The Ram Page

September 29, 2023

Bi-Weekly Newsletter for Garces Families, Students, Alumni & Friends

End of 1st Quarter

Oct. 6

Homecoming Week

Oct. 2-6

Homecoming Game vs Frontier

Oct. 6

Homecoming Dance

Oct. 7

Fall Awards

Oct. 11

Holy Smoke Fall BBQ

Oct. 12

Catholic Ed Convention

October 13th

Ramchella

October 13th

PSAT All-School Testing

Oct. 18

Follow us on our social media sites to stay up to date on the latest updates from Garces Memorial

Dear Garces Memorial High School community,

I hope this message finds you well as we dive into another exciting school year filled with opportunities for growth and achievement. As the newly appointed Assistant Principal for Student Life, I want to emphasize the significance of student life in our educational journey. At Garces, we believe that a well-rounded education extends beyond the classroom. It encompasses the rich tapestry of experiences and interactions that shape our students into compassionate, responsible and confident individuals. Our vibrant student life programs, clubs and extracurricular activities provide the foundation for personal development and the cultivation of life skills. These activities foster teamwork, leadership and a sense of belonging that enhances their high school experience. We encourage every student to get involved, explore their passions and forge lasting friendships that will be cherished for years to come.

Speaking of getting involved, our recent annual Club Day showcased the wonderful array of service, special interest and cultural clubs we have to offer. Don't miss out on upcoming events like our holiday-themed Homecoming during the week of October 2-7. Join us on Oct. 6 for our homecoming football game, where we will honor our homecoming court and showcase our halftime performances. Our students have been hard at work creating entertaining skits based on our homecoming holiday themes, which will be performed at halftime.

Another exciting event on the horizon is our inaugural Ramchella Visual and Performing Arts Showcase. Join us in the quad on Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. as we celebrate the diverse talents within our student community. In addition to the showcase, our FFA chapter will be hosting a farmers market with various goods, so don't forget to bring some cash to support their initiatives.

If you'd like to stay more connected with the vibrant world of student life at Garces, be sure to follow us on Instagram @garcesasb. Together, let's make this school year one filled with unforgettable moments, personal growth and a sense of belonging.

Caitlin Thompson

Assistant Principal for Student Life

cthompson@garces.org

The sophomore class had their annual overnight retreat at Three Rivers last week.

The students stayed at Santa Teresita Youth Center. The boys and girls were separated and had two days full of fun, prayer and fellowship.

Our students got to spend time getting to know each other and also dove deeper into the God-given gift of authentic femininity and masculinity. Everyone got a chance to deepen their relationships with our Lord, each other and to go to the sacraments of reconciliation and attend Holy Mass.

For those sophomores that stayed back on campus because of prior commitments, they spent the two days on an on-campus retreat with Principal Leon.

This week in Garces Athletics

Cross County

The Rams competed in the first River League meet at Hart Park on Wednesday. Freshman Michelle Antongiovanni led Garces with a seventh-place finish in a time of 21 minutes, 2.85 seconds, the top time for freshmen girls and was helped by Sophia Moody, London Shoffner, Lola Rodriguez and Isabel Lopez as the Rams are inching closer to the top spot in Division V in the Central Section. The cross country team is back in action at the Ted Oliver Invitational Saturday at Pyles Boys Camp.

Football

In the final non-league game of the season, Gunter Golla broke three program records in a 47-13 road win over Porterville-Monache on Sept. 15. His 407 passing yards broke the previous record of 370 by Cruise Adams in 2012. Golla also ran for ran for 55 yards, also breaking a record for passing/rushing at 462 yards in a game. That previous record was set in 1956 by Joe Hernandez (413 yards). Golla also broke the school record for passing yards in a game with six.

The Rams lost Thursday night on the road to Liberty 41-13 in the league opener. Austyn Hernandez led the Rams with 120 rushing yards while Rickey Johnson recovered a fumble for a touchdown.

Girls Golf

The Rams finished third on Thursday in the River League Meet No. 4 at Sundale Country Club. The Rams remain in first place in league standings with three league tournaments left in the regular season.

Girls Tennis

Garces finished off the first half of league play with an 8-1 win at Stockdale on Tuesday. In the rematch with Liberty at home on Thursday, the Rams won two of the three doubles matches but fell to the Patriots 5-4.

Volleyball

Last Saturday, the Rams took third at the Redwood Invitational in Visalia before home losses this week to Bakersfield Christian and Centennial. The Rams are 21-6, the second-most wins before October for the program in more than two decades.

Water Polo

It was a fun first week of league play for the water polo program as all four teams defeated Liberty and Frontier at home. Freshman Eden Coughran led the varsity girls with 10 goals in a 25-2 win over Liberty on Monday and followed that performance with eight goals in a 19-1 win over Frontier on Wednesday.

On the boys side, senior Johnny Mendiburu had seven goals against Liberty in a 29-1 victory while Johnny Starr led the Rams with seven goals in a 20-3 win over Frontier.

The varsity boys will be in Pomona on Saturday taking on Rancho Cucamonga-Alta Loma in non-league action before the varsity teams host Bakersfield Christian on Monday.

Be sure to follow Garces Athletics on social media @GarcesAthletics for updated information and scores.

It was an incredible two weeks for the Garces Memorial FFA chapter at the Kern County Fair. The Rams came away with two grand champions in Analeina Lugo and Braden Turman.

In total, 11 major awards were handed out to Garces Memorial students with more still to come as multiple buckles and banners were achieved.

"God has truly blessed this chapter with amazing young leaders and exceptional families," FFA advisor Ashleigh Rossi said. "Every single one plays a role in the success of the team."

In a weekly installment that will run the rest of the school year, we will honor a faculty member here at Garces Memorial every Tuesday.

First up, Ms. Jessica Pavletich.

An alum from the class of 2011, Ms. Pav is in her eighth year teaching at Garces while also in her second stint as the boys and girls swim coach.

HOLY SMOKE

GARCES FALL BBQ

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12

GET YOUR TICKETS!

Tickets for the Garces Holy Smoke Fall BBQ are on sale on our website and at the office.

BBQ tickets include an open bar and a NY steak dinner. There will also be dancing to a live band, Valley Fever. Tickets are $75 for one, $125 for two and each additional ticket is $60. You can also sponsor a Garces teacher BBQ ticket for $40.

Since our last newsletter, the following have generously agreed to sponsor the Garces Holy Smoke Fall BBQ. Thank you so much to everyone helping us underwrite a great night on our campus to support our mission.

• The Jeremy & Lauren Helper Family
• Jessica Pounds
• The Hail Mary Club
• Phil & Lisa Cerro
• Dewar's Candy & Ice Cream Shop
• Michelle Pisano
• Sangera Automotive Group
• Marantha Gardening & Landscaping
• Payless Towing

2023 Hall of Honor

Thursday, November 16

Luigi's Warehouse

Get your tickets for the 2023 Hall of Honor.! This year's inductees are:

• Damon Culbertson
• Steve Lewis '64
• Rich Romo '70
• Jeremy Tobias '84

The Alumni Award recipient is the Mike & Laura Etcheverry Family.

The Garces Alumni Board is hard at work to make it a memorable evening. Members of the Alumni Board are Chairman Gregg Gunner '66; Cindy (Duncan) Lynch '68, Mary (Loken) Cornett '68, Tom Swertfager '69, Jim Sakowski '70, Melissa Fortune '72, Carolyn Antongiovanni '72, Mike Georgino '75, George Clerou '76, Katie (Anspach) Whittington '77, Bernadette (Eyherabide) Root '78, Raji Sanghera '87, Maria (Bernal) Toretta '88, Courtney (Kirschenmann) Tobias '92, Lexi (Antongiovanni) Clerou '06, and John Moore III '07.

Thank you to our sponsors to date:

• Bruce Beretta & Melissa Fortune
• A+ Shredding/Joe Antongiovanni
• Jim & Debbie Sakowski
• Jenny Poncetta & Christiane Camou
• Jennifer Lewis
• Mike & Shelley Georgino
• Gregg Gunner
• Steven & Janet Antongiovanni
• Raji Sanghera