Esprit de Corps Esprit de Corps - St. Catherine's Academy

St. Catherine’s Military Academy
Honor, Leadership, and Success Since 1889
December 2008
1889-2008
Esprit de Corps
Inside this issue:
Greetings & Welcome 2
Color Guard 3
Halloween Celebration 3
Knights Football Recap 4
Cadets’ Christmas 4
Calling All Alumni 5
SCMA Wish List 6
New Obstacle Course 6
Classic Car Raffle 7
Grandparents Day 7
Recent Events 7
Military Ball!
Save the date for the
2009 Military Ball
on January 17, 2009
at the Nixon Library!
And a peace-filled 2009!

Esprit de Corps
Page 2
Greetings from our Administrator/Principal
Sister Johnellen Turner, OP
Calling All Cadets:
Please let us know what you are doing
and where you are located, so that we
may update our newsletter and
mailing list. Sign up on our website:
www.stcatherinesmilitaryacademy.org
Drop us a line. Be sure to include
your e-mail address!
Dear Friends of St. Catherine’s,
“May you keep your eye on the Star within you and trust in
the presence of God to guide and direct you each day!”
Christmas Joy and Peace in the New Year to each of you and
your families!
This is truly a beautiful season and a special year for St. Catherine’s
as we celebrate our 120 th birthday. God continues to
bless us with incredible cadets and families that stay with us
long after their graduation. Once a part of the family at
SCMA…ALWAYS A PART!
We will celebrate our 120th Birthday on March 21, 2009. We
will gather on campus to share in a special Mass followed by
open house and a reception. Displays, photos, albums and
friends will provide opportunities for memories to come alive.
Please mark your calendars for this event and all other events
listed in our Esprit de Corps!
Many alumni have returned “home” to SCMA and asked how
they can help other young men become part of our story. We
ask for your help in donating to our special Anniversary
Fund…or our Adopt a Cadet fund. This will build and build, so
that we can offer our quality Catholic education with a military
tradition to more and more cadets as we help good boys
become wonderful young men.
Blessings keep coming to us, as shown on this page. Donations
have secured new bathrooms– thanks to the goodness
of our parents; a beautiful fountain in the front of the school
– provided by Mrs. Victoria Pellettieri; and a “much needed”
new van gifted to us by Mrs. Jill Wondries and Mr. Fritz
Hitchcock.
St. Catherine’s continues to grow in enrollment and generous
friends….we are alive and well! We ask that you spread the
good news, so that more young men may benefit from our
wonderful school!
May our good and gracious God surround you with Christmas
Joy as you begin your new year! We pray for you everyday!
With a loving and grateful heart-
Sister Johnellen Turner, OP
Administrator/Principal

Esprit de Corps
Page 3
SCMA Color Guard is in High Demand
The SCMA Color Guard
has been invited to attend
many area functions
this year. Although
school has only been in
session for three
months, the Color Guard
has presented the flags
at ten community
events, including all Servite
Home football
games, the Anaheim
Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast,
and various local parades.
school in addition to any special events
around town.
The Color Guard consists of four to five members.
Cadets in the Color Guard wear
SCMA’s unique military dress uniform and
chrome helmets. This year, the Color Guard
wears traditional white belts and boot leggings
to commemorate the 120 th anniversary
of the Academy.
The SCMA Color Guard is a time-honored
tradition, which involves an elite team of
SCMA cadets. Cadets on the team spend
countless hours practicing drill movements to
present the proud colors of the Academy,
State, and Country. The SCMA Color Guard
is responsible for daily colors support at the
Parents Give Cadets a Treat
on Halloween
SCMA sure has wonderful parents! The Parents’ Guild
made Halloween an extra special day for SCMA cadets
by throwing a Halloween party. The cadets ate pizza
and candy, bounced around in inflatable jumpers, and
played games like three-legged race, cake walk, and
“pin the face on the pumpkin.” After the party, cadets
continued on to the annual “Pass, Punt, Kick” competition.
A fun day was had by all!

Page 4
Esprit de Corps
Varsity & JV Football Enjoy Success
It was another successful season
for the Knights. The Varsity
team ended the season
with a 6-3 record. Success is
measured in many different
ways, not only by the final
score. The greatest success of
the Varsity Knights was their
ability to come together as a
team and learn from one another.
There were only three
returning Varsity players out
of 15 total on the team this
season. Thus, the players had
to dig deep inside themselves
to learn the plays, conditioning,
rules, and teamwork in a
very short period of time. The
varsity football team was a
great success in what the players
learned and achieved
through their desire, dedication,
determination, and discipline.
The JV football team had an
excellent year themselves, ending
the season with a record of
6-3. This was the first winning
season in recent memory. The
JV program is the foundation of
SCMA’s football program. JV
Knights learn the game, sportsmanship,
and teamwork at a
young age.
Congratulations to both the
Varsity and JV football teams
for their excellent success!
Thanks to Coach Greg for his
wonderful leadership!
What Does Christmas Mean to SCMA Cadets?
“Christmas is a time when family members are able to
get together and celebrate as a family. It is a time for
reflection on how the next year will be better.”
—Aaron Avalos
“Christmas is an opportunity to spend time with my
family and be grateful for all the things God has blessed
us with.”—Jacob Carrico
A Promise Fulfilled...
“Christmas is a time of renewal...a time to celebrate the
birth of God’s son, Jesus.”—Nickolas Terry
“Christmas is the time that you go and join with your
family to celebrate the birth of Jesus.” – Santiago Vertiz
“My favorite part of Christmas is when my whole family,
like my sisters and their families, come over on
Christmas Eve.” -Leo Gomez
“Christmas means bringing family and friends together
to celebrate Jesus Christ.”—Ryan Rojo
Check out St. Catherine’s Christmas card, designed
by 8th grader Nickolas Terry. Nickolas
created the beautiful Christmas scene and Sister
JoAnn provided the calligraphy.

Esprit de Corps
Calling All Alumni!
SCMA MARCHING KNIGHTS BAND
WANTS YOU!
Attention all alumni! We are about to embark on a great celebration:
St. Catherine’s 120th Birthday! We are seeking all who
still play an instrument or are willing to dust off the old one for
an alumni band. We will be planning festivities and celebrations,
and I would love to see you all again for an alumni concert!
We already have some alumni signed up, but we would
love to get 120 (or more) band members to celebrate 120 years.
Please spread the word!
If you are interested, please contact:
Mrs. Hope Rojas-Hynes
Assistant Band Director 1989-1991
Band Director 1994- Present
(714) 772-1363 x121
music@stcatherinesmilitaryacademy.org
Attention Alumni!
We’re looking for alumni of all ages to help us establish an
Alumni Association. If you want to be involved, please
contact Joanna.
(714) 772-1363 x. 112
development@stcatherinesmilitaryacademy.org
————————————————
We will have an ALUMNI DINNER at SCMA on
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
If would like to attend, please RSVP:
(714) 772-1363 x. 112
development@stcatherinesmilitaryacademy.org
Bring any other alumni you know!
———————————————-
Keep in Touch with SCMA!
If you know of any alumni who are not receiving our newsletter,
send them to the alumni registration form on our website.
You can also use this form to notify us about changes
in address.
http://www.stcatherinesmilitaryacademy.org/alumni/
registration.aspx
Visiting Alumni
Page 5
Thanks to the following alums who returned
to SCMA for a visit. It was great to see you
back on campus!
Stephen Johns- 1970
Matthew Ticorat- 2007
Scott Kane– 2007
Eugene Colescott– 2007
Luis Ochoa– 2005
Eduardo Ochoa– 2007
Mel Richley- 1938
Miguel Alfaro– 1988
Richard Meunier– 1974
Stanley Sharp– 1999
Phillip Sanchez– 2001
James Larson– 1947
Jim Erickson– 1946
Robert McKibben– 1984
We would also like to thank the following
family members who recently visited SCMA:
Petrina Murphy, daughter of Lester Brady
(1935), and her husband Jack
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Daley, relatives of
SCMA chaplain Father Maguire (1950-1953)
WE WANT YOUR NEWS!
We want to know what our alumni are up to! Send
us updates about school, family, career, anything.
We’ll post these updates in the following Esprit de
Corps. Parents, you are welcome to use the Esprit
to brag about your wonderful sons.
Email:
development@stcatherinesmilitaryacademy.org
Mail: SCMA: Advancement
215 N. Harbor Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805

Esprit de Corps Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 6
SCMA’s Wish List
If you have visited the SCMA website lately, you
may have noticed a new section called Wish
List. The Wish List is a way for SCMA to communicate
specific needs to our dear alumni,
families, and friends. Items are listed by classroom
teachers, resident care providers, Sisters,
military personnel, the athletic and music departments,
and other staff. If you decide to grant
one of these wishes, you can give either the
item itself or funds to purchase the item.
Items on the Wish List vary from the very simple,
such as drum practice pads for the band, to
larger projects like brick pavers for the parkway
on Cypress Street. There are even wishes for
the intangible like memberships to Recording for
the Blind & Dyslexic for our resource students.
As diverse as they are, all of the items on our
Wish List have one thing in common: they will
enhance the educational experience of our wonderful
cadets. Please visit SCMA’s Wish List
this holiday season and consider granting one
of our wishes!
http://www.stcatherinesmilitaryacademy.org/
advancement/wishlist.aspx
Merry Christmas!
Blessing of our New Obstacle Course
The cadets of St. Catherine’s
Military Academy have a new
set of obstacles to overcome.
A new obstacle course, similar
to those used in the military,
was recently installed on campus
and is now in full use.
The new obstacle course has
nine stations including a vault
wall, climbing rope, and balance
beam.
Matt Treanor, Florida Marlin baseball catcher, and his
wife Misty May-Treanor, Olympic gold medalist (beach
volleyball) donated the course to our school. Treanor is
Godson to St. Catherine’s Military Academy principal,
Sister Johnellen Turner, and maintains a close relationship
with SCMA. Sister Johnellen said of Treanor’s gift,
“Matt has always been a generous young man, concerned
about family and friends. He has taken this opportunity
to give back to the community of which he is a part.”
St. Catherine’s welcomed the Treanors on Friday, October
17. The obstacle course was blessed by Deacon Jay
Milam of St. Boniface Catholic Church. Treanor, Sister
Johnellen, and commandant Col. Barry Bizzell addressed
the crowd. Five cadets from fourth to eighth grade demonstrated
the obstacle course. After the blessing and
dedication, the Treanor family joined the cadets for Mass
and lunch.
According to Colonel Barry B. Bizzell, the course will
increase each cadet’s endurance and strength while focusing
on leadership development and team building. The
cadets are very excited about this addition to the military
program. Eighth grader, Leonardo Gomez said, “The
obstacle course is a challenging way to get in shape, but
it’s also fun. I can’t wait to go through it myself.”

Esprit de Corps Volume 1, Issue 1
Classic Car Raffle
Tickets Make Great Holiday Gifts
Did you know St. Catherine’s is having a classic
car raffle? We will be raffling off a 1971 Volkswagen
Beetle. This fun car is in great condition.
The drawing will be held at the Civil War Reenactment
on March 1, 2009, and tickets are already
available. (Winner need not be present.)
Tickets are 1 for $5 or 5 for $20. They make
great holiday presents and stocking stuffers!
For more information on the classic car raffle,
call or go to our website. You can purchase
tickets from any cadet or from the
The Fall Brunch Is Back
SCMA Celebrates
Grandparents Day
St. Catherine’s celebrated its
first Grandparents Day on
October 3, 2008. Cadets
sent invitations to their
grandparents to join us for
Mass and a special lunch.
Many grandparents showed
up for this special occasion,
leaving very few empty
seats in the chapel.
Page 7
Cadet ushers stood at the
entrance of the chapel to
welcome all of the grandparents
and present all grandmothers
with a flower. It
was wonderful to see our
grandparents on campus!
We hope to make Grandparents
Day an annual
event!
SCMA Hosts Events To Get The Year Started
Silent Auction Celebrates the Holiday Season
After a oneyear
break, the
Fall Brunch was
back. About
100 people attended
this
event at The
Anaheim White House on September
21, 2008. In attendance were many
SCMA Sisters, parents, alumni, staff,
and friends who gathered to celebrate
the beginning of a new school year.
Several seventh and eighth grade cadets
also attended to assist with selling
raffle tickets and ushering guests to
their tables.
Thanks to everyone
who supported
this fantastic
event! We
hope to see everyone
at the Fall
Brunch next year!
St. Catherine’s Military Academy’s
annual Silent Auction & Dinner was
held on November 15, 2008, in the
SCMA social hall. The theme of
“March of the Toy Soldiers” was chosen
to get everyone into the holiday
spirit.
SCMA’s wonderful parents spent
many hours decorating the social
hall with giant toy soldiers, holiday
bows, and Christmas trees to celebrate
this theme. Star Carolers
added to the ambiance by singing
holiday songs.
We had many wonderful items in the
auction, thanks to the generous
support of local businesses, parents,
and friends.
The live auction portion of the evening
was especially exciting.
Coach Greg served as a surprise
auctioneer, and Captain Ramos
showed off his Salsa dancing skills.
The top item of the evening,
“Commandant for a Day,” even
brought on a bidding war!
Thanks to everyone who supported
this fun and exciting event!

S T . C A T H E R I N E ’ S M I L I T A R Y A C A D E M Y
215 N. Harbor Boulevard
Anaheim, CA 92805
Phone: 714.772.1363
Fax: 714.772.3004
E-mail: admissions@StCatherinesMilitaryAcademy.org
www.StCatherinesMilitaryAcademy.org
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Anaheim, CA
Permit #194
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
1889 - 2008
Honor, Leadership, and Success
since 1889
It’s almost that time!
Save The Date for
~2009~
Military Ball
January 17, 2009
Richard Nixon Library
We invite you to our “fun, friend, fund” raisers, which build community and provide the resources needed to create
incredible programs and opportunities for our cadets! For reservations call (714)772-1363.
CATCH THE SPIRIT!