Winter 2012

SPIRIT
A Letter from Our Principal
My career in education began shortly after I graduated
from college and, close to 33 years later, I am still at it!
Being the principal of Sts. Simon & Jude School is truly a
great ministry made special by the exceptional students,
faculty, and parents that make up our school community. Empowering, challenging, and motivating students
to learn in a safe, supportive, spiritual environment has
always been my mission. I have learned many things
throughout the years—some of it from my colleagues
and the teachers I have been fortunate enough to work
with, much of it from the students I have encountered
along the way. In all the lessons they have taught me,
one thing consistently rings true—a great education can
teach students how to use their minds, how to respond
positively to challenges, and how to find and follow their
passions. This type of education comes not just from
learning about these things, but from experiencing them
firsthand.
St. Simon & Jude Catholic School
Huntington Beach, California
Volume XlV• Winter 2012
both inside the classroom and well beyond. This newsletter is an opportunity for a public celebration of their
accomplishments, an opportunity for them to shine, excel, and feel a real and deep sense of accomplishment
for their hard work. By working hard, taking a chance,
following their instincts, reaching goals and celebrating
success, students learn that the satisfaction and pride
received from a job well done is a great motivator, and
often times, the best reward.
I hope you enjoy the stories in this edition, and can see
why we are proud of our alumni and students, and their
wonderful achievements.
In faith, pride and spirit,
Sincerely,
Crystal A. Smith
Three SSJ Students Attend
Washington D.C.
Conference
Everyone has goals. For many of us, whether student
or teacher, child or adult, to do our best, to achieve our
highest potential, we have to try. Many of us have, at
some point in our lives, accomplished something we
never thought we could do. Had we not cared enough to
make an effort, we would never have accomplished the
special goal we set for ourselves. Our amazing accom- The summer of 2011 held a significant opportunity for
plishment began with trying three outstanding SSJ students! In March of last year,
Dylan Alcantara (SSJ 2013), Lauren Castelblanco
something new.
(SSJ 2013) and Jake Parks (SSJ 2014) were nominated
to attend the Junior National Young Leaders
Many of the stories in this ediConference
in Washington D.C. The key goal of this
tion of our newsletter chronicle the successful experienc- organization is to introduce Junior National Scholars
es of both former and current to the important concepts of leadership: character,
students who made the deci- communication, goal setting, respect, problem solvsion to put forth their best ef- ing and teamwork. Students examine leadership in a
Founded on the
Franciscan faith...
Preserved with
parent pride...
Sustained by staff
and student spirit...
fort in their quest to succeed
at something new. For some
students, the achievements
they are presently celebrating
hold memories that will last a
lifetime. For another student,
the experience turned out to
be a precious, life-altering
moment for his entire family.
Sts. Simon & Jude students
and
alumni
accomplish
amazing things every day,
SPIRIT
Washington D.C. Conference… (cont.)
historical context, focus on applying critical leadership skills in
their own lives, and explore ways to make a difference when
they return home to their schools and communities.
The Junior National Young Leaders Conference only accepts
applicants who have been recommended for participation. Each
of our three SSJ participants was recommended by one of their
teachers, Ms. Karen Foster. Ms. Foster acknowledged these
students as young people who demonstrate maturity, strength
of character and scholastic merit. Here is a vignette into why
these particular students stood out as potential candidates for
this exciting experience, detailed by Ms. Karen Foster.
I nominated Dylan Alcantara because he has the qualities of
an outstanding leader. Dylan is a great role model for fellow classmates, treats others with respect, is a hard
worker, and with every task gives 100% of himself. He is an excellent student as well as an outstanding athlete. Dylan is a young man who you meet once, and in those brief moments of conversation, you know that
God has great plans for him.
I nominated Lauren Castelblanco because she has
outstanding leadership qualities. Lauren is very enthusiastic, positive with her classmates, outgoing,
and is involved with Student Council. Lauren always
treats others with kindness. She likes to get involved
as much as possible, and will give 100% in everything she does. Not only does Lauren stand up for
what she believes, but she values her faith, and understands the importance of family.
I nominated Jake Parks because he possesses the ability to become a great
leader. He is strong not only physically, but strong in perseverance whether it is on the athletic field or in the
classroom. Jake is soft spoken, but don’t let him fool you; he is determined, and will give 100% to attain goals.
In addition, he is a great role model, stands up for what he believes, and if that isn’t enough, has been gifted
with a great sense of compassion for others.
The conference is not school-funded. It is the individual nominee’s and their
family’s choice as to whether the student may attend. The students participate
in group meetings in the morning, take a field trip to a historical and/or political
site, then regroup in the afternoon for more discussion and leadership training.
Some of the wonderful sites our students visited were the White House, The
Newseum, Harper’s Ferry, Capitol Hill
walking tour, and the Maryland Science
Center in Baltimore, MD. Dylan, Lauren
and Jake really benefitted from the program and we hear through the grapevine
they might be attending next summer’s
Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Boston, Massachusetts!
SPIRIT
Emily Peterson, Scholar AND Athlete
Exactly WHAT are the “statistics of success?” Financial security? Fancy clothes
or jobs? A great big mansion on a hill? We don’t think so. If the Spirit newsletter attempted to describe the “statistics of success” we could easily borrow
the “stats” of one, Emily Peterson, SSJ Class of 2008! When asked, her mom
humbly stated, “As proud as I am of all these accomplishments, this is just her,
being her! The bottom line is that Emily is just a nice kid.” We couldn’t agree
more! However, just because she is a “nice kid” doesn’t mean we at SSJ can’t
brag about her, so here we go!
Emily, who is currently a senior at Rosary High School, was recently awarded
the honor of “Scholar-Athlete of the Week” from OCVarsity.com. In addition to
being a two-year varsity captain cross country runner for the Rosary Royals,
she is also one of the school’s top academic achievers. Emily’s GPA is 4.86,
and she is currently enrolled in AP Calculus, AP English, AP American Government, AP Chemistry, Honors Physics and World Religion. She has achieved a perfect score of 800 on the SAT
test in Biology and Critical Reading. Among the colleges she is interested in attending next fall are: Creighton
University, MIT, Princeton, Georgetown, the University of Chicago, Stanford, Rice, UC San Diego, UC Santa
Barbara, Cal, and Notre Dame. She plans to major in biology.
The lengthy list of Emily’s extracurricular involvements and awards includes Rosary High School President of the California Scholastic Federation; recipient of the
Discus Award; named a National Merit Commended Student; and SSJ Parish “peer
leader” for the Sacrament of Confirmation preparation program. As an athlete for
Rosary High School, Emily has been a member of the Cross Country Team all four
years, and played Water Polo during her freshman and sophomore years. If that
weren’t enough, she also competes in Track & Field events as well. And just for fun,
what are some of this “nice kid’s” favorite things?
Favorite Movie: The Parent Trap
Favorite Subject: Biology
Favorite Quote: “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” - Albert Einstein
Hobbies: Running, cooking, reading
Favorite memories of SSJ: 8th grade graduation breakfast and the7th
grade Catalina trip
When asked what Emily is looking forward to about college, her response was,
“EVERYTHING!” And if we at SSJ were asked what WE are looking forward to hearing about in Emily’s bright
future, our answer would also be an equally enthusiastic, “EVERYTHING!” Keep us posted, Emily. We congratulate you and are bursting with pride to count you as an alumna of SSJ!
SPIRIT
Noah Cortez, Class of 2013 - Ambassador to Europe
Since he was a student in the fourth grade, every year Noah Cortez (SSJ 2013) has been
nominated by the “People to People” organization to become a student ambassador. Well,
this year, Noah finally accepted the invitation and began the rigorous process of becoming
selected by “People to People” to travel abroad. After an intensive personal interview and
securing three recommendations, Noah was chosen to participate!
An avid, self-proclaimed “geography buff,” Noah has always been interested in other cultures. During the 2010-2011 academic year, while he was only a sixth grade student,
Noah was the SSJ Geography Bee champion! This year he has earned the distinction of making the SSJ Academic
Decathlon Team with his special event in the competition being “Social Studies.” The Decathlon will be held later this
year in March 2012, and Noah is already rigorously preparing! We are filled with pride regarding Noah’s accomplishments, both in and outside of the classroom environment! Let’s enjoy hearing firsthand from Noah about his life-changing adventure to the United Kingdom:
There I was at the airport, and I gave my parents one more hug, my last one until I came back from my 19-day journey.
We then went through security and were off to Europe! But before we got there, we had to sit through a 12…. Hour.....
Flight..... (Good thing I slept through most of it.) When we touched down at the London/Heathrow Airport, we met the
delegation from Maryland. I made so many new friends before we even left the London airport, and I knew I was in for
a great trip. Upon landing, we piled onto the coach and started the day right off the bat, despite the time change. The
first site we went to was the London Eye, definitely one of the highlights of the trip. On the top we had an amazing view
of London and its sites, such as Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. Another thing we did in London was meet a former
Parliament member, a true honor for us Student Ambassadors. Before we knew it we were off to Warwick, England.
In Warwick, we went to the famous Warwick Castle. As student ambassadors we got to stay after closing hours to get
a special tour of the castle. We also had an exclusive training session where we learned how to fight as ancient warriors of the castle. We even used real medieval swords! The highlight of the night was when we saw the firing of a real
fireball from the largest catapult in the world.
The next day we were off to Ireland! When we got close to land while sailing on the ferry, I caught a glimpse of Ireland
and saw the lush, green hills and the beautiful coastal towns. In Cork, Ireland, we toured the Blarney Castle, where
the delegation climbed 127 steps to the top to take part in the tradition of kissing the Blarney Stone. It sounds simple,
however, you had to kiss it upside down, while dangling over a big drop. Luckily no one got
hurt. The next destination was to Limerick, Ireland. At about this time, the delegation and
I experienced food poisoning, and it was a mess. Everyone was throwing up and crying
because of homesickness…and then it hit me: I’m all by myself in a whole different continent with no one to take care of me except for myself. I told myself that I’m here to learn
and have a good time. Don’t let sickness ruin your fun. I decided to do the activities that
day and not stay at the hotel to rest like over half of the delegation. By the end of the day
I felt a lot better, and was glad I had the chance to experience the Cliffs of Moher and the
beautiful Ailwee Caves with a few other delegates who made the same decision as me.
It was just my luck I got better because the next day we traveled to Scotland! We went Gorge walking under waterfalls
and over burns by the River Tay. It was a very exhilarating day. The following day we visited Loch Ness and hunted for
Nessie! I didn’t find her, but it was good to just sit back and relax a little. Before everyone knew it, August 1st came and
it was time to pack our bags and leave for home! At the airport everyone said their good-byes and exchanged phone
numbers and email addresses. When I got home, I was so excited to see my family
and be back with my friends. I’m glad I was never homesick because I was having so
much fun representing Sts. Simon & Jude School and the United States. The day after
I returned home was just another typical summer day: I worked at my summer job at
Shoreline Sports Camp, got dropped off at Jr. Guards, and then came home and relaxed. I knew I was back in California, but I remembered every part of my life-changing
cultural exchange. To sum it all up, Europe was the best trip of my life!
SPIRIT
Jonathan Hargreaves – Life Saver from SSJ Class of 2006
Over the years, teachers develop many fond memories of the countless students they encounter in
school. Before we share a story (reprinted with permission from Fountain Valley Magazine) about a
phenomenal alumnus from the SSJ Class of 2006, we
would like to first offer one “teacher recollection” of
SSJ’s very own “lifesaver,” Jonathan Hargreaves.
From Mrs. Cheryl Woolcock:
I remember Jonathan as a hard working student who
had a smile for everyone and was always willing to
lend a helping hand. He would put his very best effort
into any task given to him, including long division in
fourth grade. By the time he finished eighth grade
he could not only organize a complicated essay,
but made it charming and humorous. No student or
adult ever lacked for assistance when Jonathan was
around. I can still hear his voice, “Can I get that for
you?” or “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.” It was a pleasure to
watch Jonathan Hargreaves grow and mature. He is a
fine example of a dedicated SSJ graduate.
A+ Effort, Son Saves Mom’s Life
By Elisabeth Deffner, for Fountain Valley Living Magazine
(Reprinted with permission from the publisher)
Photo by Lynn Seeden of Fountain Valley Living Magazine
her memory is pretty much a blank. “I had just started,
I guess, having chest pains,” says the Fountain Valley
resident.
After dropping off his sister, Jon stopped back home
to check on his mom, which was a departure from
his usual morning routine. She seemed to be asleep,
so he took a quick shower. By that point, Heidi was
breathing awkwardly—and the strange sound she
was making raised Jon’s concern. When he looked in
on his mother again, she was blue and motionless. “I
tried waking her up, and she wasn’t very responsive,”
Jon recalls. “I started to perform CPR on her and had
my brother call 911. David helped me out as well.”
“They were able to get my pulse back,” Heidi adds.
“And then basically I died again. I left here with no
pulse.” Emergency personnel had to shock her with
a defibrillator about a half dozen times to kickstart
her heart. At Fountain Valley Regional Hospital, Heidi
was quickly wheeled into surgery, where she received
a stent (the main artery to her heart was 95 percent
blocked). For three days she was in a medically induced coma from which she was gradually awakened.
“I ended up walking out of the hospital—I didn’t wait
for a wheelchair or anything,” she says. “I’m totally
fine. There’s no brain damage, there’s nothing—you’d
never know I had a heart attack.”
Heart disease runs in her family, but Heidi lives an
active lifestyle and tries to eat healthy foods. She had
had no symptoms of heart problems. Now on medication, she feels fully recovered from the experience,
and yet she also feels completely different. “I have
a way different outlook on life than I did before,” she
explains. “Things don’t bother you as much; you’re
grateful that you’re living.”
Jon Hargreaves hadn’t planned to sign up for a CPR
class at Orange Coast College, but he needed another class to round out his schedule. So when his friend,
David Hovdestad, decided to take CPR, Hargreaves
enrolled as well.
Just as he hadn’t expected to learn how to perform
CPR, he didn’t expect to need his new skills any time
soon—and especially not in order to save his own
mother’s life. But on May 20, 2011, that’s exactly what
happened.
Feeling a little under the weather, Heidi Hargreaves,
42, had asked Jon to take her younger daughter to
school so she could get ready for work. And after that,
Jon feels that he’s changed, too. Though he was cool
under pressure, once his mom was admitted to the
hospital and he began thinking about what the family’s future might be like, he got scared. Not only is
his relationship with his mom stronger now, he’s also
discerned his life path: He’s decided to become a
paramedic. “If I can perform CPR on my mom, I think
I can do it for strangers,” says Jon, who received an
A in his CPR class. “I’m actually very proud of the fact
that I learned that and did that for my mom.”
“I did give him life first,” Heidi quips, “but who would
ever have thought the tables would turn?” And, in
case you’re wondering, his professor did make him
take the class final, despite having aced the real-life
test of saving his mother’s life—and Jon got an “A” in
the class.
SPIRIT
“Like Us” on SSJ’s Brand New Facebook Page!
We invite all alumni, parents, grandparents, relatives and friends of SSJ School who have a Facebook profile to “like” our brand new Facebook page
for the school. Thank you to all of our new “fans” on
Facebook! We hope you are enjoying this additional
avenue of communication between our school and
our families, alumni and friends of Sts. Simon & Jude
School! Due to the overwhelming response, we have
been able to create our very own “vanity URL” to make
reaching our page even easier.
Here’s what you do: For those followers of SSJ who
have a Facebook profile, we invite you to “like” our
brand new Facebook page for the school. The direct
link to the page is: www.facebook.com/SSJ.School.HB
or, you can search for us in the search bar on Facebook by simply typing in “Sts. Simon & Jude School
Huntington Beach.” We encourage you to find our
page and click the “like” button on the left hand side.
Once you “like us on Facebook” you will receive occasional messages in your newsfeed from Sts. Simon
& Jude School. We encourage you to read the posts
and when you can, please “share” them on your own
profile. Not only is this a great way for us to “brag” to
our own school families about our wonderful school,
but it can be an opportunity for “friends of our friends”
who could be potential new school families to find out
about the fantastic programs we have here at
SSJ by simply noticing
our updates on the newsfeeds of others.
We have also been posting entire photo albums of
special events such as the PFA Annual Auction, the
Thanksgiving Christian service project, “Families
Feeding Families,” and the Christmas Play, “On the
Worst Day of Christmas.” These photo albums and
more have already been added to our Facebook page.
Please make sure to “tag” the photos of yourself or
photos of your friends from your personal Facebook
profile when you see their picture included in our
“Sts. Simon & Jude School Huntington Beach” photographs. This will enable them to see their picture and
share it with their own friends and family on Facebook.
Thank you for your participation. If you have any questions about our Facebook page, please email Kathleen Domenici at [email protected]. Let’s spread
the word about SSJ! In addition, we are always looking for photographs and interesting stories involving
our SSJ Alumni for this newsletter. Please send your
submissions for Spirit to [email protected], and
YOU could be the next featured article in our Sprit
newsletter!
SPIRIT
Families Feeding Families
“When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.” Luke 12:48
After months of preparation and planning, the faculty and students of Sts. Simon & Jude School have initiated our much-anticipated “SSJ School Families” program this year. Our “School Families” are made up of
one or more students from each grade level who gather together at various times during the school year to
perform service projects, share a variety of experiences, and bond together as a student family. Our goals for
this program are threefold: (1) to help our students connect spiritually while building community; (2) to bring
our student community closer together; and (3) to enhance leadership development opportunities for our 8th
grade students.
This year, we entitled our annual Thanksgiving Christian service project, “Families Feeding Families.” On
Monday, November 21, our “SSJ School Families” carried out our mission of helping St. Vincent de Paul fill
their pantry by donating non-perishable food items so that less fortunate families could have the opportunity
of enjoying a nice Thanksgiving dinner.
Focusing on our theme of “Actions With a Spirit of Joy,” at approximately 8:15 A.M., the students gathered with
their School Families to assemble all of their food items, decorate their donation boxes, pray for the families
in need, and then enjoyed a simple “breakfast” treat of bagels or muffins, fruit and juice. We are humbled and
grateful for the overwhelming response and generous contributions that were made by the students and their
parents! We continue to pray for families in need of assistance during these economic times, and wish to thank
all our students and parents for their continued support of the “SSJ School Families” program.
With the success of this program surpassing even our fondest ambitions, we continue to look forward to more
opportunities for our “SSJ School Families” to bond while serving others in the community!
SPIRIT
“We wish to thank the Sts. Simon & Jude Parish Men’s Club for their continued support of our Tuition Assistance Program.”
For more information about the Sts. Simon & Jude Parish Men’s Club, visit their page on the parish website at
http://www.ssj.org/ministries/fellowship-groups/mens-club.html.
St. Simon and Jude Catholic School
20400 Magnolia Street
Huntington Beach, California 92646
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
HUNT. BEACH, CA
PERMIT NO.106