18
CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
February 20 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic
All Eligible Saint Francis Fall Teams Competed at Norcal or State Championships
The fall 2017 athletic season may well go down in Saint Francis High School history as one of the most successful season for the Lancers : The school had eight teams vying for titles at the NorCal or state levels , which is unprecedented in the history of the California Interscholastic Federation ( CIF ). From cross country to water polo , all teams that were eligible were in contention .
“ Every team that had a chance to compete in the NorCal playoffs did , and many went on to win Nor- Cal or state championships ,” said Director of Athletics Michael Pilawski . “ It ’ s always a great day to be a Lancer , but this fall , on and off the fields , the play was incredible .”
Coaches were proud to be part of this distinction . They set a high bar for their athletes , and they have their own theories to explain the success . Roberta Chisam , who coaches girls cross country , says the level of competition Saint Francis teams face makes all Lancer athletic programs better .
“ Competing in the WCAL pushes everyone to constantly keep our programs at its highest level every year , and this is why you see so many WCAL teams in the state final competitions ,” said Coach Chisam , who also teaches science .
Football coach Greg Calcagno ’ 83 says the successes Saint Francis experienced this fall speaks to the support of the athletic department and the dedication and talent of the athletes and coaches .
“ Every Saint Francis team has very high standards and works hard to succeed on and off the field ,” said Coach Calcagno , who also serves as the school ’ s alumni director . “ There is an expectation that our teams will compete very hard and in a way that honors the game and those that have worn the brown and white uniforms prior to our current players .”
For girl ’ s water polo coach and art teacher Brendon Reutebuch , it is often his fellow coaches who inspire him .
“ I work with dedicated coaches who always have the student-athlete ’ s best interest at heart ,” he said . “ I marvel at how much effort and passion Coach Pompei displays with his boys and how they reciprocate back .”
Phil Pompei ’ 08 , who coaches the boys cross country team , turned the attention away from himself . What ’ s important about the fall season ’ s accomplishments , he says , is not how many championships were won but that they were won with students embracing the athletic department ’ s credo of “ effort , teamwork and sportsmanship .”
Here ’ s how Lancer teams fared this fall : Girls Cross - CIF State Division II 9th place Boys Cross - CIF State Division II Champions Football - CIF State Division 2-AA Bowl Champions Girls Golf - CIF NorCal 5th place Girls Tennis - CIF NorCal 2nd Place Girls Volleyball - CIF NorCal Open Division Qualifier Girls Water Polo - CIF NorCal Division II Champions Boys Water Polo - CIF NorCal Division II Champions
Note : All fall teams eligible for CIF NorCal / State Playoffs qualified . Field Hockey does not have CIF NorCal Playoffs ; they were CCS semifinalist .
Holy Family School ’ s Celebration of Catholic Schools Week
As we reflect back on Catholic Schools Week , our Holy Family School Community is reminded of the value we have gained from our Catholic Education as students , educators , parents and members of our community .
We kicked off the week with a school Mass and Open House , in which we showed off our unity by wearing our uniforms to Mass and showing off our work in our classrooms . Our student council attended Mass with the Bishop Patrick J . McGrath at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph .
We honored our students with free dress , a special treat from the Principal and Vice Principal and story time with our buddies . Our Nation was honored with the singing of “ God Bless America ” and special prayer at our morning assembly . As we ended the week , we celebrated the rest of our community and our faculty and staff . The students , faculty and staff wore pajamas to school to celebrate the success of participating in our annual appeal .
Catholic Schools Week helped us acknowledge the reasons why we do what we do for Holy Family School .
Saint Christopher First Graders Celebrate 100 Days of School
On January 30 , the first graders at Saint Christopher School celebrated the 100 th day of school . This special day was filled with fun learning activities , and the students even dressed up as 100 year olds . In honor of this occasion , there was a very honored guest , Mike Chiechi , great-grandfather of Harper in 1A and Ainsley in KB , visited the classroom . Mr . Chiechi turned 100 years old on February 1 . Mr . Chiechi shared his life stories , and the students asked him many questions . Mr . Chiechi was a founding member of Saint Christopher Parish in the 1950 ’ s , and three generations of his family have attended Saint Christopher School . Mr . Chiechi had advice for the students about living a long life : always eat healthy food and be a compassionate person . Saint Christopher first graders enjoyed meeting Mr . Chiechi and hearing about life in San Jose a long time ago !
Simon Chiu Steps Down as President of Saint Francis High School Father Tony Mancuso Tabbed as Interim President
|
In a letter to the Saint Francis High School community dated February 2 , Board of Directors Chairman Michael Reedy announced that Simon Chiu had resigned his position as President of the school , run by the Brothers of Holy Cross . Father Tony Mancuso , a school faculty member , has been asked to serve as interim President .
Chiu said in his resignation letter , “ Saint Francis is a wonderful school that
|
I have come to love over the last three years . I am grateful for my association with the finest faculty and the most supportive parent community of any Catholic School . However , now is the right time for me to pursue other opportunities . I will miss Saint Francis , and I wish the entire community well .”
Named President of Saint Francis in the Spring of 2015 , Chiu replaced Kevin Makley , who retired after 18 years as
|
President of the school .
A longtime leader in the Saint Francis High School community , Father Mancuso currently serves as campus chaplain and as a religious studies teacher . He began his association with the school in 2006 and has previously served as the Director of Campus Ministry , and Father Mancuso was also the leader of the school ’ s accreditation committee in 2012 . Additionally , he currently serves as
|
a senior fellow at Santa Clara University ’ s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics . Father Mancuso holds a doctorate in education from USF and a M . Div . from Saint Mary ’ s Seminary and University in Baltimore , as well as an M . A . in Counseling Psychology from SCU .
“ We are fortunate and blessed to have Father Tony step forward to guide us until our next President is appointed ,” said Reedy in his letter to the community .
|