which has been represented in our student population over the last decade.

We have 53 flags at this time. Finally, the overall program has field trips which allow every student in the school to have the opportunity to visit the Philadelphia Muse-um of Art Asian collection, The University of Pennsylvania Archeology Museum’s collec-tion of Artifacts from around the world and the National Liberty Museum’s interactive tour dealing with various world and national issues.

tHe CHRIstIAn BRotHeRs’ seRVICe AwARds dInneRHonoRIng BRotHeR RICHARd kestleR, fsC foR deVoted seRVICe to CAtHolIC edUCAtIon

ReqUIesCAnt In PeACeJohn J. Gaffney, III

Barbara Anne McGuckin O’Donnell

Helen Milligan Quinn

James A. Kelly, ‘27

Joseph Lewis, ‘27

rita Scott Barr, ‘31

Elizabeth Binns ricketts, ‘32

Loyola Williams Donato, ‘34

rita Kilpatrick Hasson, ‘34

George Batten, ‘35

Sethna (Sue) Woods Lillig, ‘36

Sr. Marie Kathryn Naab, ‘37

John A. Noble, ‘38

Byrne Whalen, ‘38

Margaret Tyler Ballentine, ‘39

Marbaret Hilferty Coyne, ‘39

Harry DiStefano, ‘40

rev. James Galligan, ‘40

James McCaughey, ‘40

robert McCunney, ‘40

Marie Elizabeth Pfaff rodia, ‘40

Emily Pavlis Leonard, ‘41

Susanne Dougherty ridgeway, ‘41

Elizabeth M. Carroll, ‘42

Joseph Davis, ‘42

rita Sarsfield Driscoll, ‘42

J. robert Malone, ‘42

Edith McBride, ‘42

James McGettigan, ‘42

Mary Sherry, ‘42

Mary Yarnall Tate, ‘42

Anne Imhoff Boyle, ‘43

Mary rodgers Carty, ‘43

Patrick Hunt, ‘43

William A. Mitchell, ‘43

Joseph Wilson, ‘43

Daniel A. Gallagher, ‘44

ruth Magrann Nowicki, ‘44

Theresa Butler Toniazzo, ‘44

Louis DiFilippo, ‘45

Thomas F. Quigley, ‘45

Thomas Doris, ‘46

Mary Donaghy Shay, ‘46

Elizabeth Marie Furman Stacy, ‘46

richard Taraborrelli, ‘46

Eileen Furey Logue, ‘47

Margaret Egan rigling, ‘47

Joseph Whalen, ‘47

Joseph Collis, ‘48

Michael Dougherty, ‘48

richard J. McGettigan, ‘48

Elizabeth Madison O’Donnell, ‘48

richard rhoad, ‘48

James Toner, ‘48

ralph J. Walter, ‘49

robert Campbell, ‘50

Thomas Laverty, ‘50

Loretta Green Lynch, ‘50

richard Manapat, ‘50

Marie Updyke Sernyak, ‘50

Thomas J. Boyle, ‘51

James E. Cahill, ‘51

Joseph F. Campbell, ‘51

Joseph Chambers, ‘51

James Larney, ‘51

William T. McCardle, ‘51

Catherine Fox Steck, ‘51

richard J. Touhill, ‘51

Joseph W. Myrtetus, ‘52

Mary McGuigan O’reilly, ‘52

Patricia Farrell Watson, ‘52

Joan Kilpatrick Dougherty, ‘53

Marion Martin Keenan, ‘53

rev. Joseph W. Callahan, ‘54

Anne r. Fox, ‘54

Thomas Lyons, ‘54

Margaret Curran McDaid, ‘54

Matthew Senior, Jr., ‘54

Jane Mallon Huckel, ‘55

Dino DiMarco, ‘55

Karl W. rau, ‘55

Joseph Manion, ‘57

Mary McCabe O’Connor, ‘58

Margaret rouxel Mayberry, ‘58

Ann O’Connell Smith, ‘59

Ann D. Dolan, ‘60

Joseph M. Gaul, ‘60

Joseph Janasik, ‘61

Joseph Wagner, ‘62

William Smith, ‘63

Maria Fiore McNamee, ‘64

Michael Gramiak, ‘65

Mary Biasiello Janetti, ‘66

Kathryn Shuff, ‘66

Michelle Hughes, ‘68

Andrea Mimms Boyce, ‘70

Lavet Williams Gunther, ‘70

Carla Logan Hinton, ‘70

Charlene Ionno Ferraro, ‘75

Maryann McGarry Cook, ‘77

westnotes 6

sAtURdAY, oCtoBeR 13, 2012 6PM

lA sAlle UnIVeRsItYPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

all prOceeds tO benefit West cathOlic high schOOl! TO ATTEND/SPONSOr/CONTrIBUTE, PLEASE CONTACT PAUL COLISTrA AT 215-386-2244 Or PCOLISTrA@WESTCATHOLIC.OrG

ClAss ReUnIons And notesClAss of 1947 gIRls 65tH ReUnIonSunday, October 28, 2012 Drexelbrook , as part of the Alumni Communion BreakfastContact: Claire Johnson 610-622-2015

ClAss of 1957 BoYs 55tH ReUnIon Friday, October 19, 2012 Airport ramada Inn Contact: ray Brown 610-565-6854

ClAss of 1957 gIRls 55tH ReUnIonSunday, October 14, 201212pm-4pmConcordville Inn$45Contact: Eleneor Walsh 610-543-2987

ClAss of 1958 BoYs 55tH ReUnIonSaturday, May 18, 2013 Airport ramada Inn, Dinner Contact: Frank Adolf 610-344-0716

ClAss of 1972 gIRls 40tH ReUnIon October 26-28, 2012 Golden Inn Hotel, Avalon NJ Contact: Kathleen Mulvihill Lunn 215-762-3368

ClAss of 1992 20tH ReUnIonSaturday, November 3, 2012Sheraton Hotel 7pmContact: Lori Ann Winner 610-715-1977

ClAss of 1969 gIRls Is goIng gReen.

Paper invitations to events and reunions will

no longer be mailed. If you wish to receive

class event information, please contact

Hanna Dougherty Campbell at rhubarb482@aol.com

to be added to the Class e-mail list and kept in

the loop. Class of 1969 now has its own

website, westcatholicgirls1969yolasite.com

sCHool HAll of fAmeThe criteria for entrance into the West Catholic School Hall of Fame includes the following: Graduate of the School; Success in one’s chosen career; Loyal-ty to the school; Example of Christian living. Induction into the School Hall of Fame is de-termined by a selection commit-tee at the school. The process includes the following:

• Thepersonmustreceiveawritten nomination directed to George Light, Assistant Di-rector of Development, West Catholic High School, 4501

Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139; or send an email to glight@westcatholic.org.

• Thewrittennominationshouldgive the reasons for consider-ation into the School Hall.

• AreasofConsideration:Loy-alty to the School/Alumnae/Alumni; Business; Service to the Church; Medicine; Jour-nalism; Banking/Finance; Arts/Entertainment; Social Service/; Government; Law; (Other areas are considered as well)

sPoRts HAll of fAmeThe criteria for entrance into the West Catholic Sports Hall of Fame is for men and women athletes, who had distinguished

themselves in their specific sport or sports during their high school years.

Induction into the Sports Hall of Fame is determined by a selec-tion committee at the school. The process is as follows:

• Thepersonmustreceiveawritten nomination directed to George Light, Assistant Di-rector of Development, West Catholic High School, 4501

Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139; or send an email to georgelightwchs@hotmail.com.

• Pleaselistthename,thesport(s), and the reasons why you believe they should be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame.

7

CAlendAR of eVents 2012-2013oPen HoUse Sunday, October 21, 2012

AlUmnAe CommUnIon Sunday, October 28, 2012 BReAkfAst

sCHolARsHIP tests Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 9am Saturday, December 1, 2012 at 9am

AlUmnI CommUnIon Sunday, November 18, 2012 BReAkfAst

sCHool HAll of fAme Tuesday, December 4, 2012

sPoRts HAll of fAme Saturday, March 23, 2013

BURRs At tHe BeACH Sunday, July 7, 2013

AnY qUestIons, Comments oR sUggestIons

RegARdIng west notes, PleAse ContACt

geoRge lIgHt At tHe sCHool 215-386-2244 ext. 260

oR emAIl glIgHt@westCAtHolIC.oRg

InVest In tHe fUtUReBy allowing businesses to redirect up to $400,000 in state taxes to Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools (BLOCS), the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) can assist local children who are — or would be assigned — to attend one of the 200+ “failing schools” in our 5 counties.

But the success of this program

requires the help of our local

business community.

BLOCS can provide scholarships,

from your business taxes, to

students who want to attend a

Catholic school and are most in

need – but we need your business

to participate in OSTC now.

Ostc program can fill thousands

of high quality open seats in our

catholic schools right now.

• Elementaryandhighschool

students can receive up to

$8,500 in tuition assistance

• Specialeducationstudents

can receive up to $15,000 in

tuition assistance

yOu can designate

yOur dOllars fOr West

cathOlic students…learn

hOW yOur business can

invest in Our children’s

educatiOn and suppOrt

Our cathOlic schOOls:

Visit www.BLOCS.org or call

484.684.1212 to apply today!

Or call Paul Colistra at West

Catholic at 215-386-2244

4501 CHESTNUT STrEET

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19139

www.westCAtHolIC.oRg

RetURn seRVICe ReqUested

NON-PrOFIT OrG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAId

PHILADELPHIA, PA

KENNEDY PrINTING CO.

westnotes

mIssIon stAtement west PHIlAdelPHIA CAtHolIC HIgH sCHool Is A CAtHolIC CommUnItY of ACAdemIC exCellenCe In An

URBAn enVIRonment tHAt Is oPen to An InteRdenomInAtIonAl PoPUlAtIon. THE SCHOOL’S rIGOrOUS SPIrITUAL, ACADEMIC,

TECHNOLOGICAL, AND ExTrACUrrICULAr PrOGrAMS DEVELOP OUr ETHNICALLY AND rELIGIOUSLY DIVErSE STUDENT BODY INTO YOUNG

MEN AND WOMEN OF STrONG MOrAL AND ETHICAL CHArACTEr. WEST CATHOLIC PrEPArES EACH STUDENT TO FACE THE CHALLENGES OF

EVErYDAY LIFE, EMBrACE LEADErSHIP POSITIONS IN SOCIETY, AND VALUE SErVICE IN AN EVEr-CHANGING GLOBAL SOCIETY.