130 South Wells Road Ventura California 93004 805-672-0411 Fax 805-672-2365 e-mail StAugAcad@juno.

com

St. Augustine Academy

www.SaintAugustineAcademy.com

March 16, 2012 St. Matilda (Patroness of large families!)

Board of Governors

REPORT CARDS TODAY!

Please sign and return

President Thomas Q. Ellis Secretary Robert R. Orellana, Esq. Treasurer Michael C. Collins Members Abel Montiel Jeff Schuberg Louise Warnert Michael F. McLean, Ph.D.

Dear Families:

Nashville was a truly energizing event for me. The talks on Integrating Catholic Identity Across the Curriculum were tailor made for St. Augustine Academy. Archbishop Miller, former Secretary of Education for the Holy See was the main speaker. Also speaking were Dr. Sam Gregg and Dr. Michael Miller, both of the Acton Institute. All three talks hammered home the importance of a correct orientation of the schools understanding of Christian anthropology, from whence all else flows. When one recognizes the divine call, and the inherent dignity of man, all else falls into place quite reasonably. St. Augustine Academy enjoys this fundamental, philosophical orientation in her mission, her faculty and board, in the curriculum, as well as in the shared likeness of mind in her families. We have a rare jewel in St. Augustine Academy, and I was thanking God heartily for the blessing of her. As the weeks go on, I will share parts of some of the talks.

Headmaster Michael J. Van Hecke, M.Ed.

Board of Advisors Mr. John W. Blewett Wanderer Forum Foundation Hon. Jeremiah Denton Former U.S. Senator Mr. Nicholas J. Healy, Jr. President Ave Maria University Dr. Ronald P. McArthur Co-founder Thomas Aquinas College Mr. Roy S. Rohter, S.F.O. Founder St. Augustine Academy Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R. Chancellor Franciscan University Mr. James Stenson Educator and Author

Yesterday we had a great day on campus Classical Day. You could not have missed the colorful and impressive designs of the chariot building as you drove through over the last two weeks. A powerful camaraderie has grown among the members of the different Greek and Roman city teams. And it all came out in the good natured, yet intense competition. A huge thanks to Mr. Zepeda for all the artistic wisdom he brought to this event, not to mention his endless bucket of energy! Also, Mrs. Krestyn who did so much to help guide and direct the classical activities. And thanks are due to Mrs. Thomas and the Latin teachers for the various skits prepared for the day. And finally, to all the teachers who volunteered their time and talent to run the day. Finally, a few words about our annual Cultural Night Out for the High School which was held last Saturday night. As is often the case, we received rave compliments about our students behavior, dress and visible grace. As I sat listening to a most sublime movement of the Violin Sonata the drama of the evening was palpable in my heart my eyes even welled with the joy of contentment one feels when all is well for a moment, when Heaven breaks through the veil and shines right into our soul. Our kids were here, in the midst of this lovely setting, listening to the best of music, music formative of the order in the soul, music which can be said to be beautiful objectively beautiful and they were, in their comportment, perfect. They were sweet like the tone issuing from the Stradavarius violin being played on stage the most perfect instrument made by human hands. They were powerful in their presence, like the other violin on stage that night, the very violin used in 1813 in the premier performance of the Symphony we were hearing, Beethovens masterful 7th.

CALENDAR NOTES: 3rd Qtr. Report Cards Sent Home Mar 16th th St. Patricks Day Celebration extended lunch. Dance and music 11:30AM. Mar 19 st nd Mar 21 -22 Parent-Teacher Conferences 3-5 PM Mar 25th -28th WCEA/WASC Visiting Team Visitation Days. Feast of the Annunciation Mar 26th th th Mar 29 -30 CTBS Testing for grades 4-10.

FIRST COMMUNION April 21st at 10 AM. Fr. Joe Shea will preside with our very own Deacon Jason Miller attending Father. The Mass will be held at St. Mary Magdalen Chapel in Camarillo. Come if you can. PLAY! Thursday Night, April 26th. The play is now officially scheduled. It will be at Poinsettia Pavilion, Ventura. Mark your calendars now. CULTURAL NIGHT OUT Thanks, studentsit was the best night out ever. You were perfect! And what about that music Rossini, Krongold and Beethoven sublime, exciting, fun and powerful - wow! This was a treat to remember through the years. Saint Patricks Day Celebration (and SAINT JOSEPH, TOO!) Monday, March 19th. See flyer. Students from the whole school, K-12 may wear green shirts that day with their uniform skirts or pants. Shirts should comply with Relaxed Dress guidelines on page 19 in the handbook. For the Upper School Students, some of the kids will be doing some music and dance during lunchtime. WCEA/WASC Visiting Team arrives Sunday, March 25th. We will have a welcome meeting with the Visiting team. This is the time during the week that they want to meet parents of the school, so as many parents as can make it should show up for a reception and roundtable. The time for this will be from 3:00 4:00 PM on Sunday. Enclosed today is a tentative schedule for the week. GOLF-A-THON Time is speeding up, ask the physics class. OK, maybe it is not, but it feels like it. We still have a long way to go. We will make our first $ report next week. We DID get some sponsorships and advertisements in this week, and that is GREAT but we have a long way to gomake those calls! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Mrs. Alva could still use a little more help on the Hospitality Team for the Accreditation visit. Please call Mrs. Alva or email her to let her know you can help. Three members will be here from Sunday through Wednesday, the last week of March. ALUMNI NOTE Zach Hildebrandt (10) won the boxing championship title at West Point now is off to regionals and nationals go Zach! CTBS Testing Grades 4-10 will have their annual standardized tests on March 29th and 30th. Basketball Season WINDING DOWN! Please come out and cheer on our student athletes. Middle School Boys: Playoffs: Thanks Coach Seeley it was an exciting season! Middle School Girls: Playoffs: Friday, March 16th at 3:30 PM at St. Bonaventure Gym
Ora Pro Nobis: For Colette Hanlon (grade 10) who is recovering from her surgery. For John Hernandez, grandfather to the Enriquezs, Galvans, and Olveras who is recovering from successful surgery. For Mrs. Angel Castillo (Pilars mom who is battling her cancer.) Special prayers for Rosie Grimm pray especially to Cardinal Newman! For Mr. Van Heckes sister-in-law, Dyanne Van Hecke. For Mr. Ed Mills, grandfather of Julie, who is still ill. Let us remember to pray for one another. For a special intention. For all who are suffering illness in the school. And we continue to pray for Mario Antignani, Jim Stehly, Gloria Magana, Mary Ellis, and Anita Ramirez. Finally, remember to pray for our country, our soldiers, and for all priests and religious, especially our Archbishop Jose Gomez and our Holy Father, Benedict.

Saint Augustine Academys

GOLF-A-THON 2012
GOLF-A-THON UPDATE
Dear SAA Dads, With a few weeks under our belt and only a few more to go, we dads need to man up! The students raised $35,000 in the Jog-a-thon. The moms raised $108,900 in the Auction. The dads so far have raised about $10,000 for the Golf-a-thon. Kind of embarrassing wouldnt you say? Especially given that the dads are being offered the opportunity to win FREE tuition! I know we dads are procrastinators, always promising to get to it tomorrow. But it is NEVER tomorrow it is always TODAY. So lets make today the day that we step up & ask our friends, colleagues, & neighbors to help support the awesome institution that is Saint Augustine Academy, with whom we have partnered in the forming of our childrens souls, minds, & hearts! Not golfing? It doesnt matter pick a friend who is golfing and raise pledges as a team. You will get full credit for the pledges you raise towards the FREE tuition raffle whether you are golfing or not. Remember, every $500 in pledges that you collect ($5/hole or flat pledges) gets you a raffle ticket to enter the FREE tuition drawing. There are 5 FREE tuition prizes. Make sure you are in that drawing!
Thanks the Golf-A-Thon committee