UNDER THE LIGHTS - Alumni Community

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president's LETTER From bolstering the strength of our endowment, to watching students enjoy the physical upgrades to the building, the success of this targeted eff ort, par� cularly during these challenging economic � mes, is a testament to the strength of our Sku� Catholic community. Happy New Year! It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone and now we’re in 2010. Although in 2009 we saw many accomplishments, I’m excited for a new year with the Sku� Catholic Alumni Associa� on. My name is Ma� Nelson and I am currently serving as the president of the Alumni Associa� on at Sku� Catholic. A� er about six months in the posi� on, I have had the opportunity to interact with many of my fellow alumni and have seen our assoccia� on grow within these changing � mes. With a new year just beginning, it is an exci� ng � me for the SC Alumni Associa� on. This month, we will be gathering to take a closer look at the func� on, mission, and structure of our organiza� on. Since its humble beginnings in 2003, the Alumni Associa� on has provided programs, contacts, and other services to the alumni of Sku� Catholic. With over seven years gone by, not only has the school changed drama� cally, but so too have the needs of our alumni. One of the changes that you will no� ce is a diff erence in the � ming of the all-alumni get-together. This past summer, the Associa� on held an all-alumni event at South Pacifi c Pool. We had a wonderful � me poolside on a warm summer evening; however, in an eff ort to revitalize the meaning of homecoming, Despite the economic challenges of the past year, Sku� Catholic realizes that it relies heavily on the fi nancial support of its many cons� tuents in order to keep tui� on as low as possible and con� nue to grow an already solid program. In addi� on, fi nancial support to the school has also been cri� cal this past year so as to allow us to off er fi nancial assistance to families in need. To this point, Sku� Catholic awarded more than $500,000 in fi nancial aid to families in need this school year. Several SC families were not immune to the layoff s occurring throughout the state, but their children have been able to con� nue at SC due to the work-study program that exists. The many fi nancial gi� s that come into Sku� Catholic through the Annual Appeal, Angel Flight, or the many other advancement eff orts help make the work study program a fi nancial reality. In addi� on, over the past ten months, Sku� Catholic has embarked on a “Targeted Eff ort” campaign to help raise funds for several projects on campus, in addi� on to simply helping us meet our opera� ng needs. The ini� a� ves that were supported fi nancially from this eff ort were derived from input received through the 2006 Strategic Planning process as well as through a feasibility study conducted in the late summer of 2008. In par� cular, we sought to raise funds for our endowment, expansion of the fi tness facility, and improving the quality of the performing arts space in the Commons. We set a goal of $500,000 with hopes of exceeding that goal. By October of 2009, we successfully passed the half million mark with targeted eff ort pledges. Restricted pledges/gi� s alone ($123,700) alumni board president's LETTER towards the fi tness facility expansion helped us fully fund that endeavor. As most are aware, we now have an addi� onal 1,000 sq. feet of space and nearly all new equipment. We expanded the fi tness facility by 50% by expanding into the building. The faculty lounge and an offi ce conference room were relocated within the building to make room for the fi tness expansion. The facility is a tremendous improvement over the previous fi tness area. On the performing arts ini� a� ve, $100,100 has been pledged. We have already completed an overhaul of the sound and ligh� ng systems in the Commons area, where our performing art produc� ons are held. Having recently watched this year’s musical, Crazy For You, with the new sound and ligh� ng, I can say fi rsthand that the diff erence is amazing. We are in the process of ge� ng bids on some minor construc� on around the stage and new sea� ng, as well. We’ll con� nue to make upgrades with the performing arts area throughout the school year. Restricted pledges/gi� s totaling $105,875 were made to our endowment, and $234,625 in pledges/gi� s were unrestricted to the targeted eff ort. The fi nance and advancement commi� ees of the Board of Directors will be mee� ng to discuss alloca� on of the unrestricted funds. Gi� s totaling $33,000 were also made to support fi nancial aid and build a handicapped ramp inside the main entrance of the school. From bolstering the strength of our endowment, to watching students enjoy the physical upgrades to the building, the success of this targeted eff ort, par� cularly during these challenging economic � mes, is a testament to the decision was made to move this all-alumni event to the Friday evening of the 2010 Homecoming football game. The date for this event has yet to be determined, but be sure to keep an eye out for more informa� on. Another event to keep your eyes peeled for is the Class of 2000 Ten Year Reunion. It will be held over the Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 28 and Saturday, May 29. If you’re a 2000 grad and are interested in helping plan the fes� vi� es, please contact Lucy Smith at (402) 333-0818 or lcsmith@ schools.archomaha.org. Even with these changes, the focus of the associa� on is unwavering: the bo� om line is that the SC Alumni Associa� on is here for you! You can fi nd more informa� on about the associa� on on Facebook [search: Sku� Catholic Alumni]. Also, I’d like to extend an open invita� on to join the Alumni Associa� on. We welcome any interested alums who would like to help out, plan events, and forge new pathways for the SC community. Please do not hesitate to contact me via email at ma_nelson@cox.net if you have any ques� ons, concerns, new ideas, or even if you want to be more involved with the Alumni Associa� on. Thanks for your con� nued support! Ma� Nelson ‘07 Alumni Board President ~ 2 ~ the strength of our Sku� Catholic community. Also a testament to the strength of this community is the countless number of hours so many families have volunteered to Sku� Catholic to help with one of the many ac� vi� es that benefi t the staff or students. Whether it be with one’s wealth, work, or wisdom, that which is given to support Sku� Catholic has led to our rise as a leader in Catholic educa� on. This edi� on of Our Legacy also includes the 2008-2009 Annual Report. If the enclosed data/informa� on creates any addi� onal ques� ons for you, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sku� Catholic prides itself with opera� ng with extreme fi nancial effi ciency as evidenced by our actual cost to educate versus the tui� on that is charged. In addi� on, we con� nue to off er students more: more courses, more ac� vi� es, more opportuni� es, but we do this with a lower cost than our compe� tors. Knowing full well that families make a tremendous fi nancial sacrifi ce to send their children to Sku� Catholic, we work diligently to ensure that every dollar is properly invested in strengthening our program. God bless you and your family as we con� nue to move through 2010. I hope the new year brings you many blessings! Sincerely, Patrick Sla� ery President/Principal Interested in Exci� ng Leadership Opportuni� es? Join the Alumni Associa� on! The Alumni Board meets quarterly to discuss and plan events and services for SC alums. Drop on by some� me. We would love to have you. For more informa� on and mee� ng � mes contact Ma� Nelson at ma_nelson@cox.net. Alumni board members work gate at the Homecoming game
fantas� c season UNDER THE LIGHTS Whether it is an athletic venue, a mock trial debate, or a high school musical, our students, teachers, coaches and staff take great pride in creating exceptional results. It was a fantas� c season for the SkyHawks. The fi rst game in Nebraska City foretold the story. The boys dominated the game and our student fan base got the crowd on their toes. That night the Nebraska City VISITORS student sec� on was fi lled with SC students---students who drove an hour down H-75 or I-29 to a� end the game. They were clad in green and enthusias� cally followed the chants of the SC cheerleaders. Several fairly well-known male senior SkyHawks added to the spirited atmosphere. Ned Koley from the swim team, Andy Hollins a state champion wrestler, James Hajek a 6’ 7” basketball standout, Mike Guinane, a star� ng point guard, David Go� schalk, an ou� ielder on the baseball team, and Will Gross from the SC debate team, wore Sku� Catholic uniform skirts, carried SC fl ags and worked the sidelines. They got no� ced. They pumped up the crowd. But more importantly, they sent a loud message to their friends on the football team---we know what it takes to be a champion and we’re here to support you! That spirit permeated the en� re fall semester. It was contagious. Every SC ac� vity took on a heightened sense of excitement. Dancing in the Halls, Under the Lights, the Pep Rallies, the Mr. SkyHawk contest, the State appearances in Cross Country, So� ball, Girls Golf, and Volleyball, the school musical Crazy for You, the “green out” at our Mock Trial state qualifying meet---each ac� vity found our SC students showing remarkable school pride and support for one another. Congratulations SkyHawks A Total Team Effort! While congratula� ons go to the SkyHawk varsity football team who provided fans with an en� re season of memorable games, there are so many others that make our success possible: • To the coaches for inspiring greatness in each player • To the volunteers who man the concessions • To the band director and the band members for playing with heart and soul • To Student Council’s theme nights • To the Art Society’s face pain� ng • To the dance team’s hal� ime shows • To the cheerleaders for crea� ng a fes� ve FAN atmosphere • To the grounds crew who make our campus shine • To the teachers and staff who work the gates • To the chain gang men that walk the lines • To the trainers who prep players each prac� ce and care for the injured • To the press box announcer and his plethora of pithy euphuisms • To those who capture each moment on fi lm • To the web announcer who delivers live feeds • To those who clean the bleachers a� er Christian Dudzik '10 at Memorial Stadium ~ 3 ~ each victory • To the Ac� vi� es Director, who arrives early and stays late to lock-up, a� er everyone else hurries to catch the 10 p.m. sport highlights • To the administrators, who monitor the student sec� on as well as the surrounding sport fi elds fi lled with roaming middle school students around SCHS Ned Koley '10 goes green • To the parent football boosters who hold pasta feeds and steak fries and pregame tailgates • To the photographers, the Flightline writers, and the graphic ar� st for supplying pictures, ar� cles and posters • To the sophomore and junior players who wait on the sideline for their chance to shine and then gave us a hopeful view of teams to come And fi nally to the senior members of the football team…to Turner Mead for several fabulous kick-off s, fi eld goals, and an equal number of tackles, to Myles Jablonski and Jacob Smith for their ability to catch the ball and run like the wind, to Will Lanik, Kyle Pokorny and Corey Stringer for advancing the ball up fi eld and stopping an opponent headed down fi eld, to Tyler Friend, Sid Rai, and Spenser Masching for their incredibly quick and targeted tackles, to Jake LaMon� a, Nick Meyer, Joe Vonnahme and Alex Kaster, for magically appearing at cri� cal moments to make a headsup play. To the members of the line - Chris Lokey, Jake Hasz, Jon Keck, Brandon Engel, Travis and Corey Homan for providing the Great Wall of Protec� on on off ense and the Rushing Wall of Destruc� on on defense. And fi nally to Chris� an Dudzik, for breaking nearly every passing, rushing, and tackling sta� s� c in the SC record books. These young men provided an abundance of free adver� sing for Sku� Catholic High School, the kind that money can’t buy. With pictures and ar� cles plastered over the sports page every Saturday, they showed the Omaha community that Sku� Catholic is commi� ed to excellence. State Appearance The SkyHawks earned the right to play in Memorial Stadium on November 24. The stats revealed a � ght game; many stats indicated that Sku� Catholic outplayed their opponent. But at the end of the evening, the Class B state � tle was given to the Aurora Huskies. The result wasn’t what we predicted. But nonetheless, as Coach Turman draped the second place medals over each player, proud parents, administrators, teachers and coaches clapped, while a cornucopia of student SkyHawk fans con� nued to cheer for their friends and classmates. It was a fantas� c season Under the Lights.
Page 1: OUR V.J. & ANGELA SKUTT CATHOLIC HI
Page 5 and 6: Jason Brunker and Angela Polodna '0
Page 7 and 8: 2008-2009 Annual Report The things
Page 9 and 10: Annual Giving Levels Seraphim......
Page 11 and 12: Ed and Nancy Kirker Kevin and Nora
Page 13 and 14: Nearly 500 parents, alums, and othe
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UNDER THE LIGHTS - Alumni Community

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