Winter 2009 - K-Space Web Page - Central Catholic High School

that petition. Even if I had a new home, what would always make me feel
great was that thousands of people thought enough of my family to sign
a petition to get the makeover people to contact us.”
CCHS Makeover
When the Clarks weren’t chosen for a new home, the Central Catholic
family wanted to do more for them than just sign a petition. So principal
Mike Kaucher went to the Clark home to fi nd out what CCHS could do
to help. After assessing the most
important needs with the family,
Central Catholic administrators
began making contacts to get some
of the work started.
Style
Imperial Roofi ng, which does roofi ng
projects for the school, agreed to
provide the roofi ng labor for the Clark house at cost, and CCHS plans
to raise money to cover the labor. Owens Corning agreed to donate the
roofi ng materials. Central Catholic also helped facilitate the repair to the
Clark’s sewer line, so the top two improvements are being handled.
The goal was to get the top three projects on the Clark house fi nished
by winter, so things are well on their way. CCHS has already met with
an electrician to determine what would be needed to update the house’s
electrical system. The other two important projects – the kitchen
remodel and the exterior painting or siding – will be addressed in the
spring.
A Big Thank-You
After the Clarks found out they were not chosen for a home makeover
by the television show, Brian expressed his thanks to the faculty and staff
at Central Catholic for their support. “The only reason that the Extreme
Makeover team contacted us and considered us was the petition,” he said.
“I know that most of you signed it and many went out of their way to
promote it. The family that was chosen is so deserving of this, so don’t
feel bad for us. We feel wonderful to have been a part of this whole
process. Thank you so much for helping to make this happen.”
It is obvious that Central Catholic is extremely supportive of Brian and
his family. Among the people who signed the petition for the
makeover were a large number of Brian’s current and former students.
They expressed what an impact he has had on their lives and that they
wanted to give back by doing something for him. One of his former
students is John Klein ’02 who works as a fi lmmaker in Chicago. John is
planning to make a documentary about
Central Catholic helping the Clark family
with its own version of a home makeover.
“It’s so moving that it’s diffi cult to put
into words,” said Brian about Central
Catholic’s efforts. “As teachers, we don’t
know the effect we have on students. We
don’t know if we have an infl uence
because there is no physical measure. I am
just blown away by the generosity. On the
one hand, I’m shocked that people would
go out of their way for my family. But on
the other hand I’m not because I’ve been
here for 28 years, and I know what people
here at Central Catholic are capable of.
It’s why you teach and you still keep
teaching, because you have an effect.”
www.centralcatholicalumni.org
CCHS Faculty and
Students Lend a Hand
at Makeover Site
Several faculty members and students at Central Catholic got the chance
to join the work force at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition building
site in Toledo.
Spanish teacher Lori Szymanski signed up on line for every shift she
was available, but she was only chosen for one – midnight Friday to 6:00
a.m. Saturday. “I originally wanted to help because I hoped it was Brian
Clark, but I think the show picks deserving families, so I fi gured even if
it was not the Clark family I would still want to help,” Lori explains. “It
was WET…it rained all night…but it was really amazing. I worked in the
break tent about 20 yards from the house. I got soaked, but I didn’t even
notice. It was a festival of good will with a lot of construction people
who usually get paid good money for their skills, volunteering for a
common goal. It was community at its fi nest. I would do it again. The
only thing that would have made it better would have been if it had been
the Clark family.”
Four students from CCHS were also involved in the build, and they were
lucky enough to meet several of the stars from the television show.
Seniors Theresa Fisher, Ally Hendricks, and Emily Siebeneck, and
junior Meredith Schulz attended the EMHE rally and concert at
Centennial Terrace on September 7. When the show’s designers came
onto the stage, the four students began shouting for Paul DiMeo, designer
and costar of the television series. He fi nally came out, and since they
continued yelling his name, he approached them. He asked the students’
names and told them to come back to the building site the following
Wednesday, and he would give them a tour of the site.
The four students went to the building site after school on Wednesday,
and DiMeo followed through on his promise. He took them through
the producers’ trailer and introduced them to the producer, director, and
main builder. He then surprised them by asking the students to come
back to work on Sunday and to be there for the house revealing.
The girls returned on Sunday and were put to work carrying tools,
lumber, and other construction supplies onto trucks before the Frisch
family arrived. DiMeo also let them act as the “test family,” standing in
front of the limo to check if the bus was correctly blocking the house
from their view. They also got to
sit on the famous bus, watch
Ty Pennington doing practice
runs with the limo driving up to
the house, and witness the Frisch
family’s reaction to the big reveal.
“The best part of it all was seeing
the family’s reaction,” says
Theresa Fisher. “All four of us
were crying when they fi rst saw
the house. That was really the
point where we all felt like we
made a difference. We may not
have contributed a whole lot, but
the fact that we met the people
who made this possible made us
feel very honored.”