CRUSADER CONNECTION Truth l Compassion l Justice GRACE and SHARED COMMITMENT in 2020-21 Community l Partnership by EHS President Mike Elliott by EHS Principal Beth Steffen WOW, what a year! Never in my wildest dreams On May 14, did I anticipate being involved with a school during a pandemic, 2021, Edgewood but as we always do at Edgewood, our community came together High School in partnership to do what needed to be done. of the Sacred Heart graduated I want to first say thank you to the students for all their hard work, its 140th flexibility and creativity as they found and adapted to new ways of senior class, the learning. first-ever class Parents, I understand it was a frustrating time as we dealt with to graduate in a tent! The accommodations and adjustments the shutdown and the ever-changing public health orders and that this year compelled underscored Edgewood’s value of guidelines. You stayed as patient as I could have hoped and worked community. Students, parents, and faculty and staff were flexible in partnership to execute the plan to educate our students. and resilient all year. From beginning in August in an all-virtual Thank you to our amazing Faculty and Staff. The extra hours, format, to opening in January for hybrid instruction for those effort and energy you put into every day this past year was who selected it (two days in person and two days at home), to outstanding and it’s what makes Edgewood different from other offering five full in-person days to those who chose it in April, we high schools. Together we achieved our goal of not losing a year of adjusted over and over again this pandemic education year. education. (continued on page 2) Thank you to our COVID-19 Advisory Team of Dr. David Andes, Dr. William Hartman, Dr. Jantina Vonk, Nurse Sue Richards, Marykay Zimbrick, Jane Clark, Beth Steffen and me, for the many EHS welcomes new principal hours we put in and the tough decisions we made. Our decisions We are pleased and excited to announce were not always popular, but they were consistent because they Jerry Zander as the next Principal of were all made with the safety of our community as our first Edgewood High School of the Sacred priority. Heart. Our maintenance crew of Bill Bollig, Mike Day, Brien Carney Jerry is a practicing Catholic with most and Mike Glick deserve our gratitude as well. They could not of his experience in Catholic education. have been more understanding, patient and accommodating as He has been a teacher, a coach, an athletic things changed by the hour and they had to adapt to keep our director, an assistant principal and a principal, so he has experience in a variety environment safe. Jerry Zander (continued on page 2) of areas. He says he firmly believes that communication is the key to success and is looking forward to getting to know the Edgewood community and learning about our culture. Jerry comes to us from Brophy College Prep and before that, Notre Dame Prep, both in the Phoenix area. Jerry will be moving his wife and two sons, 11 and 9, to Madison and plans to be here to begin our school year. We are extremely excited Mike Elliott addresses faculty and staff to welcome Jerry and to begin working with him to enhance at year-end meeting. the Edgewood Experience. Visit our website to learn more! Summer 2021 1 EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL THANK YOU PRINCIPAL BETH STEFFEN WOW What a Year: (cont.) Thanks also to the main office Support Staff for keeping things running. Many of us never missed a day. In the Edgewood Principal Beth Steffen retires from EHS way, we worked our regular jobs and After serving in the principal search process. During that pitched in wherever and whenever role of principal at time, Sandra Docter, current Board needed. Edgewood High member and parent of four EHS alumni, Thanks to all of you who provided gifts School for three has assumed an interim leadership of support during the year. It was a remarkable years, position. Sandy retired this summer from challenging fundraising year, but as a Beth Steffen made Madison College where she served in the community we still found ways to hit our the decision to retire role of Associate Dean in the School of goals and our budget. Special thanks to from EHS effective Health Education. those of you who made a major gift or June 11. matching gift. EHS Principal On behalf of the entire Edgewood Beth Steffen Beth began her community, we thank Beth for her This will be the first summer in four years service to EHS in exemplary service to Edgewood High without a major construction project July 2018. As we look back on her career, School. EHS Board Chair, Marykay happening. The pandemic delayed plans we are grateful for the many gifts that Zimbrick said: on the Commons project, but we will be Beth brought to our school. The role of “We will miss Beth’s vision, leadership performing some major and much needed principal is a challenging one and Beth and academic expertise, and her passion deferred maintenance projects including: carried out her role with great love and for education, all of which provided a six-figure new roof on the original support of our students and families, a solid foundation for the Edgewood building, additional tuck pointing in and with dedication to the mission of community. We wish Beth well!” the back of the school, AC added to the the school and the Sinsinawa Dominican language lab floor, a new canopy added to values of Truth, Compassion, Justice, the athletic entrance, remodeling of the Community and Partnership. teachers’ lounges on the first and third Edgewood President Mike Elliott noted floors, upgrading of faculty computers, that Beth brought great energy to the job and replastering and repainting of the every day. stairway from Athletics to Student Services. “She has inspired people with her The highlight project of the summer will enthusiasm and excitement for teaching be the reconstruction of our historic and learning,” he said. “Beth always Bishops doors. wanted her work to have a purpose and to The original windows, be built on trusting relationships.” detailed trim and hardware will be Ms. Steffen greeted students restored, rebuilt and refinished to the The EHS Board of Trustees, led by by name at the Commons original stain color as will the second- Marykay Zimbrick, conducted the doors to start the school day. floor balcony door above. The old doors showed the effects of braving the elements for many decades. When finished they A Year of Grace: Beth Steffen (cont.) will be restored to their original beauty. Despite the obstacles, we were able to offer three full sports seasons, earned individual and Thanks to the generosity of our EHS team athletic championships, produced a radio play and an online musical, conducted a community, we have made tremendous virtual Fine Arts Festival week, offered in-person and virtual retreats, had a junior-senior progress. Although facilities maintenance prom, and held an Honors Convocation and other year-end celebrations. and improvement seem endless, we do it Our community standard articulating our schoolwide commitment to community, justice because we want you to be as proud of and equity was foundational this year, including through the contention of the election and our building as you are of your diploma. its aftermath; George Floyd’s murder and the trial of his killer; and our divided perspectives I never tire of saying it: Edgewood High about masks, social distancing requirements and the pace of reopening. School is a community, a community for life, where special people come together to Grace and a shared commitment to learning better do special things. and doing better guided us on our way. We are Edgewood! 2 edgewoodhs.org CRUSADER CONNECTION MUSINGS from DENNIS MCKINLEY ‘63 Receive Crusader Connection online! Help us honor the commitment of the Sinsinawa community to protect MAGIC MOMENTS the environment and, at the same time, help Edgewood save printing and postage costs! Go to www.edgewoodhs.org/alumni/ It started with a 1980 alumnus living in martyred around the world, most likely crusader_connection Colorado posting a pun on Facebook. those reading this article will never Since one good pun deserves another, be challenged at that level. However, Complete the form to elect to receive this twice-yearly Crusader I responded with my own pun playing perhaps we are called to “martyrdom” Connection newsletter electronically. off his pun. Before we knew it, a 1979 by following daily the “Little Way” in a alumnus from the Kenosha/Racine consistent and saintly manner. By doing area answered with his pun and a 1980 our best to follow this way, we all will alumna from Ohio countered with her experience many “magic moments” in pun. So what? In what I call a “magic our lives because we will have opened moment,” I had a mini-reunion with ourselves to God’s grace and mercy. three students I So what are some of taught more than If we spend our lives waiting for the the “magic moments” 40 years ago. I “big moments” to happen, we miss you have experienced Edgewood High School was flooded with a lot of opportunities for these small in the past 18 memories from is still accepting moments that can bring us joy and months? While our applications for 2021-22 that era of teaching remind us of so many good things world shut down those students and school year! God has placed in our journey.