THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDS WITH NEW BEGINNINGS

Dear St. Pius X Family,

In my first President’s Press letter to the community in August, the theme was new beginnings. And now, following last weekend’s graduation, the members of the Class of 2023 are experiencing their new beginning as the 65th graduating class of St. Pius X! I am so proud of them, and I look forward to the Class of 2024 stepping into their leadership roles as seniors.

Ironically, as the school year nears its end, it is also a “new beginning” for me as I embrace my role as the permanent President of St. Pius. I look forward to officially beginning this journey on July 1.

One of my responsibilities as the President of St. Pius is seeing our Ring the Bells Capital Campaign through to completion. To date, we have raised nearly $13.8M of our $14.8M goal. Construction of our new field house is underway, and the aim is to begin construction on the Seaver Family Sports Complex bathrooms, concession stand, and press box this summer. Please visit our Ring the Bells pa ge for construction updates, and consider joining the hundreds of Pius community members supporting this effort.

At graduation this past Saturday, Bishop Konzen spoke of the special community at St. Pius. He called it a “eucharistic community.” Those words stuck with me as a beautiful description of what makes us unique. We are more than just a high school. We are a community serving students and planting seeds that will last a lifetime. We all play a role in the challenging but rewarding work of ensuring that St. Pius remains a eucharistic community for years to come.

My prayers are with our students as they embark on summer break. May we all find time to relax and rejuvenate before we begin anew in August.

Domini Sumus,

Aaron Parr '06

CLASS OF 2023 GRADUATION

St. Pius X proudly graduated its 65th class of seniors on Saturday, May 13, at the Long Forum at Greater Atlanta Christian. Bishop Konzen gave the convocation, Salutatorian Grace Tran and Valedictorian Catie Schwartz delivered inspiring speeches, Michael Trujillo '01 entertained the graduates with his Distinguished Alumni address, and 264 seniors were awarded their diplomas. A more in-depth graduation article will appear in this summer’s edition of Between the Lions magazine. Congrats to the Class of 2023 and their families!

INTRODUCING OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT

St. Pius X is excited to announce that Sara Schmitt will officially assume the role of Director of Enrollment effective July 1. Mrs. Schmitt served in an interim capacity this school year while Aaron Parr was Interim President.

“I am so happy for Sara. She is dedicated to St. Pius X, loves our students, and has a work ethic that is second to none. This combination makes her a perfect fit for the Director of Enrollment position. I look forward to working with Sara for years to come.”

- Aaron Parr, President

Mrs. Schmitt is completing her 16th year at St. Pius X, where she has served as a math teacher, PE teacher, PSAT and AP testing coordinator, and Assistant Athletic Director. She is actively involved in the lives of our students, having chaperoned seven international mission trips, and she remains the Head Coach of the Girls’ Soccer Team. Her leadership and coaching led the team to nine state championships, three state runner-ups, and a coveted national championship in 2009.

“I know my varied experience within the St. Pius X community will help me fulfill my new role as Director of Enrollment. I plan on working hard, working efficiently, and most importantly, working together with our community to ensure that St. Pius continues to be the great school that I have come to know and love.”

- Sara Schmitt, Director of Enrollment

2023 ST. PIUS X ARTS FESTIVAL

The 2023 Arts Festival, held on May 6, was a huge success! It was a beautiful day filled with music, dance, drama, fine art, food trucks, and more. Thank you to our community, St. Pius X Arts Society (SPAS), sponsors, and volunteers for making this event possible. What a blessing it is to celebrate the incredible talents of our Fine Arts students!

SPRING SPORTS WRAP-UP

The 2023 spring sports season saw ten of our eleven teams advancing to the GHSA State playoffs. Boys' and girls' soccer each advanced to the quarterfinal rounds, with the girls posting a 14-6-1 record, and the boys completing the year with a 12-5-2 record. Girls' lacrosse advanced to the second round and finished with an overall record of 7-11, while capturing the first seed from Area 1-5A-6A. The boys' lacrosse program was eliminated in the first round of playoffs and finished with a 9-9 record. Baseball advanced to the second round and finished with a record of 22-13. Both tennis teams advanced to the quarterfinal rounds of the state playoffs. The boys' golf team performed well during the regular season and in area play but fell just short of qualifying for the state tournament. The girls' golf team advanced to the GHSA State Tournament and will compete May 22-23 in Jekyll Island. The boys' and girls' track teams had excellent regular seasons, and several athletes qualified for the state tournament. The girls' placed fourth overall in the team competition behind two first-place finishes from senior Hannah Schemmel.

Of note, Stacker, an online newswire, rated the top overall high school athletics programs in Georgia. St. Pius X was listed as one of ten schools receiving an overall grade of A+. In our first year of being pushed up to GHSA Class AAAAAA, we are currently in third place in the GADA Directors Cup and still have girls' golf active in competition.

NEW FLOOR IN THE MARK KELLY GYMNASIUM

The Mark Kelly gymnasium floor is in the final stages of curing and will be ready for use when our camps kick-off in June. The new floor has a life-span of roughly 20 years!

"THANK YOU" FROM A SENIOR STUDENT

It is a tradition for senior students to write a thank you note to a teacher who has impacted them in their years at St. Pius X. Carter Doan '23 chose to write to the entire faculty and staff, and one particular line spoke to our mission so beautifully that we asked him for permission to share it.

"Although I am not Catholic, the past 12 years of Catholic education and the loving environment that makes your classmates and staff feel like family, has truly led me to believe that having a strong moral compass and treating all with respect and in accordance with the Catholic church, are invaluable to myself as a person and is what really matters in the end."

Thank you for your kind words, Carter, and best of luck at Clemson University!

ST. PIUS X CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL www.spx.org