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<strong>PARARE</strong><br />
Winter 2018-2019<br />
House system<br />
a sense of family
Contents<br />
Letter from the President<br />
Your House is More Like Home<br />
Aquinas House<br />
Borromeo House<br />
Loreto House<br />
Lisieux House<br />
Neri House<br />
Student Spotlight: Canyon Neundorfer ’20<br />
October Movie Night and Tailgate<br />
Annual Report 2017-2018<br />
Donor Honor Roll<br />
SJ23 By the Numbers<br />
3<br />
4<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
11<br />
12<br />
14<br />
15<br />
16<br />
Congratulations!<br />
SJ23 students Sabrina Hillye ’19 and<br />
Lyndie Swanson ’19 signed to colleges<br />
this month. Sabrina signed with<br />
University of Arizona for soccer and<br />
Lyndie signed with Houston Baptist<br />
University for softball.<br />
<strong>PARARE</strong> is a production of St. John XXIII College Preparatory. All material herein is the copyright and product of the school unless otherwise<br />
noted. All rights reserved. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or for general correspondence, please send a message to news@sj23lions.org.
From the President<br />
We are God’s Letters to the World<br />
Six years ago, during an oral report to an ethics class, one<br />
of my college students described the many places she<br />
called home in her life. Over the course of her 19 years,<br />
she had lived, and attended school, in each of these<br />
cities: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Lagos, Nigeria; Warsaw,<br />
Poland; Auckland, New Zealand; Capetown, South Africa;<br />
Miami, Florida; and, finally, for two whole years, Houston.<br />
She expected to have several more “homes” before she<br />
graduated.<br />
As she finished her report, another student asked, “So you<br />
don’t really have a home, right, since you’re always in a<br />
state of chaos?”<br />
“No. No. No,” she responded quickly. “That’s not the way<br />
I look at it. My home is never really about the place. It’s<br />
always about the people.”<br />
And then she said this: “The country and the city and the<br />
house don’t define who my family is. The people close to<br />
me define my family.”<br />
In much the same way, our hope at St. John XXIII<br />
College Preparatory is that our students will find a loving,<br />
supportive, encouraging “family” on our campus. We hope<br />
they will discover, build, and develop life-long friendships<br />
that will encourage them to do their best, to help them<br />
achieve great things in body, mind, and spirit while they<br />
are here. We are proud of the family atmosphere on our<br />
campus.<br />
From its beginnings in 2011, our House System was<br />
designed to enhance this sense of “home” and “family” for<br />
our students — the sense of connectedness, camaraderie,<br />
respect, and shared goals. Through our Houses, we<br />
hope to strengthen, expand, encourage, and support<br />
the loving foundations that our students bring from their<br />
nuclear families. It is exciting to see how this works: As<br />
our entering ninth graders are assigned to one of our five<br />
houses, they take their place with sophomores, juniors,<br />
and seniors who become much more than classmates and<br />
peers – they become teammates, advisors, encouragers,<br />
advocates, spiritual pilgrims, and friends.<br />
Our houses become “homes” to our students. They meet<br />
together, work together, serve together, pray together,<br />
compete together against the other houses (academically<br />
and athletically), and sit together during graduation and<br />
commencement exercises.<br />
As St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Love begins at home,<br />
and it is not how much we do there, but how much love we<br />
put into it.”<br />
We put a lot of love into our Houses. Every year. Every<br />
class.<br />
Our school was the first Catholic high school in Texas to<br />
develop a House system – a system that was instituted<br />
on May 13, 2011, to promote school spirit, fellowship,<br />
spirituality, and academic achievement. During the school<br />
year, each House is awarded points through athletic and<br />
academic competitions, and other competitive events. At<br />
the end of the year, one house is awarded the Roncalli Cup<br />
in honor of our patron, Pope St. John XXIII.<br />
Lifelong friendships are forged during these competitions,<br />
as students encourage each other, hold each other<br />
accountable, and support each other in their pursuit of<br />
excellence at this level, and at the collegiate level.<br />
Our five houses are Aquinas, Borromeo, Lisieux, Loreto,<br />
and Neri. Each House seeks to instill St. John’s unique<br />
charism, the Four Pillars: Excellence, Obedience, Peace,<br />
and Renewal. More than anything, our Houses become<br />
homes-away-from-home for our students. They become<br />
places where we live out our school motto: To prepare our<br />
students in mind and heart to serve God and others.<br />
As always, it is a GREAT DAY to be a Lion!<br />
Fr. Steve Sellers, D.Min., Ph.D.<br />
President<br />
<strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019 | 3
your House is<br />
More Like<br />
Home<br />
“<br />
We feel like<br />
we are a family<br />
when we<br />
get together.<br />
Everyone knows<br />
each other and<br />
we are able to<br />
joke around,<br />
hang out, and<br />
learn new things.<br />
A house system. You may have heard that St. John XXIII<br />
College Preparatory has one, but what does that really<br />
mean? What does it do? Who is in charge? To answer<br />
these questions and more, let’s go door to door and visit<br />
each house.<br />
Founded in 2004, St. John XXIII College Preparatory was<br />
the first Texas school to introduce a house system in May<br />
2011. Named after Catholic saints, St. John XXIII has five<br />
houses: Aquinas, Borromeo, Lisieux, Loreto, and Neri.<br />
Students are randomly assigned to a house when they<br />
become St. John XXIII students, with the exception of<br />
siblings or alumni children who are automatically assigned<br />
to the house where their predecessor(s) resided. Each<br />
house has teachers and faculty members who lend<br />
support, guidance, and formation. The entire house system<br />
is under the guidance of the Dean of Houses who provides<br />
the necessary coordination, execution, and management.<br />
This unique house system gives students the ability to<br />
interact and bond in small groups, versus the entire<br />
student body. It also provides the opportunity for each<br />
student to grow spiritually, academically, and socially<br />
by having students from all grade levels interacting in a<br />
house. Houses are designed to provide pastoral care and<br />
promote active participation in the school’s mission. It<br />
encourages students to build strong relationships founded<br />
on cooperation and respect and the forum helps students<br />
develop as virtuous leaders.<br />
The houses have specific rules and agendas that must be<br />
followed. Each house has two faculty members who act as<br />
Master and Assistant Master; they brainstorm the ideas the<br />
house would like to see materialize; they are responsible<br />
for their house captains, councils, and members; they<br />
advocate for their house; foster community opportunities;<br />
communicate with parents; and promote faith-building<br />
growth.<br />
4 | <strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019
The Dean of Houses oversees and manages the House<br />
System and its structure by executing house leadership<br />
meetings and all house events, coordinating House<br />
competitions, creating leadership training for student<br />
leaders, acting as a liaison between the House Leadership<br />
Team and the Principal and Assistant Principal, managing<br />
the House budget, and granting final approval on awarding<br />
house points.<br />
There are numerous house leaders. In the role of Captains,<br />
each house has two senior students, one male and one<br />
female. Each House Council consists of two freshmen, two<br />
sophomores, three juniors, and three seniors, as well as the<br />
two captains. The house councils then appoint one senior<br />
and one junior representative to the house senate which<br />
acts as a general committee to govern the body of the<br />
school and meet regularly to plan various school dances<br />
and activities. In addition to each House Council and the<br />
House Senate, one junior or senior from each house are<br />
selected as the advisory leader who lead their peers two<br />
times a week in 20-minute discussions and community<br />
builders on a virtue that the school is focusing on for that<br />
quarter.<br />
The Houses also compete for points to win the much<br />
coveted Roncalli Cup, named after Angelo Giuseppe<br />
Roncalli, also known as St. John XXIII. The students can<br />
do many things to win points for their house which range<br />
from athletic opportunities like playing kickball and capture<br />
the flag, or coming out to support our Lion sports teams,<br />
to engaging in academic competitions or having the<br />
most A’s at the end of a quarter. Other opportunities are<br />
service oriented such as the Catholic Charities Food Drive,<br />
or creative opportunities such as decorating the House<br />
bulletin board and showing the most house spirit at our<br />
competitions.<br />
As the House System is at the core of our student life<br />
they arrange and execute many school wide events and<br />
opportunities for students to find enjoyment with one<br />
another. For instance, we host two dances, football game<br />
tailgates, and SJ23 family movie night. Other things that<br />
students enjoy participating in our school Talent Show and<br />
Steps for Students.<br />
Through these Houses, friendships are forged making a<br />
house more like home.<br />
“<br />
I love the sense of family and<br />
friendship and that everyone’s<br />
view is valued. Also, I love our<br />
rope that represents everyone<br />
in our house.<br />
DANIKA ZUBIZARRETA ’21<br />
Faculty House<br />
Masters<br />
Mrs. Steffani Rush Aquila<br />
Dean of Houses<br />
Dr. Roland Millare<br />
Colors: Blue and White<br />
Motto: Illumination,<br />
Integrity, Intelligence<br />
Feast Day: January 28<br />
Mrs. Wendy Elko<br />
Colors: Purple and White<br />
Motto: Humility, Zeal,<br />
Fortitude<br />
Feast Day: November 4<br />
Mrs. Elizabeth Dronet<br />
Colors: Green and Gold<br />
Motto: Virtus, Veritas,<br />
Victoria<br />
Feast Day: October 1<br />
Ms. Kristen Meneilly<br />
Colors: Gold and Silver<br />
Motto: Respect, Loyalty,<br />
Wisdom, Humility<br />
Feast Day: March 19<br />
Mr. Jerome Llorens<br />
Colors: Black and Red<br />
Motto: Prayer, Service,<br />
Wisdom<br />
Feast Day: May 26<br />
<strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019 | 5
“<br />
The house system, Aquinas<br />
house in particular, has<br />
provided me and countless<br />
other students a way to be<br />
involved in leadership, meet<br />
new people, and to be a part<br />
of something bigger than<br />
ourselves. Every student in our<br />
house plays a role, whether<br />
that be on the academic team,<br />
athletic team, or even being<br />
our house “hype-man” at<br />
competitions. Aquinas house<br />
truly has a place for everyone!<br />
aquinas House<br />
ALINA RAMON ’19<br />
“<br />
Aquinas house gave me the opportunity to find a<br />
group of people I could be around when I didn’t<br />
know anyone leading into high school. It was a<br />
center of support and growth that allowed me<br />
to meet and interact with upperclassmen that I<br />
wouldn’t have gotten to know otherwise.<br />
KORBIN PODOLAK ’19<br />
6 | <strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019
“<br />
To be in the<br />
Borromeo<br />
house means<br />
you are in<br />
supportive<br />
community<br />
that always<br />
cheers you on<br />
and is there<br />
for you.<br />
SAVANNAH ARNOLD ’19<br />
Borromeo House<br />
My favorite memory was when we watched Moana in a house<br />
meeting, it was really fun for the whole house!<br />
“NICK MOON ’19<br />
<strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019 | 7
loreto House<br />
“<br />
Loreto makes me happy to be a<br />
part of because we dedicate a<br />
lot of time to talking about things<br />
that we can learn and grow to<br />
become.<br />
“<br />
The house system is like being<br />
a part of a family. Sometimes<br />
there are days where you love<br />
being together and sometimes<br />
you lose a game and that is<br />
hard, but you always know that<br />
you have other students and<br />
teachers who care about you.<br />
8 | <strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019
Lisieux House<br />
We feel like we are a family when we get together.<br />
Everyone knows each other and we are able to joke<br />
“around, hang out, and learn new things.<br />
<strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019 | 9
“<br />
We have learned to join in<br />
unity to accomplish winning<br />
a competition, or putting<br />
on a dance, or having great<br />
house meetings.<br />
Neri House<br />
“<br />
It means a community that<br />
forms irreplaceable bonds!<br />
We are united together as<br />
students but also a SJ23<br />
family.<br />
10 | <strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019
Canyon honoring his grandmother with the offrenda he made in her memory.<br />
Student<br />
Spotlight<br />
canyon neundorfer ‘20<br />
fast Facts<br />
Class of 2020<br />
House of Neri and Advisory leader<br />
Swim Team Member<br />
Cross Country Team Member and Captain<br />
College Plans include the Coastguard Academy<br />
At St. John XXIII, we pride ourselves on being a family of many<br />
who work, pray, and grow in God’s grace. A great blessing to our<br />
campus is Canyon, a junior who has an interesting family history<br />
of which he is very proud. His grandmother was born in a Poland<br />
village. At only 16 years of age, his grandmother became a slave<br />
for a German family. His grandfather played on a semi-professional<br />
soccer team and often played against Karol Józef Wojtyla, who we<br />
now know as Pope John Paul II.<br />
His grandparents met, married, and moved to America where they<br />
settled and raised a family in Ohio. Canyon has fond memories of his<br />
grandmother’s cooking, especially potato pancakes, perogies, and<br />
kielbasa. His grandmother was fluent in six languages and one of<br />
her favorite things to say was, “You be kidding.”<br />
When Pope John Paul II was shot May 13, 1981, his grandfather<br />
also was shot the same day in an attempted robbery. Thankfully, the<br />
Pope and his grandfather survived the senseless attacks.<br />
Canyon and his parents live in Bellville. His dog’s name is Gypsy, a<br />
loveable and large 150-pound English Mastiff. There is even a story<br />
about how Gypsy entered their lives. When Gypsy was a puppy,<br />
she was bitten by a snake and Canyon’s mother, a veterinarian, was<br />
called in to save her life. Gypsy’s owner was so thankful that she<br />
gifted the pup to the Neundorfer family.<br />
Canyon has a knack for math and science and intends to study<br />
naval architecture at the Coastguard Academy in New Haven,<br />
Connecticut. We are certain that wherever his path leads, he will be<br />
successful.<br />
<strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019 | 11
aquinas<br />
house<br />
Movie<br />
Night<br />
12 | <strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019
House<br />
Tailgate<br />
St. John XXIII<br />
Lions<br />
<strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019 | 13
Annual report<br />
2017-2018<br />
INCOME<br />
Tuition and Fees Income<br />
Less Tuition Assistance Awarded<br />
Athletics Income<br />
Advancement Income<br />
Other Income<br />
TOTAL INCOME<br />
6,956,138<br />
(691,361)<br />
58,759<br />
628,827<br />
86,225<br />
7,038,587<br />
EXPENSE<br />
Instructional and Student Programs Expense<br />
General Administrative Expense<br />
Advancement Expense<br />
Facilities and Technology<br />
Interest and Depreciation<br />
Other Expense<br />
TOTAL EXPENSE<br />
4,077,459<br />
867,730<br />
232,029<br />
894,530<br />
771,344<br />
32,178<br />
6,875,269<br />
NET OPERATING INCOME<br />
163,318<br />
14 | <strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019
Thank You<br />
For Your Support<br />
We thank the following 2017-2018 St. John XXIII donors for contributions that provided assistance to our Annual Fund,<br />
Tuition Assistance Program, Capital gifts, and Co-Curricular Sponsorships.<br />
Dana Abbott<br />
Lisa Albano<br />
Amazing Grace Hospice<br />
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston<br />
Obinna and Joann Azuike<br />
Paul and Tara Bailey<br />
Michael and Barbara Baudler<br />
Scott and Gina Bergeron<br />
James and Tina Blaschke<br />
Reverend Warren S. and Kathleen Blick<br />
Christine Boles<br />
Matthew and Leigh Ann Boucher<br />
Robyn Boyle<br />
Michael Brennan<br />
Meredith Brennan<br />
Jane Buckner<br />
Mark Camiolo<br />
Michael and Jacquelyn Campise<br />
Timothy Caruthers<br />
Marco and Pamela Castilla<br />
William and Wendy Cheong<br />
Gerald and Giselda Chomer<br />
Walter and Renee Cooney<br />
Don and Andria Craig<br />
Christ the King Catholic School, NC<br />
Steven and Susan Crockett<br />
Loran Cunningham<br />
Corinne S. Danna<br />
John and Kelli DeGeeter<br />
Glen and Sheri DeMois<br />
Erik and Kelli Diers<br />
Carl and Mary DiMaiti<br />
Don McGill Toyota of Katy<br />
Martin and Cindy Doublesin<br />
Ramon and Suzanne Echevarria<br />
Billie Ellis<br />
Charles and Ana England<br />
Finnegan Auto Group<br />
Jesse and Tracy Frazier<br />
Peter and Kathy Gandolfo<br />
Juan Garica and Susana Morelos<br />
David and Maria Ginebra<br />
Jack and Fran Gleeson<br />
Joseph and Krista Goethals<br />
Rob and Kim Gorski<br />
Mabel Gowen<br />
Donald and Lisa Guedry<br />
Kenneth and Michelle Guidry<br />
Bob and Tracy Henry<br />
Holy Family High School, CO<br />
Scott Irvine and Fran Vallejo<br />
ICONBANK<br />
J. Wilson & Associates, Inc.<br />
Kenneth and Joanna Jasek<br />
Clay and Donna Jeansonne<br />
Lionel and Christina Johnston<br />
Richard and Rosalie Kessler<br />
Knights of Columbus Council 11343<br />
Knights of Columbus Council 12955<br />
Michael and Julie Koch<br />
William and Ana Kopf<br />
Susie Kramer<br />
Doug and Ramona Krenek<br />
David and Suzanne Krusleski<br />
Kenneth and Tracy LaPaul<br />
Janet Lee<br />
Jeffrey and Joy Lee<br />
Mark and Susan Loyd<br />
The Lubrizol Foundation<br />
Laurie Lynch<br />
David and Michelle Magallanez<br />
Lawrence and Sherry Martin<br />
Justin Matias<br />
Clifton and Constance McDerby<br />
William and Valcia McDonald<br />
Frank and Adele Mensik<br />
Wesley and Jean Meyers<br />
Edward and Pam Michna<br />
John and Jean Miles<br />
M2K Motorsports<br />
James and Jennifer Mondy<br />
Philip and Joan Morabito<br />
Mark and Andrea Murray<br />
Keith and Amie Myers<br />
Anne Neeson<br />
William and Becky Neeson<br />
Dale and Loui Nijoka<br />
Terence and Ronda O’Connor<br />
Patrick and Lillie O’Quinn<br />
Maria Oakum<br />
Wilson Oelkers<br />
Janeen Paprocki<br />
Wayne and Dianne Paprocki<br />
Timothy and Margaret Parmenter<br />
Tom and Norma Petrosewicz<br />
Karen Phelan<br />
Les and Rocio Phelps<br />
Jeff and Elaine Polzer<br />
Pope John XXIII High School, NJ<br />
Pope John XXIII High School, MA<br />
Jonathan and Rachel Prejean<br />
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers<br />
Gilbert and Kerstin Ramon<br />
Richmond Rage<br />
Ron and Peg Riesmeyer<br />
Wayne and Susan Roy<br />
St. John Vianney Catholic Church<br />
St. Jude Catholic School<br />
St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church<br />
St. Pius X High School, MO<br />
Richard and Eleanor Scalzitti<br />
Scanlan Foundation<br />
Schmidt Funeral Home<br />
Richard and Susan Schmitt<br />
Dean and Judy Schnitzler<br />
Sandra Seeber<br />
Reverend Steve and Dixie Sellers<br />
Christopher and Jacqueline Shugart<br />
John and Betty Sierra<br />
Daniel Simmons<br />
Thomas and Leslie Simmons<br />
Soccer Depot, Inc.<br />
Charles and Carol Stephens<br />
Baptista and Rosa Sumbe<br />
Greg and Sheila Sutton<br />
David and Elizabeth Thompson<br />
Jay and Lisa Thorseth<br />
Katie To, DDS<br />
Sherry Tucker<br />
Gerry and Jesse Tupaz<br />
Eric and Kimberly Upchurch<br />
Adrian and Missy Vuyk<br />
Mark and Cindy Wall<br />
Nicole Warren<br />
Raye White<br />
Kent and Janelle Williams<br />
Michael and Dana Winland<br />
Robert and Margaret Woodrum<br />
Mark and Jennifer Wrzyszczynski<br />
Reverend William L. Young<br />
Please consider joining these donors. Make a gift to the 2018-2019 Annual Campaign. Donations are accepted<br />
online at sj23lions.org under the “support tab” or by check (1800 W. Grand Parkway N. Katy, TX 77449). For more<br />
information about the advancement programs at St. John XXIII, contact Keith Myers, Executive Director of Advancement,<br />
281.693.1000. Thank you for your support!<br />
<strong>PARARE</strong> • Winter 2018-2019 | 15
sj23 By the Numbers<br />
14<br />
Years<br />
Established<br />
5 880 440<br />
Million awarded in tuition<br />
assistance since 2004<br />
SJ23 Alumni<br />
Current Students<br />
9,700<br />
Hours of works of mercy<br />
completed by the class of 2018<br />
4 23 40<br />
SJ23 graduates<br />
are seminarians<br />
Student Organizations<br />
Members of the<br />
Marching Band<br />
3.92<br />
Median Cumulative GPA<br />
Class of 2019<br />
15 60 3<br />
Varsity Sports Teams<br />
Faculty Members<br />
Perfect Scores Various<br />
SAT Sections<br />
6 5 14 47,000<br />
Class of 2019 Merit<br />
Achievements<br />
Texas Music Scholars<br />
AP Courses Offered<br />
Average Collage<br />
Scholarship offered to<br />
each student in the<br />
Class of 2018<br />
100<br />
College Placement Rate<br />
sj23lions.org | 1800 W. Grand Parkway N., Katy, TX 77449 | 281.693.1000
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