Welcome to St. Pius X High School quarterly Alumni Newsletter. The focus of the newsletter is to inform you, our Alumni, about what is happening on campus and to celebrate all accomplishments. We would love to hear from you!
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St. Pius X High School Continues to Educate During the Pandemic |
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Hello Alumni! I hope you and your loved ones are doing well.
Serving the community by providing an extraordinary education has been the mission of St. Pius X since we opened our doors in 1959. Our school’s purpose is clearly defined in our mission statement: St. Pius X High School is a Catholic community dedicated to the education of the whole person, in an environment where extraordinary care and concern for the individual is ordinary.
St. Pius X is a beacon of educational excellence. We opened the 2020/2021 school year with in-class, in-person learning on August 14. Our dedicated faculty and staff have continued to educate our students in this optimal environment using proven, in-person techniques. This success is evident by the mid-year performance of our seniors as compared to the graduating class of 2020:
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The last year has been challenging for so many and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected. Please know that we adapted to the best of our ability to continue to serve our mission. Balancing an in-class educational experience with safety has been interesting to say the least. As of the writing of this letter, St. Pius X is happy to report that we have zero positive cases and zero quarantines. As a matter of fact, since returning from the Christmas break, we've only had one positive case that was contact traced to outside of the school. As I reflect on the last 12 months, I want to share some of the events that took place with necessary variations, procedures and protocols:
- At the end of the 2019/2020 school year – we continued to educate virtually per the established curriculum
- Held the first virtual Gala in Jefferson County - netted $95k (vs $125k)
- 2020 Graduation ceremony (parade down Main St. and on-field ceremony)
- Baseball field was rented over the summer to select baseball teams
- Golf Tournament – two full flights; the largest turnout in recent history
- Opened school for in-person learning Aug 14/17 (no hybrid/virtual option)
GPA and ACT reflect continued focus on academics (noted above)
- Annual Fund +$10k versus last year
Day of Giving $105k – most in 5-year history
4 for covid quarantines
4 snow days
1 day for water fountain installations
1 for Leadership Day
- Open House
- Prom
- Presidents Circle Leadership Reception
- Pro Life March
- Athletic events
24 home games – volleyball & girls/boys basketball
Full schedule of sports (except 3 boys basketball games)
Outdoor home games (football, soccer) – 30+
Homecoming
Hosted district soccer playoffs
Senior nights for all sports
We are excited about several initiatives that are in the works over the next year or so, including a new outdoor classroom behind the school; adding a mezzanine level to the Wellness Center; and the possibility of obtaining 3.63 acres in front of the school.
Thank you for your continued support of St. Pius X High School. Go Lancers!
Jim Lehn, President
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Hello from the St. Pius X Admissions Office. Alumni, please use your voices in spreading positive words about St. Pius X. It is very important for our school to continue growing and it cannot be done without our alumni who have experienced the extraordinary education, welcoming classes, and devoted faculty and administrators.
We anticipate a slight increase in enrollment for next year, however, we are always looking for additional students to join our Lancer Family.
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As of February 28, the Fund stands at $190,476, well ahead of last year's pace when it was at $180,595 on the same date. Our goal this year is $225,000. Thank you for your continued support of St. Pius X High School |
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The boys basketball team went 13-5 and got to the second round of Class 3 district play before losing to Lift for Life. Multiple Lancers received All-Conference honors; Junior Nathan Ruble - 1st team, Senior Zander Parson - 2nd team, Senior Michael Bollinger - Honorable Mention, and Senior Chase Marnin - Honorable Mention.
The girls went 16-6 and played for the Class 3, District 4 championship vs. Lift for Life Academy. Multiple Lancers received All-Conference Honors; Senior AJ Agers - 1st team, Sophomore Riley Cappozzo - 2nd team, and Junior Colleen Flanagan - Honorable Mention.
St. Pius X High School spring sports are in full swing with Track & Field, Golf, Baseball, Boys Tennis, and Girls Soccer looking at full schedules.
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StPX Circle Theatre was very excited to perform a live show for the Cabaret 2021. The spring production included the one act play, Action News: Now With 10% More Action by Jonathan Rand, and Circle Theatre's individual and duo events for the MSHSAA tournament in which Adam Bishop won the district title for Lincoln Douglas Debate and will be advancing to compete in the state tournament. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish our seniors well. Grace, Drake, Sofia, and Rebeca, we are sad to see you go, but know you will all go on to do great things!"
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The Alumni Association is pleased to announce The Adorers of the Blood of Christ as this year's Hall of Fame recipients. Historically, Catholic elementary schools in Jefferson County, had been staffed by Sisters of the Ursuline Order. The Ursuline Sisters in America were known for their mission of providing teachers for Catholic schools. However, their capacity was not limitless. As St. Pius X opened, the Ursuline order found itself short of teachers. So, the Archdiocese of St. Louis invited teaching Sisters from the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, with their motherhouse located in Ruma, Illinois, to teach at St. Pius X.
On October 30, 1959, the three sisters from the motherhouse in Ruma, Illinois, moved into the convent built adjacent to the new high school. They were Sister Etheldrida Heard, Sister Margarita Heisserer, and Sister Mary Allice Dunkel. During the next few years, they would be joined by additional Sisters who would serve as faculty members leading up to the first graduating class at St. Pius X High School in 1963. They were: Sister Mary Innocence Heard, Sister Mary Austin Fischer, Sister Gabrielle Rowe, Sister Mary Pius Simpson, Sister Assumpta Demick, and Sister Jovita Grosco.
The Adorers of the Blood of Christ taught students and played a leadership role at three schools in Jefferson County: St. Pius X High School, Good Shepherd elementary school (Hillsboro) and the Church of Our Lady elementary school (Festus).
For over a decade, the Sisters of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ labored on behalf of St. Pius X and its students.
Needless to say, the kind sisters of The Adorers of the Blood of Christ were instrumental for decades in providing quality teachers and administrators. Collectively those sisters, and their order, have been selected to be included in the St. Pius X High School Hall of Fame.
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Legacy Gala Dinner Auction |
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This year there are TWO ways you can participate in the 38th Annual St. Pius X High School Legacy Gala Dinner Auction on Saturday, March 27th! Our theme, One Body in Christ, reminds us we are all one body made up of many parts and on March 27 you can join us in person or you can choose the virtual option, which includes a full gourmet meal to go. A designated time earlier in the day, 4-4:45 PM, allows you to preview all the items at school before our guests arrive. With either option, you will still bid with your device and take home some amazing auction items, from vacations to sports tickets and memorabilia.
Tickets are $100 per person for in-person dining or just $50 per person for the carry-out option. It’s all to continue the mission of St Pius X as a Catholic community dedicated to academic excellence. You may register using the button below. For more information please call (636) 931-7487 ext. 135.
"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12
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Alumni Book Signing: Aubrey (Bates '03) Betz |
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St. Pius X High School Alumni Association will host Class of 2003 graduate, Aubrey (Bates) Betz, as she does a reading from her new children's book, Alex and the Butterflies, on April 17th. Hannah McDonald, a world traveling musician, will accompany Betz to perform her original song, I Can Do Big Things, specifically written to accompany Betz's book.
Alex and the Butterflies is a little girl's journey following the path of two butterflies. During this journey she discovers she just might have the courage and determination it takes to achieve anything she can imagine. The book is illustrated by Allie Daigle. To learn more about Betz or Alex and the Butterflies you can visit her website at https://aubreybetzauthor.com.
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Featured Alumni: Brian Westrich '76 |
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The Alumni Association is excited to introduce the new Vice President of the Alumni Association, Brian Westrich. After graduating from St. Pius X in 1976, Brian earned a mining engineering degree from the University of Missouri – Rolla (now Missouri S&T). When the coal industry took a nosedive in the mid-80s, Brian went back to school and earned a journalism degree from SIU – Edwardsville. He then worked in the corporate communications field and retired in 2019.
Brian, an avid supporter of Catholic education, greatly enjoyed his time at St. Pius X and previously served on the St. Pius X School Board. He’s a parishioner at St. David’s Catholic Church in Arnold, where he lectors and serves on its Parish Transformation Team.
Brian and his wife Mary Ann have two children and one grandchild. Their son graduated from St. Pius X in 2010. Brian and Mary Ann love traveling, most especially to visit their daughter’s family in Las Vegas. In his spare time, Brian enjoys fishing for bass or trout whenever and wherever possible.
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Alumni Association March Board Meeting Minutes |
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You can visit St. Pius X High School’s website for all things Alumni, including March's meeting minutes. |
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The Ambassadors Committee has confirmed 12 Class Representatives. The represented classes are 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1976, 1989, 1995, 1998, 2000, and 2001. The role of the Class Representative is to be the liaison between your class and St. Pius X High School.
If you would be interested in becoming a Class Representative or the Alumni Association, please contact Diana Parker, '01, Alumni Relations Coordinator, at [email protected], (636) 931-7487 ext. 106 or Andrew Held '92, Alumni Association Ambassador Committee Co-Chair, [email protected], (314) 435-2024.
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We want to hear from you!
to share all of your fun and exciting news.
Maybe you'll be the next Featured Alumni!
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Join our St. Pius X Alumni Facebook Group
for up-to-date information!
Search "St. Pius X Alumni" on Facebook and request to join.
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St. Pius X High School I 1030 St. Pius Drive I Festus, MO 63028
Phone: (636) 931-PIUS I Fax: (636) 931-3519
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