St. Francis High School Admissions Newsletter-3/20/2024

Class of 2028 Spartan Family Welcome Night

Last night, Rising Spartans enjoyed an evening of connection and discovery of the wide range of co-curricular activities at SFHS! Welcome Class of 2028!

Join Us On The SFHS Path

“Spiritual joy is as necessary to the soul as blood is to the body”

Saint Francis of Assisi

Welcome

Three Ways the Spirit of Saint Francis Inspires Student Success

People love our community! Animated by the Franciscan values of love and service, the SFHS community is characterized by passion, energy, and warmth. All of this traces back to the spirit of Saint Francis of Assisi, which is still relevant today and inspires student achievement, engagement, and success. Here are three ways the spirit of one great saint still defines our community today.

Like Saint Francis, This Community Cares—Francis possessed a gift for friendship and truly saw others in order to serve them. We emulate this by prioritizing students and surrounding them with a caring community of support. This support comes in the way of faculty, vibrant co-curricular student life, a transforming Microsoft Showcase School classroom experience, and a robust Counseling Department. Focusing our community on what students need makes them thrive, grow, and succeed.

Like Saint Francis, This Community Shows Joy—Francis lived the joy of the Gospel and carried peace in his heart. Like Francis, we live the joy of Catholic life and service in a distinctly Franciscan way. Freshmen get to know St. Francis High School in religion classes that introduce them to this remarkable saint, the prayers he wrote, and the Franciscan values he preached; such as peace, love, light, and joy. We ask students to live these virtues and recognize a need for them in others.

Like Saint Francis, This Community Values Strength and Action—Francis showed decisive action in ways that shocked those around him at many points in his life. We inspire students each day to work toward their strengths and show growth in academic pursuits, striving for success on the SFHS Blue Ribbon path. Students follow a four-year plan designed with academic rigor that colleges respect and graduate ready to excel.

There’s no duplicating The St. Francis Way and the foundational Franciscan virtues that help students earn college success. Come visit, tour, or shadow this spring to learn more. We can’t wait to see you.!

Maureen Isphording, Director of Admissions

Only at St. Francis High School

Experience the SFHS difference, which offers distinct advantages that provide students with a well-rounded education to prepare them for a successful future.

This Issue’s Feature: Student Involvement

ATHLETICS – WINTER RECAP

The SFHS Spartans are yearly contenders for Conference and State titles. Our legendary coaches, gifted athletes, and loyal fans create a winning team. Our inclusive program consists of both cut and non-cut teams providing many opportunities to compete. Our coaches are committed to ensuring athletes rise to their potential. Congratulations to our teams on their outstanding athletic accomplishments during the winter 2023-2024 season.

BOYS BASKETBALL

• 18-13 record

• 2nd Place – CCL White division (7-1 record)

• Geneva Holiday Tournament Champions

Geneva Tournament MVP – Kelton McEwen
All-tournament lineup – Gavin Mueller and Aaron Cook

• All-Area Honorable Mention – Aaron Cook

• All-State Honorable Mention – Kelton McEwen

• Click here to check out the season’s highlights!

GIRLS BASKETBALL

• IHSA Regional Champions

• 1st Place – GCAC White Division

(making it back-to-back-to-back conference championships – first two in Metro Suburban and third in our first year back in GCAC)

• Spartan Award Winners – Lynsey Cleveland ’24, Dolly Smith ’24, and Stephanie Sullivan ‘24

• All-Conference – Natalie Doyle ’24, Riley Austin ’25, and Téa Rubino ’25

(making it back-to-back all-conference selections for all 3 of them – first in Metro Suburban and now in GCAC)

• All-Area – Riley Austin ’25

• All-Area Honorable Mention – Téa Rubino ’25

CHEER

• Placed at every competition (Top 5 or higher!)

• IHSA State Qualifier; 2nd Place –Jaylen Torres ‘262nd Place – Chicago Catholic 2024 Conference Championship - Varsity Division

• 3rd Place – IHSA Sectionals

• 3x IHSA State Qualifiers

• IHSA State Finals Qualifiers (First time in SFHS History!)

• 10th Place – IHSA State (best finish in SFHS History!)

DANCE

• IHSA State Competition Qualifiers

• 13th Place – IHSA State

WRESTLING

• 5 – competed in the Johnsburg Regional tournament

• 1 – Sectional Qualifier at the Byron Sectional Tournament

• IHSA State Qualifier; 2nd Place –Jaylen Torres ‘26

"I Am St. Francis"

The Student Perspective: Winter Sport Athletes

Natalie D. ’24 – Girls Basketball (St. John the Baptist School) – “When I was younger, I liked building relationships with the upperclassmen. Then, I loved being an example to the underclassmen as I got older. We had a really special team this year and had a great bond. Highlights were the team dinners and playing at the gym where Hoosiers was filmed in Indiana. We had a had a great time and great season.”

Gavin M. ’26 – Boys Basketball (St. Isidore School) – “I wanted to play basketball at St. Francis because the coaching and the environment is top tier. I came to games in middle school – from the band playing to the atmosphere with the fans – I knew this was where I wanted to be. Once I got here, I fell in love with the team's chemistry, and spiritually we grew too. We went to Mass as a team, and attended team dinners – it allowed us to grow together which is great. The community is strong both on and off the court.”

Aileen R. ’24 – Cheer (Geneva Middle School) – “Cheer is a family. No matter if you are a freshman or senior, I have close friends of all ages. It’s different at St. Francis – in the best way possible. We have a lot of bonding experiences – for example, we ran the St. Francis summer camp, volunteered at a 5K for Gigi’s Playhouse, went to Feed My Starving Children, and had team dinners. The coaches set the tone and have a strong mindset. They also are very open, communicative, and on top of things. It’s easy to talk to them about cheer and life.”

Isabella J. ’25 – Dance (All Saints Catholic Academy) – “I joined freshman year because the program had a nice group of girls, and I wanted the opportunity to make friends right away. As a team, our coaches are big on team bonding and building relationships early in the season. The captains organize bonding activities in the summer through the season. We bond during practice and work as hard as we can because we are so inspired by each other. With dance, it is very artistic and performance quality, and important we feed off each other. The program is inspiring, supportive, and motivating.”

Ben C. ’24 – Wrestling (St. Isidore School) – “The coaches put you first as an athlete and care how you do. They are really focused on skills and technique. I’m most inspired by the commitment from the coaches; it’s amazing how much time they give us. I would describe the program as growing, committed, a brotherhood, and warm community.”

Around Campus This Month

Spring Musical a Smashing Success!

A standing ovation to the cast, crew, musicians, faculty, and staff who enchanted us with the resounding success of this weekend's sold-out productions of Beauty and the Beast!

The professionalism, talent, and enthusiasm of all involved were spellbinding!

Photo by Jennifer Heim Photography

A Glimpse into an SFHS Institute Day

What is one of the many things that make our teachers great? They're always learning!

During the DuPage County Institute Day, we had a Technology Open House "Show and Tell" where 13 SFHS teachers individually presented a tool to the rest of the faculty. Thank you to our awesome presenters and our IT team!