YOUR GENEROSITY IS AT WORK THIS SUMMER

Dear Golden Lion Family,

I hope you had a joyful and restful Fourth of July!

Summer on a school campus can be a challenging time for administrators — we deeply miss the heart of our vocation: the students. Still, it's been a joy seeing many of them around, whether working out, serving as camp counselors, or simply staying involved in our community.

While there are fewer students around, the campus is anything but quiet. We’ve been hard at work on a number of summer improvement projects: a new roof has been installed over the library, the cafeteria kitchen has been upgraded, new and improved lighting has been added throughout the math and science hallways and classrooms, and we’re making a major investment in upgrading our campus-wide Wi-Fi infrastructure. These enhancements are made possible thanks to your generous support of our Annual Fund. Your gifts make a real and lasting difference for our students, and I want to sincerely thank you for that.

We recently mailed our current families the 2025-2026 Philanthropy Guide, which includes a myriad of ways to get involved and support the school. While this piece is directed toward current parents, I encourage all of our supporters to click here to review it, and then consider how you might share your time, talent, and treasure with St. Pius X. Our school has long been blessed by the generosity of parents, alumni, and friends, and we need your continued partnership to fulfill our mission of providing the best Catholic, college preparatory education to every student who walks through our doors.

Finally, I hope you and your family find some time for rest and renewal this month. I’m already looking forward to welcoming our teachers, students, parents, and alumni back to campus in August.

Domini Sumus,

Aaron Parr ‘06

President

INTERIM PRINCIPAL KRISTIN KRAMER ’98 REFLECTS ON HER ST. PIUS X JOURNEY

Kristin Kramer, a proud member of the St. Pius X Class of 1998, and the daughter of Steve Kramer '67 and Sally McQuaid Kramer '69, stepped into her role as Interim Principal on July 1, 2025. She recently shared how her Pius roots have shaped her journey as a teacher and how her years in the classroom have prepared her for this new chapter. Look for the full interview in the next issue of Between the Lions magazine!

As the child of two St. Pius X alumni, your Pius roots run deep. How has your family’s St. Pius X legacy influenced your own journey here?

Maybe it’s obvious in retrospect that I would become a history teacher because I must have spent hours looking at my parents’ high school yearbooks when I was a kid, and I still have very clear memories of when my mom planned her 20th high school reunion. As a result, I never questioned coming to Pius — it was just the next step of growing up!

What do you love most about working with high school students?

Mostly that they're smart enough to get my wry sense of humor! On a more serious note, I love that high schoolers are gaining the ability to think and reason like adults, but the world is still new to them. You can have really thoughtful conversations in which a student can make you feel like the font of all knowledge in one minute — and who doesn't like that feeling!? — but then the next minute, they make such an astute observation or ask such an insightful question that I feel like I don’t really know much at all! It keeps me on my toes and helps me to continue my own learning journey.

Who were some of your mentors or teachers at St. Pius X, and how did they shape your journey?

I had so many amazing teachers at St. Pius X that I hesitate to start naming them for fear of either writing an entire paper or leaving someone off the list! Barbara Papp was the teacher I think I aspired to be; the writing lessons from her class still form the foundation for how I teach writing. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mike Scirocco and Charleen Klister were teachers whose style I could never pull off myself, but their creative assignments pushed me to find (and embrace!) my inner voice. Jennifer Ortega was my AP US History teacher; I fell in love with history in her class. Carole Lorenz and Jeanne Dalton still illustrate for me what it means when a teacher cares holistically about the whole student. Finally, Cindy Schafer and Monsignor Lopez planted the seeds that led to my teaching career — in Cindy’s case, by telling me explicitly, “You should be a teacher”!

What do you hope to carry forward from your classroom experience into your role as interim principal?

One of my greatest strengths as a teacher was planning and organization — my goal was to hold my students to high expectations, but to provide them with the guidance and support structures along the way that would help them meet their potential. I would love to be able to carry that forward into my role this year and help both students and faculty feel supported as they challenge themselves to grow. After all, to be human means that we are always in a process of formation! I’m not sure I’ll be fully successful, but I’m going to try my hardest!

CALLING ALL ST. PIUS X ALUMNI MOMS!

Just because your kids have graduated doesn’t mean that your connection to St. Pius X has to end! We’re excited to introduce a brand-new Alumni Moms Group through the Mothers' Club — created just for moms like you!

This group is all about staying connected, having fun, and continuing the spirit of giving back. Whether you're craving community, looking for ways to serve, or just miss the wonderful friendships from your time at Pius — we’ve got you.

Here’s what we’re all about:

Service – Jump in and help with school and community projects
Social – Enjoy fun, faith-filled events and time with old (and new!) friends

Warmly, Jill Pierce '91 & Susan Renno, SPX Alumni Moms Group Hosts

Praise the Lord for the goodness that is in the halls of St. Pius X! We hope you have enjoyed a restful and joy-filled summer break. Please know that Campus Ministry has been praying for our entire St. Pius X community — students, parents, alumni, and friends — during this time.

It has been a gift to see many of you at various SPX events this summer. We hosted two Campus Ministry "Fellowship Nights," where we caught up with students, played games, and enjoyed ice cream together.

This weekend, we will take a group of students to the Life Teen Steubenville Atlanta Conference, where Fr. Robbie Cotta will help lead thousands of teens from across the country in prayer and worship. We welcome your prayers for our students as they embark on a weekend of fun, faith, and community-building.

We are grateful for the continued prayers and support of our St. Pius X family, and we can’t wait to welcome our students back on campus soon!

The Golden Lions are taking on the Dunwoody Wildcats in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday, August 16 at 10:00 a.m.

Purchase your tickets today!

FORE THE FUTURE: GOLF TOURNAMENT SUPPORTS SPX

The 2025 George B. Maloof Golf Tournament was a great success, raising $65,000 to benefit Alumni Scholarships, the Athletic Association, and the Football Program. We are grateful to all the participants, sponsors, and volunteers who made this day possible!

A special shoutout to the Class of 1971 for having the largest group of golfers at the tournament! Pictured below, left to right: Bill Stogner, Ray Dlugos, Mike Messner, Dave Homrich, Tommy Armistead, Jack Harney, Bill McKenzie, Jim Carlin, Ken Frey, Mike Turner, Paul Pelt, and Matt Mitcham.

Thank you to our Alumni Sponsors:

Ray Dlugos '71 - Ace Plastics

Golf Buddies for Life - 1970

Dave Homrich '71 - David & Lynne Homrich Family Fund

Mike Messner '71 - Speedwell Foundation

Sant Perez '77 - The Perez Group Team, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty

David Spratte '13 - Carpe

Save the Date! Next year's tournament will be on June 15, 2026.