GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Girls Basketball Teams completed a sweep of the OK Blue Conference Championships at all three levels of competition, Freshman, JV, and Varsity, for the 2009-2010 season.

The Freshman team, coached by West Catholic Alumnus Kristen McDonald, completed their season 15-5 and won its second straight OK Blue Conference Championship.  The Junior Varsity, coached by Mark Yondo and Nancy Wagner (1979 State Championship Team Member and West Catholic Alumnus), also won its second straight OK Blue Conference Championship and finished with an awesome 18-2 record.

The Varsity team, coached by Mike Glass, John Beadling, Brenda Sack and Carrie Roys Polega (1997 State Runner-up Team Member and West Catholic Alumnus), won the first Varsity Conference Championship since 2000 and first OK Blue Conference Championship. The team finished the regular season with a 13-1 conference record and a 15-5 overall record and will have all team members returning next season.

BOYS BASKETBALL

The Varsity Boys Basketball team ended its regular season with the team performing at a high level.  Though not winning every game, the guys have competed hard in practice and in competition.  The team finished in 3^rd place in the OK Blue with a league record of 8-6 and an overall record of 9-11.  West Catholic will be the host for the district tournament, where the Falcon seniors will look to leave their mark on the program with a District championship. 

GIRLS BOWLING

The Girls Bowling team completed conference play in second place with a 10-2 record. They finished second in the post-season tournament to a very strong Sparta team. The team had a strong season, with a winning record and several new school record games. The O.K. Blue All-Conference team includes senior Olivia Steil, junior Kayla Feutz, and junior Marissa Steffens.

In the Regional, Marissa Steffens finished 11^th, Kayla Feutz finished 12^th, and Olivia Steil finished 18^th. Unfortunately, only the top 10 move on to the State Tournament.

In the Regional team competition, where the top 3 teams move on to the State Tournament, the team ended its season very close to qualifying in the 4^th spot.

BOYS BOWLING

The Boys Bowling team ended conference play with a record of 10 wins and 2 losses. They ended the regular season with a second place finish in the post-season tournament, just 24 pins out of first. The boys had a very strong season. They worked hard for their second place conference finish.  The All-Conference team includes seniors Zack Kasperlik, Steve Kuzma, Nick Byrne, and sophomore Caleb Steil. 

Zack Kasperlik qualified for the State Tournament by finishing 3rd in the Regional competition on Saturday. Zack knocked down 1177 pins in the six games. Other WC bowlers who did not qualify for State competition but had good games included Trent Clark finishing 17^th and Nick Byrne finishing 19^th.

In the Regional team competition, where the top 3 teams move on to the State Tournament, the team finished in 5^th position 79 pins behind the 3^rd place team.

SKI

The Boys Ski team finished 3^rd among Division II teams in the conference. The Girls Ski team also finished 3^rd among Division II conference teams.

In the Regional, the boys finished 11^th out of 16 teams while the girls finished 12^th out of 15 teams. Steven Kelly earned a 9^th place finish in Giant Slalom, and qualified for the MHSAA State Meet.

At State, Steven placed 32^nd of 70 in the first run of GS. Deciding to "go for it," he bobbled slightly on the second run, finishing with a "no regrets" 59^th place. Steven's participation in the State Meet marks the 10^th time in the last 11 years that WC has participated in the MHSAA State Ski Meet.                     

SWIMMING and DIVING

The West Catholic Boys Varsity Swimming and Diving team took fourth place over all, missing third place by five points to rival TK-Hastings, at the OK Rainbow Swimming and Diving Championships. The Falcons were led by Nick Burciaga, who took first place in diving, setting a new conference record in the process. Nick was also part of the 200 yard and 400 yard freestyle relays that took third place in the Championship finals. Danny Selgo, took second place in diving. On the swimming side, Forrest West took second place in the backstroke and fifth in the 200 yard freestyle; he was also part of the 200 yard and 400 yard freestyle relays. Forrest qualified for the State Meet in the back stroke. Hunter Nemmers took third place in the 50 yard freestyle and sixth in the 100 yard freestyle, qualifying for the State Meet in the 50 yard freestyle. Hunter was also part of the 200 and 400 yard relays.

Because of these efforts, Nick, Danny, Forrest and Hunter all earned All-Conference honors.

The Falcons did a tremendous job to take an overall fourth place finish in the OK Rainbow Conference meet. Congratulations to all the swimmers and divers on a great season. The Falcons finished 3-3 in the league duals and 4-5 overall in duals.

WRESTLING

The Wrestling team’s season came to an end at the Conference Meet where Zac Nowicki took 2^nd, Mitch Norder placed 4^th, Tom Doyle placed 3^rd, and Tony Brechting took 2^nd place. 

Zac Nowicki was also District champ in his weight class of 103 lbs.   Taylor Nowicki finished 3^rd in District competition, in the 130 lb. weight class.  This qualified both wrestlers to Regional Competition on February 20.  Although both wrestlers gave it their all, they did not advance to State competition this season.

Kelly competed in the giant slalom and finished 59^th overall at State. Kelly said, “I was pumped when I found out I made it to state.” Coach Scott Inman added, “He has led his team by example, demonstrating the rewards of hard work and hard training. It has been a very enjoyable four years working with Steven.” Congratulations Steven!

West Catholic Band Director Darren LaPrise summed up the students’ achievements with the following statement: “To walk into a room and make a presentation to complete strangers is extremely difficult, particularly if it took you months to prepare it. To walk away and call that presentation successful is one of the best feelings our students can have. That feeling was achieved by many of our Band students at the MSBOA Solo and Ensemble Festival.”

The following students earned First or Second Division ratings at the Festival:

FIRST DIVISION RATED (Excellent)

Brass Quintet Eamon Carmody, Mike Sacha, Ashley Savage, Andrew Bearinger, and Ray Kalinowski    

Percussion Sextet (Mallets) Zach Hartman, Patty Pierzchala, Katrina Marks, Jordan Alber, Katie Hartman, and John Paul

Flute Duet: Anna Brechting and Theresa Brechting

Flute Solo:  Anna Brechting

Flute Solo: Theresa Brechting

Trumpet Solo: Eamon Carmody

Piano solos:  John Paul, Francis Burns, Katie Hartman

SECOND DIVISION RATED (Good)

Trumpet Solo: Jeff Ford

Trombone Solo: Joel Gravelyn

Bass Clarinet Solo: Dominic Frazine

Saxophone Quartet: Josh Laske, Jacob Dean, Stacey Sienkewicz, John Gravelyn

Piano Solo: Mary Francis Eshleman

Congratulations West Catholic Band Students!

While there, the students attended Mass at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, toured the monuments, visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum, and participated with approximately 300,000 people in the March for Life. They returned to West Catholic very tired but inspired by the trip to continue their pro-life activities.

On Wednesday, February 3, West Catholic High School inducted three new members into its Religious Vocations Wall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held during an all-school Mass in conjunction with Catholic Schools Week. The new members are Rev. Fr. Khanh Hoang (Class of 1986), Rev. Mr. Edward Harwood (Class of 1972), and Rev. Mr. Gerald Roersma (Class of 1976).

The Religious Vocations Wall of Fame was inaugurated in 2004, and the display was blessed by Bishop Kevin Britt at an all-school Mass concelebrated by the Wall’s first inductees. Since 2004, more honorees have been added to the Wall, and including this year’s three new members, the Wall now displays plaques honoring 18 priests, sisters, brothers and permanent deacons. These honorees are all alumni of West Catholic or its predecessor West Catholic Central. The Religious Vocations Wall of Fame is located outside of the St. Maria Goretti Chapel, adjacent to the school cafetorium.

Fr. Khanh Hoang is a native of Vietnam. He came to the United States at the age of ten as a refugee. He graduated from West Catholic in 1986 and entered Aquinas College. After further study at Seton Hall University and St. Thomas Seminary, he was ordained to the priesthood on June 4, 1994 for the Diocese of Colorado Springs. Due to allergies, he moved to Hawaii in 2003. He is currently serving as Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Honolulu.

Permanent Deacon Ed Harwood attended Sacred Heart School and graduated from West Catholic in 1972. He studied theology and Scripture at Aquinas College, and he was ordained to the permanent diaconate on February 10, 2006. Since ordination, he has been assigned to pastoral work at St. Mary’s Parish in Grand Rapids. Ed and his wife Joanne (WC ’71) are the parents of six children, including four WC graduates and one current WC student.

Permanent Deacon Jerry Roersma attended Holy Trinity School and graduated from West Catholic in 1976. He graduated from Aquinas College. He was ordained to the permanent diaconate on February 10, 2006. Since ordination, he has been assigned to pastoral work at Holy Trinity Parish. Jerry and his wife Susan (WC ’75) are the parents of three children, all of whom are WC graduates.

The December blood drive was very successful.  Ninety Two (92) people came to the blood drive to donate, and 73 pints of blood were collected. These totals include 35 new donors who were registered on that day. According to Michigan Blood, West Catholic’s per-student donation levels are the highest in our area. Student volunteers, advised by Mrs. Cynthia Kneibel, staff the event in conjunction with Michigan Blood. The next blood drive at West Catholic is scheduled for Friday, March 5, 2010.

West Catholic High School Football Coach, Dan Rohn, was selected by the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association (MHSFCA) as a Regional Coach of the Year.  

Many of West Catholic’s fall athletes have earned individual honors this year at the conference, area, and state levels. Congratulations for their achievement!

Boys Cross Country

All-Conference: Blake Bitner, Caleb Teachout, Zeke Timmer

All-State: Blake Bitner, Zeke Timmer

Girls Cross Country

All-Conference: Kelsey Carpenter, Megan Debri

Football

All-Conference: Nick Ford, Travis Mikita, Dan Pittman, Charlie Roberts, Gabe Sochanek, Loren Suggs, Alex Trudell

G.R. Press All-Area Dream Team: Gabe Sochanek (First Team), Alex Trudell (First Team), Dan Pittman (Second Team), Loren Suggs (Second Team), Nick Ford (Honorable Mention), Charlie Roberts (Honorable Mention)

All-State: Gabe Sochanek (Special Mention), Loren Suggs (Special Mention)

Academic All-State: The team received Honorable Mention honors for ranking 12^th in Division 4 based on team grade point average. Individually, Gabe Audu also earned Honorable Mention Academic All-State.

Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Week: Coach Dan Rohn was one of ten Michigan coaches honored at the Detroit Lions football game on December 20.

Girls Golf

All-Conference: Madelyn Drumm, Kayla Feutz

Boys Soccer

All-Conference: David Golembiewski, Matt Karas, Steven Kelly

All-State: Matt Karas (First Team), David Golembiewski (Second Team), Steven Kelly (Honorable Mention), Tim McGough (Honorable Mention)

Girls Swimming

All-Conference: Meghan Arbanas

Volleyball

All-Conference: Rachel Sprenger, Elle Sturgell, Abby Ziegler

Congratulations West Catholic athletes!

Every year, West Catholic students and staff generously give in many different ways to share the Christmas spirit with the surrounding communities. This year, a number of service projects have been undertaken throughout the school to continue this giving tradition.

For the second year, the entire school participated in a fundraising program to help homeless teens in Grand Rapids. Led by the Student Government and its adviser Mrs. Cindy Kneibel, the school held a Red and Green Day to raise over $1100 to purchase hoodies and pajamas for local teens. These items were distributed in partnership with Grand Rapids Public Schools.

Throughout the year, West Catholic students respond daily by donating to an HTN (Help the Needy) fund. This fund generates thousands of dollars annually. This month, $500 of HTN money was spent to purchase sleeping bags, blankets, nonperishable food items, coats, and other outwear for the local homeless. In addition, students also generously brought in food, clothing, and personal hygiene items. Two carloads of goods were delivered to local missions.

Sophomore and Junior students in Mr. Patrick Nugent’s religion classes have been collecting money this month for the Catholic Church Extension Society. They have chosen worthy causes from Extension’s annual Christmas Wish List. Over $1000 will be sent to support the Church across the United States; helping to sponsor a seminarian for the armed forces, supporting prison ministry in Texas, building a school roof on a New Mexico Indian reservation, and supporting hospital ministry in Puerto Rico.

Art students made over 100 cards for the residents of St. Ann’s home. Student used silkscreen and linoleum block printing to create the hand-made cards. They then addressed them with simple holiday greetings and well wishes for Christmas. “I have two students, Andrea Powers and Megan Rogalski who work at St. Ann’s Home. They are going to bring the cards in for us and they are sure that the residents will really appreciate receiving our Christmas cards,” said art teacher Mrs. Lisa Nawrocki.

WC Art Students Making Cards for St. Ann's Home

You will hear some Christmas classics as well as some wonderful spins on other familiar Christmas music. It is sure to entertain you and move you; this will help to get you into the Christmas spirit. This concert will be one to remember, and it is absolutely free!  We sure hope you can join us on Tuesday, December 15th, 7:00 pm at our beautiful Basilica.

Zeke Timmer and Blake Bitner earned All-State honors. The team was coached by Mr. Dennis Scully. Also competing at State for West Catholic were Caleb Teachout, Zack Nowicki, Andreas Perales, Austin Jacobson, and Brian Royce.

Football: The Football team won the O-K Blue Conference championship for the second straight year. The team finished the regular season with an undefeated record. Qualifying for the Division 4 playoffs, the team defeated Catholic Central in the first playoff round before losing to Holland Christian in the second round. The team was coached by Mr. Dan Rohn.

Girls Golf: The Girls Golf team finished in second place at its Regional tournament at The Highlands and qualified for the Division 4 State Tournament. The team finished in 12^th place in the State. The team was coached by Mr. Mike Ketelaar. Team members competing at State were Madelyn Drumm, Kayla Feutz, Libby Schichtel, Jenna VanSpriell, and Kendall Walendzik.

Boys Soccer: The Boys Soccer team completed its best season since 1998. The team defeated NorthPointe Christian to win the District title. In the Regional tournament, the team defeated Kalamazoo Hackett, before losing to South Haven in the Regional finals. The team was coached by Mr. Rich Young.

Girls Swimming: The Girls Swimming team had a strong season. The team won the City League Invitational and took the runner-up trophy in four other invitationals. Many of the girls had strong finishes, with Meghan Arbanas earning All-Conference recognition. Erica Wysocki, Anna Barry, and Holly Mikita qualified for the Division 3 Regional Diving Tournament. The team was coached by Mr. Murray MacGready.

Congratulations to all our student athletes on a fine, fall season! 

Approximately 20 students spent over four hours after school on November 30^th and December 1^st painting a large Christmas scene across the building’s front windows. The Art Club officers have spent the last month designing the 45' x 10' mural, which will portray Christmas ornaments hanging from a red ribbon across a winter landscape with a "Happy Holidays" greeting. The mural is on display throughout the holiday season. Mrs. Lisa Nawrocki, West Catholic art teacher, coordinates this annual community service project.

Pictures of Art Club Students Painting Post Office Windows

Part I was a multiple-choice exam with forty problems given at 180 high schools throughout Michigan on October 7, 2009. Math teacher, Rebecca Cortes, coordinated the competition at West Catholic.

The seven West Catholic finalists are freshman Jack Brooks; juniors John Blankemeier, Anna Brechting, Jared Heys, and Marissa Steffens; and seniors Francis Burns and Alex Herrington.

The finalists competed in Part II of the Competition on December 2. Their exam consisted of five challenging problems to which the students must provide written explanations for their claims and provide mathematical proofs of their results. The students’ work will be scored in January by mathematicians from universities and colleges across Michigan.

The students with the top 100 scores on the two parts will be invited to an Awards Day program in February at Saginaw Valley State University. The top 50 will be presented with scholarships ranging from $250 to $2,600.

Congratulations to our Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition finalists!

This was the first time that the WC team has entered this event. It is an event that allows teams to compete with last year’s robot one last time to kick off the new season. The West Catholic team competed well against some very strong competition from 18 schools across Michigan. Both old and new members were a big part of the team’s success.

On Wednesday, October 7, 90 West Catholic students, parents, and staff spent the afternoon visiting ArtPrize venues throughout Grand Rapids. The field trip was organized by art teacher Mrs. Lisa Nawrocki to give students an opportunity to be part of this unique art experience.

The group began its visit at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel where Mrs. Nawrocki’s own ArtPrize entry, “Michigan Wildflowers,” was displayed in the lobby. Mrs. Nawrocki gave a short orientation talk to the students, and then they fanned out in small groups across the downtown area. The students were also treated to a complimentary lunch at the Blue Plate Grill in the Courtyard by Marriott. 

During the International Formator course, Tony participated in daily masses, meditations, gospel reflections, rosaries and attended lectures given by leaders of the church. He also attended courses in public speaking, apologetics, study of the church, general leadership and pastoral psychology. Tony commented that every day he was inspired by something. Within his first two weeks at the camp, he saw the Pope three different times and touched him once. 

On their off hours, the boys had the chance to explore Rome and tour Italy. Tony’s favorite experience was the three day rally that started in Venice and concluded in Termini. The kids were split up into small teams, given 100 euro and had to compete in a scavenger hunt/adventure race. The race had them searching through small towns and churches to collect items on their list and figure out answers to the trivia questions; all the while carrying a live bird!

Now that Tony has returned, he is excited to bring what he has learned back to West Catholic. He is the leader of Life Force, which is a group that organizes retreats and runs the student CIA (Catholics in Action) group. It is his goal to assist students to grow in their faith and become the leaders that the church and the world need right now.  He is also very involved with his parish: St. Anthony’s. When asked how West Catholic has influenced him, Tony says, “The school has done so much for me; students and teachers are very supportive; and it provides an environment that encourages spiritual growth. It has been a great community to be a part of during my high school years.” 

After graduation, Tony hopes to attend Notre Dame and enter the seminary. 

Audu is one of more than 1,600 Black American high school seniors who now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 800 Achievement Scholarship awards, worth some $2.6 million, to be offered next spring.

More than 160,000 high school juniors from all parts of the United States requested consideration in the 2010 National Achievement Scholarship Program when they took the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Semifinalists were designated within geographic regions and are the highest-scoring program entrants in the states that make up each region. To advance to the Finalist level in the competition, Semifinalists must present a record of high academic performance throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the PSAT/NMSQT performance. Also, the Semifinalist and a high school official must complete a detailed scholarship application in which they provide information about the student’s participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, and educational goals. The substantial amount of information collected about each Finalist will be used in the selection of scholarship winners.

Approximately 1,300 Semifinalists are expected to fulfill additional requirements and advance to the Finalist level in the 2010 program. All Achievement Scholar awardees will be selected from the Finalist group on the basis of their abilities, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Every Finalist will compete for one of the 700 one-time National Achievement $2500 Scholarships, which will be awarded on a regional representation basis. In addition, corporate and business sponsors will underwrite about 100 Achievement Scholarship awards for Finalists who meet criteria set by the grantor. NMSC will release the names of scholarship winners to news media in early April 2010.

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Although they will not continue in the 2010 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 competition by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

“Recognition of academically talented students and the key role played by schools in their development is essential to the pursuit of excellence in our nation,” commented a spokesperson for NMSC. “The young people named Commended Students have demonstrated outstanding academic potential by their strong performance in this highly competitive program. We hope that this recognition will enhance their educational opportunities and that they will continue to diligently pursue their professional goals.”

A Letter of Commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), which conducts the program, will be presented by the principal to this scholastically talented senior.

This scholarship program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Maguire and Morrow, along with 16,000 other academically talented high school seniors, will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 National Merit Scholarships, worth more than $36 million, that will be offered next spring.

More than 1.5 million juniors at 22,000 high schools entered the 2010 National Merit Program by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screening of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which represents less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.

To become a finalist, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Approximately 15,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to the finalist level. 2010 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced beginning in April.

West Catholic High School will present Neil Simon’s comedy “Fools” at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center on October 14, 15, and 17. The play features a cast of West Catholic students directed by Cathy Pearce. The lead roles will be performed by seniors Billy Wisz and Andrew Bearinger and juniors Jacqueline Sochacki and Katie Kosnik.

“Fools” is a “comic fable” that takes place a long time ago in a remote Ukrainian village. The young and eager Leon Tolchinsky arrives in Kulyenchikov to answer their ad for a new school teacher. To his surprise, he learns that the village has been cursed with stupidity and that he, too, will fall under the curse if he stays there for more than 24 hours.  Leon falls head-over-heels in love with Sophia, the beautiful young daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Zubritsky. When he's told that the curse prevents Sophia from loving him in return, Leon resolves to break the curse, though many before him have failed. A cast of lovable Neil Simon characters and "Airplane"-style humor combine to tell this tale with warmth and a gentle message.

A special performance will be given for partner school students on October 13 at 9:30 am. Public performances will be held on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:30 pm; Thursday, October 15 at 7:30 pm; and twice on Saturday, October 17 at a 3:00 pm matinee and at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased through the Aquinas PAC box office (456-6656). Prices are $6 for adults and $5 for students.

For further information, contact Director Cathy Pearce at (616) 233-5958 Cell: 308-4358 or cathypearce@grcss.org.

Billy Wisz and Jacqui Sochacki

The meeting dates and locations are as follows (all meeting times - 7 p.m.):

·         October 8, 2009 – West Catholic High School

·         November 19, 2009 – Catholic Central High School

·         January 14, 2010 – Cathedral Square

·         February 25, 2010 – West Catholic High School

·         April 15, 2010 – Catholic Central High School

·         June 3, 2010 – Cathedral Square

If you wish to address the Board on a particular matter, please make such request at least 10 days in advance of the meeting you plan to attend to our Chairman, Mark Scott.  He can be reached via e-mail at: mscott@autocam.com.

High school counselors and representatives from the public universities in Michigan met together to discuss changes in higher education and updated admissions practices. Heidi Clark-Smitley, Director of Guidance at Catholic Central, gave a presentation at the new counselor session on strategies for tracking admissions applications and student transcripts. Counselors from East Grand Rapids High School and Cranbrook School (Bloomfield Hills, MI) also presented best practices in high school guidance counseling.

West Catholic Students for Life members have made commitments to pray and fast as part of this program. On a weekly basis, the whole school will join in prayer as part of the 40 Days program.

"There will be campaigns in at least 212 communities," said David Bereit, 40 Days for Life's national director. "Last fall's campaign was conducted in 177 cities. This shows that support for the pro-life message is spreading — and that 40 Days for Life continues to have a positive international impact."

Sponsor a Student Walker or be a Corporate Sponsor.  To make a payment online, click on “Help Support West Catholic” in the Quick Links.

The All A’s Walk-a-thon fundraiser kicked off at West Catholic on Friday, September 11, 2009 to raise money for the tuition assistance program at the Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary Schools. 

Each student has been asked to raise $75 in sponsorship money. Participating students will receive an All A’s t-shirt and be eligible for some incentive prizes. 

Any money that is raised over the high schools' goals, minus a portion of the All A’s expenses, will be returned to the high school for their emergency tuition funds.

This year, the walk will take place on Wednesday, October 7 at 8:30 a.m. West Catholic students will walk to a halfway point in downtown Grand Rapids where they will be joined by students from Catholic Central and continue on to John Ball Park together.

Legacy of Faith is a new program that will honor the alumni that have paved the way before us and participated in the success and tradition of Catholic Central and West Catholic High Schools.  For a minimum donation of $150, supporters have an opportunity to make a donation in honor of an outstanding alumnus that has been an inspirational figure in their lives.  This alumnus’s name will also be recognized during the All A’s walk on the back of the All A’s T-shirts.

Over one-fourth of CSS’ student body would be unable to attend either high school without financial aid. The tuition assistance program disperses over one million dollars in grants and aid per year to families in need.

If you can assist your son or daughter in making contacts with businesses or individuals who are capable of being All A’s sponsors at the $250, $500 or $2,500 levels, we would greatly appreciate that. These sponsorships serve to underwrite the expenses of the t-shirts and prizes.

Parents are encouraged to volunteer either to walk with students, distribute water along the route or to serve snacks at John Ball Park; and to support all of the students in their efforts to meet their $75+ goal. 

If you have any questions, please contact Mindy Whiteside, Advancement Director for West Catholic High School (616) 233-5918 or Cindy Kneibel at (616) 233-5916.

On September 16, the West Catholic Robotics team demonstrated its robot at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation Fall Donor Tour.

West Catholic was one of only five schools invited to participate in the Fall Tour. The event was held at the Foundation’s headquarters, 185 Oakes SW.  Technology teacher, Tom Kutzli, and students Nick DeRyke and Kris Zakfeld demonstrated the robot to Foundation donors and were available to answer questions about the robotics program.

Along with three other West Catholic projects, members of the robotics team were recipients of three 2008 Meijer Good Classrooms mini-grants sponsored by the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The Fall Donor Tour gave the Foundation’s donors, many of whom are passionately interested in education, an opportunity to learn more about the Meijer Good Classrooms program. Applications are currently being prepared by West Catholic staff and students for the 2009 mini-grants.

Chelsea Sedlecky, a West Catholic Senior, has been named the Ryan Scholar for the 2009-2010 academic year.

The Ryan Scholar was created to support young men and women at West Catholic and Catholic Central High Schools. Alan and Margaret Ryan believe in the investment of faith in youth and the encouragement of leaders and volunteerism.  Marty Fahey, Director of College Relations at Aquinas College, explained that “the Ryan Scholarship is an innovative program forged from a partnership between CSS, the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and Aquinas College. It is designed to enable eligible West Catholic and Catholic Central students to attend Aquinas for their college education."

Through her high GPA and demonstrated leadership in the community, school and church, Chelsea was selected above many other qualified candidates and received a $1500 tuition award for the 2009-2010 school year.

Congratulations Chelsea!

Margaret and Alan Ryan, Chelsea Sedlecky and her Mother, Jeanne Sedlecky

The appointment was announced by Father R. Louis Stasker, Pastor/President of the Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary Schools.

Lahey succeeds John Young, who earlier this year announced his intention to retire.

Lahey, whose office is in the Cathedral Square Center, will be responsible for managing and overseeing all financial and business planning activities.

“We are pleased to find someone with the range of experience and skill sets that Jennifer brings to this position,” said Father Stasker. “Her love of the church and commitment to Catholic school education is clearly demonstrated through her participation at her parish and her work at the Muskegon Catholic Schools.”

Prior to this position, Lahey was Business Manager for Muskegon Catholic Schools since June 2006. In that position, some of her responsibilities included preparing the annual budget, presenting monthly financial statement, calculation of bi-weekly payroll, managing all insurance policies, the administration of all benefits and oversight of all human resource activities.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve the Catholic Secondary Schools and to interface my work experience with their goals,” said Jennifer Lahey. “It is an honor to be selected for this position.”

Lahey along with her husband and two daughters live in Holland and are members of Our Lady of the Lake Parish.

Check us out on FOX-17, WZZM-13 and WOOD TV-8. 

West Catholic Senior, Ryan Rooney, will be featured in the pregame show on FOX-17 from 5-6:00 pm.  In addition, highlights of the game will be broadcast on radio stations 105.3 FM, 107.3 FM and WBBL 1330 AM in partnership with Great Lakes Credit Union.

West Catholic's Varsity Football games will be broadcast live throughout the season on Michigan Sports Radio so Falcon fans are able to listen and support their alma mater not only locally, but anywhere around the world.

The first live broadcast of Falcon Football will begin Friday, August 28 at 6:40 p.m. as they play Catholic Central High School at Christian High Stadium.   

Football fans not only have the option to listen to the games live throughout the season, but they can also listen to archived games as well.

Log onto michigansportsradio.com to listen to a game or to check the schedule for upcoming broadcasts.  

The 2009 West Catholic Varsity football team recently traveled to St. Michael’s Parish-Brunswick in Fremont, Michigan for a father and son retreat. The purpose of the weekend was to perform community service work, build team unity, and for players to bond with the significant male role model in their lives.

The Falcons left West Catholic High School on Saturday morning, July 25, and enjoyed breakfast at the Filling Station on Alpine. This provided a great opportunity for players and their guest to meet each other and enjoy each other’s company.

By mid-morning, the group arrived at St. Michael’s, broke into three groups and quickly began their weekend assignments and set up camp. The primary goal was to scrape and repaint the entire parish hall. The team of players and parents also took on the task of pulling weeds and weather-sealing three of the play structures on the parish grounds.

The teams worked in shifts, and when break-time occurred, everyone found themselves at the food tables enjoying sandwiches, hot dogs, fruit, drinks, etc. and getting to know each other better.

The work groups quickly figured out that if they worked as a team, even a task of this magnitude could be accomplished well and in a timely manner. It appeared that everyone enjoyed working together, including some “body painting” of a few football players.

After the projects were complete, and the clean up of the grounds and equipment was done, the players found time for some relaxation, enjoying a couple of games of “Frisbee Football.” Prior to the Saturday night steak dinner, the players also needed some clean up as well, so it was off to Fremont Lake for a swim and Saturday night bath!

At dusk, the players and their guests gathered around the campfire to talk football and to bond. This was the highlight of the weekend as players and their guests alike shared their thoughts on the upcoming season, reflecting on “championship” years gone by, and talking about the importance of commitment and teamwork. Everyone involved will “remember the fire.”

Sunday morning started with breakfast and Mass. Fathers and sons participated in this special Mass as lectors, altar servers and Eucharist ministers. It was a fitting wrap up to a very special weekend.

At the close of Mass, Fr. Roc thanked the West Catholic football players and dads on behalf of the parishioners, for the work they performed and the faith they displayed through this type of a project and community service. He felt it was truly a blessing from God having this group of “football angels” sent to St. Michael’s.

The Catholic Central/West Catholic Alumni and Friends Association recently named four students at Catholic Central High School and four students at West Catholic High School recipients of the annual Geary Scholarship Award.

Catholic Central seniors Kevin Danhof, Elizabeth Ann Faber, Hannah Faber and Grace Vachon and West Catholic seniors Alexander Preston, Stephanie Preston, Chelsea Sedlecky and Claire Swift received the award.

Each spring, the Catholic Central/ West Catholic Alumni and Friends Association award $500 scholarships to at least four deserving juniors from each of the high schools. This award is applied against senior year tuition in August. The Francis J. Geary Scholarship award is named in honor of the late Frank Geary, a former teacher and administrator at the high schools.

Candidates were judged on criteria, which reflect the high schools’ beliefs in educating the "whole person." For this reason, this scholarship is not exclusively an academic award, but one that recognizes a blend of academic effort, loyalty to family and friends, service to the school and community and respect for other people and their views. Applicants also completed an essay.

The Board of Directors of the CC/WC Alumni & Friends reviews all applications, and recipients were presented the awards in late May. Applications are available online at www.grcss.org.

This year West Catholic High School's Science Department honored several outstanding students in the field of science.

West Catholic senior Kelly McCarthy was named 2009 Science Student of the Year. During her high school career she has taken Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, Anatomy & Physiology, AP Chemistry, and AP Biology.

Students Stacy Siereveld, Megan Enter, Dan Liden, Tyler Baldwin, Emily Frankowiak, Brian Nawrocki and Ethan Tanis received an award for excellence in the Science Olympiad regional tournament.

The American Chemistry Society honored Megan Enter for being an outstanding chemistry student at the high school level. The Society of Women Engineers at Michigan Technological University honored Katie Buczek with the Certificate of Merit for her exceptional performance in math and science.

Dan Liden received the William Staudacher Memorial Chemistry Award for his achievement, character and scholarship in chemistry.

West Catholic High School’s Math Department distributed several awards this past spring that recognized students for their outstanding achievements in mathematics.

Seniors Stacy Siereveld and Shawn Tuffs were selected as this year’s Senior Math Award Winners for their logical and proficient abstract reasoning abilities and work ethic in the classroom.

Debbie LaPonsie was named “Statistician of the Year” for her strong interest in the scientific application of mathematical principles to the collection, analysis, and presentation of numerical data.

Senior Miguel Acuna earned the Pythagorean Math Award for his passion for mathematics and willingness to help others understand math. He was a member of the Math Challenge Team and helped coach them to a second place finish at GRCC.

For the second year in a row, senior Dan Liden was invited to take Part II of the Michigan Math Prize Competition. Approximately 14,000 students participated in Part I and only the top 1,000 students from that pool were invited to take Part II.

The West Catholic High School Athletic Boosters Association will host their 26th annual golf outing on Friday, July 31st at the Elks/Highlands Country Club and the Mines Golf Course of Grand Rapids.

The West Catholic Golf Classic, an 18-hole scramble with foursome play is open to the general public. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. and tee time is at Noon.

The cost per golfer is $150 dollars and includes: 18 holes of golf with a cart, lunch prior to tee time, food and beverages on the course and an awards ceremony complete with steak dinner following the event at West Catholic High School.

Proceeds from the Golf Classic benefit the West Catholic’s Athletic program.

West Catholic Golf Classic event tags may be purchased at registration for $20.00, which automatically enters patrons in five course contests. Other registration perks include a drive up bag drop and unlimited use of the driving range, including balls.

Reservations must be made by Friday July 24, 2009. For additional information or to make reservations click on www.grwestcatholic.org or call Mark Pospiech at (616) 617-8222.   

This past spring several student artists received awards for excellence in the fine arts at West Catholic High School’s Honors Night Assembly.

The following art students received awards for their artistic talents:

Mike Judy was named “Outstanding Artist in Design,” Neal Steuwe was named “Outstanding Artist in Studio Art,” Heather Murphy was named “Most Improved Artist” and Marisa Livingston was named “Artist of the Year.”

Matt Schmalzel and Ashley Jost had artwork selected for display at Vern Ehlers’ Third Congressional District Art Exhibit. Their artwork was on display at the Gerald R. Ford Museum through May 2.

Neal Steuwe was awarded a $20,000 scholarship and Marisa Livingston was awarded a $40,000 scholarship to the College of Creative Studies based on their strong portfolio reviews.

Students Kenzie Marie Clark and Jessica Lee McDonough received the West Catholic Band Director’s Awards and Lauryn Zawistowski received the John Phillip Sousa and the Eric Wendlandt Awards. Megan Enter and Debra LaPonsie were the recipients of the West Catholic Drum Major Awards and Alex Szotko was named the Louis Armstrong Award recipient.

In addition, Rebecca Stoddard received the William Staudacher Memorial Choir Award, Sarah Truskowski received the National School Choral Award and Erika Derylo, Daniel Liden, Chloe Pakalnis, and Matthew Schmalzel received West Catholic Drama Awards.

Fine art students Tyler Baldwin and Jessica McDonough received the Father Lawrence Griffin Drama Awards and Kathryn Wiltz was the recipient of the Theatre Director’s Award. Miguel Acuña Chaves received the “Call to Places” Award and Sarah Truskowski and Kayla Dunn received the Liturgical Music Award.

In the fall, West Catholic High School’s student body heard a presentation given by the DiCocco Family. The DiCocccos are originally from the Grand Rapids area and currently work with youths in Zandspruit, South Africa. Zandspruit is a squatter settlement outside of Johannesburg without running water or electricity.

As part of West Catholic’s annual Christmas outreach program, a portion of the students gathered backpacks, school supplies, candy, and soccer balls to send to the DiCocco Family to distribute in South Africa.

The backpacks and school supplies were distributed to 35 students in a high school program. Describing the students’ responses, the DiCoccos wrote, “The students were so excited to have notebooks only to themselves. Many spoke about the gift of having a poetry or art journal-some place to write down their own thoughts and dreams. You gave them the gift of self-expression. It has been fun for me to drive through the community and spot the green backpacks on our students’ shoulders.”

The soccer balls were given to the high school program and to an afternoon primary school program with 250 students.

“What a huge blessing it speaks to these children to have new soccer balls to play with. There is a sense of pride and value that comes with new, shiny, clean,” the DiCoccos noted.

The DiCoccos concluded their latest correspondence to West Catholic by thanking students for their “giving spirits.” They also sent a poster showing the students with their new West Catholic backpacks and some thank you notes from the students. The poster is currently displayed in the main office.

On Saturday, May 23, 2009, West Catholic’s Boys’ Track Team competed in the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association (MITCA) Division III State Championship Meet at Kent City. The Falcons won the meet for the second year in a row. Overall, for the six years MITCA tournaments have been held, West Catholic has won three championships and placed second once.

The MITCA meet invites the top three teams from each track regional in the state to compete as a team. The MITCA title is a measure of team ability and depth across all events, as opposed to a competition between individual qualifiers.

West Catholic’s championship effort was led by first-place finishes from senior Tony Schafer in the 1600 and junior Matt Schichtel in the pole vault competition. The team is coached by Tim Kohane.

Schichtel summed up the team’s success, stating, “We have an excellent team and coaches, and everybody does their part.”

Andrew Lukas, a 2005 West Catholic High School graduate, has received a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarship to study in Lithuania during the 2009-2010 academic year.

He is one of seven Kalamazoo College students named Fulbright Scholars this year. Andrew will receive his B.A. degree in political science from Kalamazoo in June.

Lukas will enroll in the Eastern and Central European Studies Masters Program in the political science department at Vilnius University in Vilnius, Lithuania. He will continue research he began as a student at Kalamazoo on Lithuania’s energy security. Andrew traveled to Lithuania during the summer of 2008 to conduct research on that country’s energy policy. While there, he interviewed the current and former Lithuanian presidents and the country’s representatives to the European Parliament.

“I’m excited about going back to Lithuania, in part because of my family’s ancestry,” Lukas said. “I’ll also be able to witness the scheduled shutdown of the Ignalina nuclear power plant, which will drastically affect foreign and economic policies in Eastern Europe.”

While at Kalamazoo, Andrew earned a Steelcase Foundation Scholarship and honors from the Kalamazoo College political science department. He was active in numerous student organizations at Kalamazoo including the College Republicans, Pre-Law Society, and Students for Life.

After his Fulbright experience, Lukas intends to enroll in law school.

The Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between people of the United States and other countries.

More than 1,500 “Fulbrighters”— graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals, and artists chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — are selected to study, teach, and conduct research in more than 125 countries each year.

On Wednesday, May 20, 2009, 156 seniors from the Class of 2009 received diplomas in the graduation ceremonies held at West Catholic High School.

The ceremonies began with a Baccalaureate Mass at the Basilica of St. Adalbert. The principal celebrant and homilist was Bishop Walter Hurley, with Pastor/President Fr. R. Louis Stasker and local pastors and assistant pastors as concelebrants.

The Commencement and conferral of diplomas took place in the West Catholic Gymnasium. Both Pastor/President Fr. R. Louis Stasker and Principal Stan Spetoskey addressed the graduates. Valedictorian Kate Buczek and Salutatorian Daniel Liden also gave speeches. Diplomas were then awarded by Bishop Hurley and the graduates’ pastors.

Senior awards were announced at the annual Honors Night on May 14. A number of departmental awards, athletic awards, and scholarships were announced. Among those receiving honors in the Class of 2009 were:

Valedictorian: Kate Buczek

Salutatorian: Daniel Liden

Paragon Award (voted by their classmates to be the best representatives of the ideals of West Catholic High School): Kate Buczek and Matthew Schmalzel

Top Ten Students: Elizabeth Brechting, Kate Buczek, Mary Corey, Paulina Glovick, Patrick Kosnik, Daniel Liden, Kelly McCarthy, Brendan Miller, Matthew Schmalzel, Stacy Siereveld

Edward H. Wagner Award (voted by faculty and staff for exemplary service to West Catholic): Matthew Galloway

Eugene Jaglowski Falcon Award (voted by faculty, staff, and coaches as the top student-athletes): Lucas Arsulowicz and Megan Collison

Dan Jaskiewicz Award (voted by faculty, staff, and coaches for leadership and sportsmanship in athletics): Michelle Kuzma and Antonio Schafer

West Catholic's Athletic Department recently announced they have hired former NHL player Mike Watt as head coach for the Varsity Ice Hockey team for the upcoming season. Joining him as associate coach, will be Mike Maas a local youth coach and former Division I college hockey player. 

Athletic Director, Dan Rohn was overwhelmed with both the quantity and quality of applicants for the open positions. “It speaks volumes to the growing level of interest and respect that ice hockey has gained in this area over the last few years,” said Rohn.

Mike Watt is a native of Seaforth, Ontario and was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2^nd round (#32 overall) in the 1994 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He spent three years playing for Michigan State University and then joined the Oilers for the 1997-98 season. Watt spent the next 10 years playing professionally, most notably in the NHL and the Russian Super League. Most recently he played in the International Hockey League for the Muskegon Fury and in 2007-08 served as both player and assistant coach. Mike retired from professional hockey at the end of the 2007-08 season.  He resides in Grand Rapids with his wife and two children.

Mike Maas is a native of Big Rapids. He was an All State defenseman for the Cardinals in high school and ranks 12^th in career assists (126) in the state of Michigan.  After high school, he fulfilled his dream of playing in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) for his beloved Ferris State University Bulldogs. Mike has been a well known and well respected youth hockey travel coach for 10 years and holds a USA Hockey Advanced Coaching certification. Maas is married with two children and resides in Grand Rapids.

“The hiring of Mr. Watt and Mr. Maas serves to further our mission at West Catholic to provide opportunities and a positive environment for our student-athletes to grow in spirit, mind and body,” explained Rohn.

The Falcons are an MHSAA Division 3 level team. Locally, they compete in Tier 2 of the OK Conference. 

Mr. Thomas M. Maj has been appointed principal of West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids. The appointment was announced today by Reverend R. Louis Stasker, pastor/president of the Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary Schools.

Maj, who currently serves as assistant principal of Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, will assume responsibilities as West Catholic High School’s principal on July 1.

“It was a compliment to the quality of West Catholic High School that we had such fine applicants for this position. Tom has clearly demonstrated educational leadership skills and administrative abilities during the 10 years he has served as assistant principal,” said Father Stasker.  “The Catholic Secondary School Board was delighted to offer him this position.”

Maj has been assistant principal at Catholic Central High School since 1999. His responsibilities included development and implementation of policies governing faculty, staff and students; coordinating daily operations; and academic administration, including the development and implementation of courses.  Before coming to Catholic Central, he taught at Reed City High School from 1989 – 1999, where he was recognized as Teacher of the Year in 1993.

“It is a privilege to work with the parents, students, teachers, staff and administrators who further the fine tradition of Catholic school education here in West Michigan,” said Maj. “I enjoyed my years at Catholic Central and am honored to continue my support for Catholic education as principal of West Catholic. I look forward to building upon the faith foundation and academic success which are inherently a part of West Catholic.”

Maj succeeds Mr. Stanley H. Spetoskey, who, after eight years as principal, announced in March his plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2009 academic school year.

Maj earned his master’s of education from Grand Valley State University; his teacher’s certification from Central Michigan University; and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati. He and his wife, Natalie, and daughter Gabriella, reside in Rockford and attend the Cathedral of Saint Andrew.

At its annual awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 21, the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) announced honors for high school newspapers across the State. West Catholic’s newspaper, The Westword, received a Bronze Award for overall achievement.

Individual writers are also recognized by MIPA. Over 3300 entries were submitted by students from 69 high schools, and five West Catholic students received Honorable Mention awards for articles written in The Westword. These five students were Miguel Acuna, Kaelen Connolly, Paulina Glovick, Katie Sochacki, and Devon Velding.

The Westword has a staff of fourteen students. The editor-in-chief is senior Paulina Glovick, and the faculty advisor is Stacey Danevicz.

Several West Catholic High School students recently earned medals at the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association State Solo and Ensemble Competition

West Catholic senior Megan Enter received a medal for her trumpet solo and sophomore Anna Brechting earned a medal for her flute solo. Sophomore Eamon Carmody earning the top honor of a first division rating for his trumpet solo as well.

To qualify for medals students had to earn a rating of “two” (good) or one “(excellent).” All of West Catholic’s participants in State earned medals this year. 

From April 16 to April 19, seven high school students along with West Catholic religion teachers Mr. Paul Guild and Mr. Pat Nugent visited St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. The trip was the first of its kind in recent memory, and plans are already being made to return with another group next year.

St. John Vianney Seminary, the largest college seminary in the country, is the college seminary for seminarians of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. A total of 150 seminarians from various dioceses attend St. John Vianney which is located on the campus of the University of St. Thomas. Two Grand Rapids Diocesan seminarians, Scott Nolan and Charles Schwartz, are seniors at the seminary and hosted the visit.

While at St. John Vianney, the students from Grand Rapids were able to experience the seminarians’ daily regimen of study, prayer, formation, recreation, and fellowship. The high school visitors attended classes, joined in daily morning and evening prayer, Holy Hours and Mass, toured the St. Paul Cathedral and Basilica of St. Mary, had lunch with the seminary rector, and lived in the seminary dorm. All of the Grand Rapids visitors were impressed by the discernment and formation process that is in place at St. John Vianney to help the students there to follow God’s call, whether they are ultimately led to the priesthood or to married life.

Students who attended the visit from West Catholic were Matt Galloway, Mike Outman, Tony Oleck, Phillip Novak, and Ryan Diehl. Also part of the visit from Grand Rapids was Andrew Ayers from Catholic Central and Jay Burke, a local home-schooled student.

To be eligible for a Green School Certificate, a school is rated based a checklist of twenty “green” activities. These activities include recycling, energy-savings programs, and environmental and ecological projects. To earn a Certificate, a school must demonstrate participation or accomplishment in at least ten of the twenty activities. West Catholic was able to document twelve different green activities and was awarded a Green School Certificate.

West Catholic’s green activities include recycling of plastic bottles and paper, a native habitat courtyard, and solar-power projects in the Pre-engineering class. Many of these activities have been undertaken through the work of individual teachers, student clubs, and the student government.

West Catholic was one of only eight high schools, public and private, in Kent County awarded the Green School Certificate. Other Catholic schools earning the Green School Certificate were Holy Spirit, Our Lady of Consolation, and St. Andrew.

Two West Catholic High School seniors, Paulina Glovick and Stacy Siereveld, have been named third place winners for the 2009 Economic Club's Essay Contest.

The annual essay contest is sponsored by the Economic Club of Grand Rapids in cooperation with the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University. This year, local high school students were invited to submit an original essay on the subject: "The Economic and Community Impact of College or High School Athletic Programs."

Fourteen winners were named on April 20, 2009 at a luncheon meeting of the Economic Club held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. For their third place achievement, both Glovick and Siereveld received a $200 cash award. West Catholic's Social Studies Department also received two matching $200 awards.

The students' essays were written as part of the AP Economics course taught by Cynthia Kneibel.

The rain did not dampen volunteers’ spirits as students and parents from Catholic Central and West Catholic High Schools attempted to break the 26-year-old record for most cars washed in an eight-hour period this past Saturday.

The high schools were trying to break the 3,844 car wash record set in 1983 by Carroll High School students in Yakima, Washington. The Catholic Secondary Schools initially planned to wash 4,000 cars in eight hours.

Volunteers were able to wash nearly 2,000 vehicles before the car wash was cancelled at 1:30 pm due to severe weather. Any funds raised from the record breaking car wash will go to the Catholic Secondary Schools’ tuition assistance program. Pledges can still be made online.

Click here to see a photo gallery or watch video footage from Saturday’s car wash. 

On Saturday, April 25th the Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary Schools will attempt to beat the Guinness World Record for “most cars washed in an eight‐hour time period.” A free car wash will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the DeltaPlex located at 2500 Turner Avenue NW.

Three‐hundred students and adults from Catholic Central and West Catholic High Schools will attempt to break the 3,844 car wash record set in 1983 by Carroll High School students in Yakima, Washington. The Catholic Secondary Schools plan to wash 4,000 cars in eight hours.

“We were inspired to do the car wash after the massive success and national attention Grand Rapids received from last fall’s Pillow Fight and Zombie Walk,” explained Arnette Kraus, special events director for the Catholic Secondary Schools. “People can break a world record, get a car wash and support a great cause all at the same time!”

Any funds raised from the record breaking car wash will go to the Catholic Secondary Schools’ tuition assistance program. The high schools disburse almost $1.3 million per year in grants with requests for $1.6 million. Without tuition assistance, approximately 20% (almost 300) Catholic Central or West Catholic students would be unable to attend the high schools.

For more information on the Guinness Book of World Records Car Wash or to pledge a donation, please log onto wwww.worldrecordcarwash.com.

They shot for the moon, and now West Catholic High School’s robotics team has earned a spot in the 2009 FIRST Robotics National Championship that will be held in Atlanta, Georgia April 16-18. 

For two action-packed days, 344 teams representing the U.S. and countries from around the world will be locked in an intense, but friendly robotics competition at the Georgia Dome and World Congress Center. The FIRST Robotics Competition Championship is designed to students’ ingenuity, critical thinking skills and knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math as they maneuver remote-controlled robots they built around a playing field while performing various mechanical skills.

“Robotics is a critical component of West Catholic’s pre-college engineering program because it engages students in science, technology, engineering and math education,” explained Tom Kutzli, West Catholic’s robotics team advisor. “The competition also fosters students’ teamwork, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills that will better prepare them to enter the work force, regardless of what career they choose.”

This year's challenge, "Lunacy" celebrates the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11's historic mission to the moon. It features red and blue alliances, consisting of three teams that compete to outscore each other in a two-minute and 15-second match. To simulate driving in the one-sixth gravity on the surface of the moon, the students maneuvered their robots on a game field "crater" that was covered with a slick, polymer material. Each remote-controlled robot carried a trailer and, in order to score, threw "orbit balls," designated as Moon Rocks, Empty Cells or Super Cells, into the opposing team's trailer.  

Last month, West Catholic’s robotics team, Enigma, made it to the semi-finals at the FIRST Robotics District Competitions in Lansing and West Michigan. As a result, the team qualified for the State competition with a ranking of 52nd out of 132 Michigan teams. Enigma will now compete in the national championship in Atlanta alongside other nationally-ranked high school robotics teams.

The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition helps students discover the rewards and excitement of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The students were given a common engineering problem to solve using a standard kit of parts and a common set of rules, but no instructions. Working with mentors, they had six weeks to build a robot, using their minds, their innovation and a lot of teamwork.

West Catholic will bring the stage version of the popular 1954 MGM musical “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” to the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center in grand fashion April 22-25, with all the lyrics and dancing of the original–plus more! 

The musical is set in 1850s Oregon and is about “Millie,” a young bride who plans to civilize and marry off her six rowdy brothers-in-law in order to save her own marriage to the elder brother, “Adam.” The plan backfires when the brothers kidnap six women from a neighboring town to be their brides. The town retaliates, but an avalanche closes Echo Pass and keeps them from rescuing their beloved gals. Boisterous fun and romance ensues.

The musical production is being directed by theater teacher Mrs. Sherry Lee Allen and includes a large student cast. Adam Pontipee (Howie Hehrer); Millie (Jacquie Sochacki); Pontipee Brothers: Gideon (Sam Jones), Benjamin (Ethan Tanis), Caleb (Billy Wisz), Daniel (Andrew Bearinger), Ephraim (Mike Hurst) and Frank (Tyler Baldwin) and Brides: Alice (Erika Derylo), Dorcas (Jessica McDonough), Ruth (Marisa Livingston), Liza (Kenzie Clark), Martha (Sarah Truskowski) and Sarah (Kate Wiltz); Suitors: Jeb (Josh Laske), Carl (Stephen Guild), Luke (Dan Liden), Matt (Debbie LaPonsie), Joel (James McCarthy) and Zeke (Trent Clark).

Townspeople: Preacher (John Guild), Mr.Bixby (Josh Laske), Mrs. Bixby (Chloe Palkanis), Mr. Perkins (Dan Liden), Mrs. Perkins (Kelly McCarthy), Lumberman #1 (John “Woody” Nelson), Lumberman #2 (Joe Slomski), Lumberman #3 (Nick DeRyke) and Lumberman #4 (James Gork); Towngirls: Nellie (Madelyn Drumm), Margaret (Caitlin Morrow), Annabelle (Lindsay Zenner), Lauraley (Dance Captain  Chelsea Sedlecky), Kimberly (Devon Velding), Gertrude (Jennifer Stancroff) and Valerie (Katie Buczek). 

Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 22, 23, 24, and 25. A 3:00 p.m. matinee is scheduled for April 25. Tickets can be purchased through the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center Box Office by calling (616) 456-6656.

The Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary Schools will host its first annual High School Chinese Language Speech Contest on Saturday, April 18 at 9:00 a.m. at West Catholic High School.

The contest will provide opportunities for young high school students of Mandarin Chinese to make presentations in Mandarin and to inspire more students to improve their proficiency in the language. It is also hoped that the contest will encourage students to further their understanding of China, Taiwan, its people, and its culture.

Catholic Central and West Catholic began offering Chinese language instruction in Fall 2007 alongside the traditional Spanish, French and Latin classes. The courses offer students an introduction to the Chinese language with an emphasis on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The classes also provide students with a basic introduction to Chinese language, society and culture.

The Virginia-based American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages estimates there are 30,000 to 50,000 U.S. students studying Mandarin Chinese, up from 5,000 in 2000. Still, American students lag far behind their Asian counterparts: In China, some 240 million children are studying English.

The Science Olympiad team recently participated in the Regional Competition at Grand Valley State University garnering several medals and awards for their preparation and skill. 

West Catholic’s Science Olympiad students placed in the top 10 in 15 of the 23 events and also claimed four medals. The high school was awarded a plaque for Commendable Achievement as the most improved team. West Catholic finished 9^th as a team out of 25 schools and missed moving onto State competition by only three places.

Medals were awarded for:

Technical Problem Solving – 1^st place—Stacy Siereveld and Dan Liden

Chem Lab – 5^th place—Megan Enter and Katie Kosnik

Environmental Chem – 5^th place—Megan Enter and Rachel Szczytko

Junkyard Challenge – 5^th place—Jake Kneibel and Miles Johnson

West Catholic’s Science Olympiad team consists of fifteen students coached by science teacher Mrs. Diane Ysasi. Other team members include: Brian Nawrocki, Emily Franckowiak, Ethan Tanis, Tyler Baldwin, Billy Wisz, Sarah Huber, Doreen Mbekenga, and Caitlin Morrow.

The team has been practicing and preparing for the 23 different events since the beginning of the school year.

The team participated in the FIRST Robotics District Competition on March 18, 19 and 20 at the Lansing Conference Center. Team Enigma earned its way to the Semi-Finals at the Lansing District Competition before finally being defeated by the eventual winning alliance.

On March 27 and 28, Team Enigma competed at the West Michigan District Competition at Grand Valley Sate University. The team again reached the Semi-Finals. West Catholic’s team also earned the Underwriters Laboratories Industrial Safety Award.

FIRST Robotics is a national competition in which high school students design and build a robot to compete in a specified game. In this year’s game, “FIRST Lunacy,” students’ robots are designed to maneuver around a track covered in “Regolith,” a low—friction moon-surface simulation “crater” tossing 9" polymer coated “Moon Rocks” about into opposing team trailers to gain team points. “Empty Cells” and “Moon Rocks” count for 2 points against teams, but “Super Cells” (earned in the last 20 seconds) count for 15 points against teams.

The team is coached by West Catholic technology teacher Mr. Tom Kutzli, assisted by several parent mentors and engineers as well as by engineers from GE Aviation.

According to Kutzli, “Many people think that FIRST robotics is just about building a robot. In reality it is about preparing students to be future engineers, marketers, fund-raisers, media specialists, and team members. Building the robot is just a fun way of accomplishing all these goals.”

Team sponsors include: GE Aviation, Richard W. Panek DDS, BP&R Engineering, Buist Electric, Viastore Systems, and the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

Two teams from West Catholic took part in the Math Challenge Competition at Grand Rapids Community College on March 14. West Catholic took 2nd and 3rd place in the Alpha Division, coming in less than three points behind 1st place Grand Rapids City.

In all three divisions of the competition, there were twenty teams involved and the West Catholic teams placed 5th and 6th overall. The Math Challenge consists of teams of six students from the 9th and 10th grades who compete in four different events, involving both team and individual problem-solving skills.

Top individual scorers for West Catholic were sophomores Jared Heys, Eamon Carmody, and Phillip Novak. Other members of the 2nd place team were Katie Kosnik, Call Coddington, and Libby Schichtel.

West Catholic’s other team placed 3rd in the division. Its members were Jake Kneibel, Ryan Diehl, Rachel Szczytko, Nick Dyga, Meg Feldman, and Jacob Dean. Less than one point separated West Catholic’s two teams.

The teams are coached by math teachers Miss Sandy Golembiewski and Mr. Pat Nugent.

Three members of the West Catholic Swimming and Diving team have qualified for competition at the Division 3 State Meet.

“State meet qualifications are very hard to achieve. These three West Catholic varsity athletes have put in many hours of dedicated practice time, and qualifying is a tremendous reward for their overall work ethic,” explained Coach Murray MacGready.

Sophomore diver Nick Burciaga qualified for the State competition by becoming the first diver ever from West Catholic to win a regional diving championship. He also placed first in the O-K Rainbow Conference Meet. Senior diver Dustin Pawloski placed seventh at Regionals and second in the conference to qualify for State. Senior swimmer Tyler Heitzman won the O-K Rainbow Championship in the 100 Yard Breaststroke, and his winning time qualified him for the State Meet also.

Coach MacGready is assisted by Steve Kosten and Steve Burciaga.

On March 19, 2009 the Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary School administration drafted a letter in response to parent concerns regarding the high schools’ grading scale and/or honor points.

West Catholic High School will hold its second annual Celebrate West! Auction on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 5:30 p.m. at the new LEED-certified gymnasium located at 1801 Bristol NW.

The evening will begin at 5:00 p.m. with a West Catholic Mass celebrated by Fr. R. Louis Stasker, Pastor/President of the Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary Schools in the high school’s cafeteria. Other highlights of the night include silent and live auctions featuring electronics, home décor, gift certificates, and much more. The auction will also feature the popular $5,000 Cash Raffle.

Proceeds from the Celebrate West! Auction benefit the Catholic Secondary Schools’ tuition assistance program. The Catholic Secondary Schools disburse almost $1.3 million per year in grants with requests for $1.6 million. Without tuition assistance, approximately 20% (almost 300) Catholic Central or West Catholic students would be unable to attend the high schools.

“This is going to be a great evening with many one-of-a-kind items up for bid and fun raffles to participate in,” said Patty Konwinski, Celebrate West! Auction Chair. “The auction will raise funds for tuition assistance, which keeps tuition costs down for families in need.”

Tickets for the Celebrate West! Auction are $25 per person and include dinner and drinks. For more information, please contact Patty Konwinski at (616) 784-5749 or log onto www.celebratewest.org.

On Friday, March 6, the West Catholic Band received a first division rating at the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) Concert Festival. 

This MSBOA rating officially recognizes West Catholic as an “excellent” ranked band at the state level. Each participating band was evaluated by three performance judges and one sight-reading judge. Ensembles are rated on a scale from 1 to 5 with 1 being the highest rating possible.

“I couldn’t be happier for our students, especially the seniors. This is something special that we will all remember for years to come,” stated Darren LaPrise, West Catholic’s band director. “I am so proud of our program, students and parents. It was a definite team effort!” 

Ensembles that earned an overall 1 rating (or "Superior") qualified for the State Band & Orchestra Festival which is held in late April or early May. The band is also directed by Mr. Josh Doe.

Rev. R. Louis Stasker, pastor/president of the Grand Rapids Catholic Secondary Schools has announced the retirement of West Catholic High School Principal Stanley H. Spetoskey effective at the conclusion of the 2009 academic school year. Spetoskey submitted notice of his retirement to Father Stasker and the Catholic Secondary School Board in early February.

“Stan has served West Catholic with distinction during his eight years as principal,” said Father Stasker. “His commitment to academic excellence and the formation of the students in their Catholic faith has been invaluable and a hallmark of his tenure.”

The sixth principal in West Catholic’s history, Spetoskey was hired in 2001.A graduate of Catholic Central High School, Grand Valley State University and Western Michigan University, where he earned his master’s degree, Spetoskey worked for many years as a teacher, administrator and coach in the Grand Rapids Public Schools prior to being hired by West Catholic.

“As a product of the Catholic schools in Grand Rapids, it was wonderful to return to my roots when I arrived at West Catholic in the summer of 2001,” said Spetoskey. “My years at West Catholic have been a blessing to me, my wife Katie and my entire family.”

Under Spetoskey’s eight year tenure, enrollment at West Catholic has increased approximately nine percent. Standardized test scores have risen and the school’s emphasis on its Catholic identity and that of its students has continued through student retreats, community service projects, peer ministry apprenticeship and other activities. In addition, construction of the school’s new LEED-certified gymnasium was completed.

“We have seen many positive changes in the last eight years in the spiritual growth, academic success and school environment at West Catholic,” Spetoskey said. “I firmly believe that the West Catholic community will see continual growth in all the areas defined by the school’s mission.”

A search for a new principal has been instituted. Additional information is available on the diocesan website, dioceseofgrandrapids.org.

On February 24, six West Catholic students traveled to Flint to compete in Math Field Day. This event was sponsored by the University of Michigan-Flint. Thirty-five schools competed in six different events, including both team and individual contests.

The West Catholic team consisted of Alex Herrington, Francis Burns, Zach Hartman, Collette Gravelyn, Phil Novak and Beatriz Yamamoto. They were coached by math teacher Mrs. Rebecca Cortes.

This was West Catholic’s first year of participation in the Math Field Day, and they faced some very strong competition. The team did win its Swiss Game event. Additionally, sophomore Phil Novak won a medal for second place in the Mad Hatter event. 

The team learned a lot about the competition and enjoyed expanding their math skills. They are looking forward to next year’s Math Field Day.

The West Catholic Boys Bowling team qualified for the State Tournament to be held March 6 in Sterling Heights. The team placed third in its regional tournament to earn the berth at State.

The team is coached by Mr. Chuck Pitsch and consists of the following students: Nick Brown, Nick Byrne, Trent Clark, Zack Kasperlik, Rodney Kosters, Steve Kuzma, Patrick Nink, Claeb Steil, and Ethan Tanis.

In addition, the following members of the boys and girls teams also qualified for individual competition at State on March 7: Nick Byrne, Caleb Steil, and Kayla Feutz.

West Catholic religion teacher Dave Mish won the Paczki Eating Contest sponsored by the Family Fare Supermarket on Lake Michigan Drive. Teams of teachers from West Side schools were invited to compete in the contest. The winner was the teacher who was able to eat two paczkis in the fastest time.

Dave Mish came in first place overall. He won $300 to be spent on supplies for his classroom. Other West Catholic team members were Paul Guild, Mike Ketelaar, and Diane Ysasi. Previous years’ winners include West Catholic teachers Paul Guild and Mike Reynolds.

West Catholic senior Matthew Galloway has been named a finalist in the 2009 Fireside Essay Scholarship competition. From 387 entries from across the United States and Canada, 34 students, including Galloway, were chosen as finalists. Another round of judging will now take place, and the five winners of $1,000 scholarships will be announced in April.

Fireside Catholic Publishing has sponsored the Fireside Essay Scholarship for 19 years. The scholarship was created to recognize students who have embraced religious education.

High schools may choose one student from the senior class to submit an essay in the competition. The essay is written on the subject of the value and impact of Catholic education.

Mr. Michael Cherrette, Chairman of the West Catholic Religion Department, coordinates the competition at West Catholic High School.

West Catholic High School senior Matthew Schmalzel has been named a Finalist in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program. Approximately 15,000 Finalists have been designated nationwide. Each finalist is now eligible for one of the 8,200 Merit Scholarships to be presented by July.

Bruce Lee, Director of Guidance at West Catholic, describes Schmalzel as “creative, hard-working, thoughtful and intelligent.” According to Lee, “Matt is multi-talented. His ability in math and science is off the charts, and his artistic abilities in drama and architecture make him a special student.”

Schmalzel is the son of Darrel and Deborah Schmalzel. He is a graduate of St. Anthony’s School. At West Catholic, he has pursued a challenging academic schedule which includes five AP courses this year. He is the senior class president, and he also participates in Ice Hockey, Drama, Quiz Bowl, Art Club, and Peer Ministry.

West Catholic seniors, Paulina Glovick and Daniel Liden, have been announced as National Merit Commended Scholars.

More than 1.5 million juniors in over 21,000 high schools entered the 2009 National Merit Program by taking the 2007 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. 16,000 Semifinalists were named in September 2008.  The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represented less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and included the highest scoring entrants in each state.

To become a Finalist, a Semifinalist must have had an outstanding academic record throughout high school, been endorsed and recommended by the high school principal, and earned SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. The Semifinalist and a high school official submitted a detailed scholarship application, which included the student’s self-descriptive essay and information about the Semifinalist’s participation and leadership in school and community activities.

The West Catholic Art Club was recently involved in an exciting community project. Club members were invited to decorate two large tables for the new Dinosaurs – Just Imagine exhibit which opens at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids on February 21.

Seniors Marisa Livingston and Matt Schmalzel designed the images, and, under the guidance of West Catholic art teacher Mrs. Lisa Nawrocki, club members spent many hours painting the tables. The tables feature aerial perspectives of dinosaurs and their environment. The tables will be used in this fantasy-fueled time travel exhibit for children to play on with toy dinosaurs in the hands-on section. The exhibit will be on display through May 25, 2009.

Noting the excitement generated among the students by the project, Nawrocki said, “It will be really neat when my students get to see the tables on display in the exhibit. We are going to go see the exhibit the first week it is open.”

This museum project is just one of many ways the West Catholic Art Club serves the school and community. Each year the club paints holiday scenes on the windows of the Grand Rapids Northwest Post Office. They also decorate pumpkins for teachers each October and lend their artistic talents to other events around the community.

West Catholic senior artist Matt Schmalzel reflected on the clubs service, stating, “The museum tables were a lot of fun to paint, and it was fulfilling to know that we were giving back to the community.”

View photos of the dinosaur-inspired tables below.

Table 1 Table 2 Table 3

Players in the girls' varsity basketball game between West Catholic and Sparta high schools will be sporting pink along with the crowd at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 at West Catholic's field house in support of Gilda's Club and its work to ease the impact of breast cancer on area residents.

For an $8 donation, those attending the game will get free admission and a "Think Pink" T-shirt of which net proceeds will go to support Gilda's Club Grand Rapids and its mission of providing social and emotional support for individuals living with cancer. Regular admission to the game is $5.To add to the festivities, the girl's basketball team from West Catholic will don "Think Pink" uniforms instead of the traditional green-and-white school colors, and the Sparta girl's team will wear pink accessories. The game culminates the West Catholic student government's Pretty in Pink Day which has raised more than $5,000 during the past five years.

Leann Arkema, president and CEO of Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, said the club was thrilled at the proposal by West Catholic senior Samantha Gutowski to include a girl's basketball game in support of the 8th anniversary of the club that will be held Feb. 15, the same week as the game. "It's wonderful to see our high school students take such an interest in causes such as Gilda's Club," Arkema said.

Gutowski said the team thought it would be appropriate to cap the school's day of support for those living with breast cancer with a family-oriented activity like a basketball game because the disease can touch so many families. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women except for some forms of skin cancer, and the color pink traditionally is used to signify support for breast cancer initiatives. 

In addition to the game itself, students and staff at West Catholic High School and St. Anthony of Padua, Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity elementary schools can pay $2 to wear pink clothing on the day of the game instead of their traditional school uniform.  

Individuals or companies that want to join in the effort for the Think Pink game can contact Walt Gutowski at walt@swiftprinting.com or call 540-4263. For more information on Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, visit gildasclubgr.org.

Over the course of the first semester, West Catholic High School students collected over $3,900 to support worthy causes and people in need in Grand Rapids and across the nation.

Help the Needy (HTN) is a longstanding tradition at West Catholic. Each day in religion class, students take up a collection of spare change which is placed in an account available for worthy causes and charities. Students are encouraged to suggest recipients for this money.

HTN funds were given to the following causes, charities, and individuals: juvenile diabetes research, breast cancer research, Make a Wish Foundation, Catholic Church Extension Society, Thanksgiving food baskets for local families, a local family for expenses related to a long-term illness and death, and local students needing winter clothing assistance.

On Saturday, January 31, the Catholic Central/West Catholic Alumni and Friends Association will host a family skating party at Rosa Parks Circle Ice Rink in downtown Grand Rapids from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

“We wanted to create an event that would bring families out into the community to celebrate Catholic Schools Week together,” explained Adam Schwallier, president of the CC/WC Alumni and Friends Association. “It should be a fun time for the entire family.”

Along with two hours of ice skating and fun, a hot dog meal catered by The Dog Pit will be available for $5 per person and includes chips and a fountain drink. Admission for access to the Rosa Parks Circle Ice Rink is $1 and skates are free with I.D.

Catholic Schools Week will draw to a close on Sunday, February 1 with students from Catholic Central and West Catholic High Schools speaking about the importance of Catholic education at scheduled Mass times in parishes throughout the Greater Grand Rapids area.

The Catholic Secondary Schools are hitting the airwaves on Thursday, January 29 in celebration of Catholic Schools Week during a day-long radiothon. Tune into several local radio stations to hear about the important role Catholic high schools play in providing a strong faith-based education for Grand Rapids area youth.

From 8:00-10:00 a.m., tune into 100.5 WTRV-FM The River for a live remote broadcast from West Catholic High School’s new LEED-certified gymnasium with mid-day host Gene Parker. Listen for a series of interviews from alumni, students, parents, pastors and community leaders on the significant impact Catholic and West Catholic High Schools have on students’ lives. Alumni and friends are also invited to stop by for coffee, donuts and conversation in the gym lobby during the broadcast.

Then tune in at noon to WLHT 95.7 where Fr. Lou Stasker, pastor/president of the Catholic Secondary Schools will speak live to mid-day host Kim Carlson followed by a live broadcast on 98.7 WFGR-FM Oldies channel with host Len O’Kelly from 2:00-6:00 p.m. at Catholic Central’s gymnasium lobby at 319 Sheldon Blvd. Hear personal stories from current and former students, educators and local leaders about how Catholic education is touching thousands of lives through its commitment to service and educating every student in spirit, mind and body. Alumni and friends are invited to stop by the gym for refreshments and conversation during the live broadcast.

On Saturday, January 31, the Catholic Central/West Catholic Alumni and Friends Association is hosting a family skating party at Rosa Parks Circle from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. with a hot dog meal catered by The Dog Pit ($5).

Catholic Schools Week will draw to a close on Sunday, February 1 with students from Catholic Central and West Catholic High Schools speaking about the importance of Catholic education at scheduled Mass times in parishes throughout the Greater Grand Rapids area.

Today Grand Rapids area Catholic high school and elementary students will participate in a rosary and/or prayer service in honor of Catholic education. Join in at your church, school, home, office or listen and watch CSS students recite the Rosary.

As part of Catholic Schools Week 2009, Catholic Central and West Catholic High Schools will join 7,800 Catholic schools nationwide in celebrating what makes Catholic education so special. School open houses, rosary and prayer services, a Community Service Radiothon and artistic showcases and athletic and family events are planned throughout the week.

Catholic Schools Week is a joint initiative of the National Catholic Education Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to showcase the great accomplishments and contributions of Catholic schools in the U.S.

“Community outreach is an important part of Catholic education,” said Fr. R. Louis Stasker, pastor/president of the Catholic Secondary Schools. “Catholic Central and West Catholic students volunteer more than 20,000 hours per year in the Greater Grand Rapids community alone.”

The 2009 theme “Catholic Schools: Celebrate Service” encourages students to perform service for others and live out social justice in their daily lives. Students a