MAKE A DIFFERENCE 3131 South 156th Street Omaha, NE 68130-1907 2012 OUR NEWS OF INTEREST TO THE ALUMNI, PARENTS & FRIENDS WINTER OF SKUTT CATHOLIC Back to Back to Back Mock Trial State Champs NON-PROFIT ORG. PERMIT NO. 1118 U.S. POSTAGE U.S. POSTAGE OMAHA, NE PAID www.skuttcatholic.com Skut Catholic High School State Champs 3131 South 156th Street Skutt Catholic Mock Trial Team Omaha, NE 68130-1907 Seated left to right: Brenna Rossi, Danielle Desa, p: 402-333-0818 Amanda Olson, Brianna Desa, Taylor Gibson f: 402-333-1790 Standing left to right: Coach Mary Meyer, Coach Patrick Borchers, Matthew Rago, Nathan Jensen, Judge Lyle Strom, Federal District Court Judge for the District of Nebraska Prepare to Like us on MAKE A DIFFERENCE Facebook Skutt Catholic High School admits students of any race, color and national or ethnic origin. Calendar of Inside this Issue President’s Letter . 3 Cover Story - Success . 4 FEBRUARY 4 MAY 2 Alumni Board President’s Letter . 6 BASEBALL BASH LIGHT OF LEADERSHIP MASS Alumni Updates. 7 This event will honor the 2005 State Skutt Catholic seniors pass leadership Championship Baseball Team and candles on to the junior class Save the Date Events . 9 four Skutt Catholic graduates who Branding Skutt Catholic . 11 were college Rawlings Golden Glove MAY 11 recipients. BaccaLAUREATE MASS Exploring My Roots. 13 • 7 p.m. • 7 p.m. Left to right: • $25 per couple • St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (508 Andrew Thielen, James Pieper, 2010-2011 Annual Report . 14 • Hildebrandt-Nebe Wrestling Facility Angus St., Gretna, Neb.) Kaitlyn Heffron, Matthew Capoun, on the Skutt Catholic campus Danielle Desa and Matthew Rago Around SCHS. 19 MAY 12 SC Grandparent Highlight . 22 March 5 – 9 GRADUATION 2011-2012 National Merit Scholars SPRING BREAK • 2:30 p.m. • Orpheum Theatre (409 S 16th St, MARCH 24 Omaha, Neb.) ALUMNI BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT Gather your team and be watching for JUNE 29 online sign-ups. FLIGHT FOR EXCELLENCE • $15 per person GOLF TOURNAMENT • 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. • 11 a.m. Registration begins, with a • Skutt Catholic gymnasiums noon shotgun start • Pacific Springs Golf Club (16810 MARCH 31 Harney St, Omaha, Neb.) PROM • Dinner and award ceremony to • 9 p.m. to midnight follow play • The Ridge (20033 Elkhorn Ridge • All-alumni social with DJ Dan Drive, Omaha, Neb.) Hilario playing tunes on the Pacific Springs club deck in the evening APRIL 5-9 EASTER BREAK JUNE 30 ClASS OF 2002 10-YEAR REuNiON APRIL 25 • 6 p.m. Social hour and tour of school (Skutt Catholic Media HAWKWaLK 2012 Center) Skutt Catholic students raise funds • 7:30 p.m. Picnic dinner under the for the school’s Financial Assistance big top (Skutt Catholic campus) Program, take a 5 mile trek around Lake Zorinsky, then cap off the event with an GrandHawks Mass 2011 all-school picnic. 1 | SKUTT CATHOLIC OUR LEGACY | 2 Cover Story President’s Letter by Mike McMahon “That’s what building a body of work is all about. It’s about the daily Every January in my household, my children stand tall against a particular wall and labor, the many individual acts, the choices large and small that add eagerly allow my wife and me to measure and record their height. All of us love to marvel at how much they have grown as we compare prior year marks to the most recent up over time, over a lifetime to a lasting legacy. It’s about not being measurement. Seeing how fast they have grown in such a short time never ceases to satisfied with the latest achievement, the latest gold star, because amaze me. This little family tradition is certainly not unique to the Slattery household as the one thing I know about a body of work is that it’s never finished. what parent does not love to revel in both their children’s past and current growth. It’s cumulative. It deepens and expands with each day you give your best. You may have setbacks and you may have failures, but Skutt Catholic High School is nearing its twenty year anniversary, and marking our you’re not done. You haven’t even started.” growth over these twenty years is much like marking the height of our children as they Barack Obama, Arizona State Commencement Speech, 2009 grow. Each year we see notable strides, we recall fond memories of those prior younger years, and continue to amaze ourselves at how far things are coming along. Skutt President Obama was right. His commencement speech Catholic has grown from a school with 120 students in its first year to a school with also pertains to teams, programs and schools, and their 700 students today! Our alumni base has grown to 2151, and our total constituent list “body of work.” The off–season, the daily practices, the to nearly 10,000 people strong. Our curriculum, Catholic identity, and extracurricular commitment to team rules and the acceptance of individual programs have all grown leaps and bounds from where we were 19 years ago. roles encompass any particular year. The teams during the fall season at Skutt Catholic realized they were not satisfied Unlike the markings on the wall that eventually stop as our children no longer grow taller, and wanted to leave their own individual mark - and they did. our success at Skutt Catholic must continue to grow. We must position ourselves for the Patrick Slattery future. We must strive to reach new heights and not be content with our success today. “…a body of work” Presdient/Principal Data trends of Archdiocesan high schools in Omaha over the past fifty years would show that many schools experienced peaks in enrollment and financial stability around twenty It started off with girls golf. New coach, Mike Stolarskyj, guided years of age but struggled to maintain those patterns in the following decades. As the 12 girls, seven of whom were freshmen (some with little golf enclosed Annual Report will highlight, we are blessed to be in solid financial standing at experience.) However, excitement was high and with one senior this time. We are debt free and enrollment patterns for our school over the past decade and two juniors leading the way, progress was made. The girls are noticeably better than the national and Midwest average. It might be easy to argue finished 3rd at the RCC meet, 4th at Districts, and qualified two girls, that preserving the status quo is the right course of action for our school. Yet, the status Stephanie Kaiser and Katherine Slump, for the State meet. That quo will stop the progress. Our growth chart would grow stagnant. season added to their confidence and set the table for the future. As we look to our next twenty years, we will continue to rely on the strength, skills and “. It deepens and expands with each day you give your best. You may have expertise of all constituents to ensure that Skutt Catholic has not yet seen its peak. As setbacks and you may have failures, but you’re not done...” our constituent base grows, so too should the strength of our school. You all have been instrumental in our first two decades of success, and all of us at Skutt Catholic feel The boys tennis team, coached by Sheryl Vaughn, won their sixth straight blessed to have your support as we make plans for our future! RCC team championship. With experience and tradition behind them, state competition began with high hopes. There were setbacks, but each match was May God Bless you and your family in this new year! extremely hard fought. Nolan Healy & Andrew Johnson (#1 Doubles) finished 4th, Zach Legband (#2 Singles) also finished 4th while freshman Skylar Lowe (#1 Sincerely, Singles) won his first match and then ran into a tough player from lincoln Christian. Anna Milone Patrick Slattery in the end, the #2 Doubles team of Mitch Plance & Brian Carmody were crowned and Morgan Olson President/Principal State Champions! Setbacks sure, but boys tennis was never defeated. continued on next page 3 | SKUTT CATHOLIC OUR LEGACY | 4 through the competition to qualify for the state tournament. Losing to a tough Grand Island Northwest team in the cover story continued... semifinals, the SkyHawks battled back to defeat Elkhorn South 3-0 in the third Alumni Board President’s Letter place match. Finishing with a (30- 10) record, the girls proved their best brought out something special. Happy New Year from the Skutt Catholic Alumni Board! “…It’s about not being satisfied with the latest achievement, the latest gold star…” I hope you had a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family. I am excited to “That’s what building a body of work is all “…because the one thing I know about a share a variety of recent happenings with your Skutt Catholic Alumni Association! about. It’s about the daily labor, the many body of work is that it’s never finished. It’s 2006 - 2009 - 2010 - 2011 = Four individual acts, the choices large and small cumulative…” state championships in the last six The SC Alumni Association hosted its annual Flight for Excellence Golf Tournament that add up over time, over a lifetime to a Football in Nebraska, well, it’s pretty years! No one can accuse the Skutt in June at Pacific Spring Golf Course. Alumni, alumni parents, and SC staff enjoyed lasting legacy…” important. The atmosphere in school Catholic Mock Trial team of resting on a warm summer day of golf, food, prizes and even a putting competition to finish the seems to be influenced by the success their laurels.