Though New Orleans is 500 miles away, the St. Gabriel’s Catholic School community celebrated Mardi Gras as if it were in the same city! The smooth sounds of a saxophone and a trumpet could be heard throughout the campus, as musicians marched through the halls.
They were followed closely by the Mardi Gras kings and queens representing each grade. The royal court was chosen by luck – whichever children’s pieces of king cake contained the lucky figurines! As the majestic students marched in celebration past each class, they added dozens of classmates and teachers to the parade at every door.
Before you knew it, the entire school was whistling, singing, and smiling as they were lead by the instrumental sounds of jazz. While adorned with masks, beads, and other green, purple, and yellow attire, they paraded into the gym for an all-school assembly.
They kicked off the gathering by joyously singing, “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and then Ann Walters, Director of Religious Education, explained the similarities between a king cake and the liturgical calendar. They spent the next moments offering prayer intentions before closing in more festive singing.
Walk for Water
At A Legacy of Giving's "Walk for Water" assembly, students learned about global access to clean water and the Walk for the Water walk-a-thon. The walk-a-thon is our spring Legacy all-school service event, which will be on Saturday, April 28, at the Burger Center. Mark your calendars now!
Students will advocate and raise sponsorship pledges to walk 3.7 miles - the average distance a person in the developing world must walk in one direction to get access to clean water. Our sponsorship pledges will help Legacy meet its goal to raise $35,000, which will fund a new clean water system in Burundi, Africa.
Students enjoy a Happy Chinese New Year
“X?n Nián Kuài Lè,” Bernice Hernandez exclaimed to the third grade students at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School. They echoed “X?n Nián Kuài Lè,” which means “Happy New Year.”
Bernice, who is a parent of two students at St. Gabriel’s, joined together with another mom, Hau Tran, to teach the kids about Chinese New Year. Hau made a traditional dish with sticky rice, beans and pork that was cooked in banana leaves for 12 hours. She taught the students that it was too sticky to slice with traditional cutlery, so people commonly use thread, floss, or other types of string. The children enjoyed tasting the dish so much that many had multiple servings!
Students were able to use their sense of smell to learn about the Chinese New Year as well. Hau brought traditional fruits and shared samples of lemongrass, cinnamon stick, and ginger root for all to smell. The students closed their eyes to really soak in the scents, and the audience agreed that they were wonderful to smell.
Bernice read a fun children’s story about the Chinese Zodiac, and the students tried to figure out if they were horses, goats, or monkeys. She also taught them additional Chinese phrases and showed traditional decorations.
The moms passed out handouts, fortune cookies, and red envelopes with new money inside. The kids loved it, and librarian Jennifer Coleman sung praises. She said, “I was so glad these two sweet moms wanted to share their knowledge about the holiday. I love that all five senses were incorporated - it was awesome!”
St. Gabriel's receives $20,000 grant to increase energy efficiency
The Duke Energy Foundation today awarded grants totaling $40,000 to help two Austin schools improve energy efficiency and provide job training.
St. Gabriel’s Catholic School will apply its $20,000 grant toward the cost of a new state-of-the-art Incenergy Energy Management System that automates heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) operation, boosts efficiency, reduces power use and cuts costs. (Incenergy is also helping St. Gabriel’s defray the expense of the new energy management system.)
San Juan Diego Catholic High School will use its $20,000 Duke Energy Foundation grant to enhance its Corporate Work Study Program that provides students with weekly opportunities to build valuable skills in corporate work settings in the Austin area.
The Duke Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy. The foundation provides financial support for communities where Duke Energy employees work and live, and it supports the volunteer efforts of company employees and retirees.
Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy, announced plans on Sept. 20, 2011, to build, own and operate a fifth Texas wind farm called the Los Vientos II Windpower Project. All of the electricity generated at 202-megawatt wind farm in Willacy County will serve Austin Energy customers under the terms of a 25-year power purchase agreement.
“Since all of the power generated at Duke Energy’s latest large-scale Texas wind farm will go to serve Austin Energy customers, we thought the time was right to demonstrate our commitment to the Austin community,” said Milton Howard, Duke Energy Renewables vice president and lead developer for the Los Vientos II Windpower Project, which will be complete by late 2012.
“On so many levels, the Duke Energy Foundation grant will enable St. Gabriel’s to achieve valuable energy savings, be responsive to the needs of our community and the environment, reduce maintenance costs, and eliminate wasted staff time adjusting thermostats,” said Steve Balak, head of St. Gabriel’s Catholic School.
“Our Corporate Work Study Program grooms students for the real world by training them for the corporate work force at a young age,” said Pam Jupe, principal at San Juan Diego Catholic High School. “We greatly appreciate Duke Energy’s funding because it will help ensure that our students are well-prepared to join the workforce in Austin.”
“We applaud the Duke Energy Foundation for its support of schools in the Austin area,” said Austin Energy General Manager Larry Weis. “This is just another example of how our power purchase project with Duke Energy brings benefits to our community.”
Students contribute to art that promotes sustainability, discovery, exploration and more
Artist George Sabra reclaimed 25,000 hard, plastic bottle caps and lids of all colors and sizes and informed again, to create new value and beauty. Sabra successfully engaged the Austin community in a citizen-based, Austin-wide effort. Organizations and individuals joined together to collect caps, assist the artist in building the sculpture, and film the process of the sculpture being made.
St. Gabriel's was fortunate enough to have the Plastic Bottle Caps piece displayed on campus for several weeks, and better yet, students were able to contribute. They placed a new set of caps on an additional steel pole, and the video below depicts their efforts in creating the St. Gabriel's Giant Christmas Stem.
Students collect more than 4,000 pounds of food for Capital Area Food Bank
During the month of November, 33 Austin schools pulled together to make a difference in their community by gathering food and coats for the needy.
St. Gabriel's School was one of the participants. They raised more than 4,000 pounds of food and are continuing to raise awareness about poverty.
Click here or on the image link below to read the rest of the story or watch the news clip at austin.ynn.com.
Saber Dads shine at St. Gabriel's
Twice a year, the St. Gabriel's Saber Dads host Masses during which they read, offer the gifts, sing, play music, and more! Here is their most recent performance, one that is sure to impress:
Students plant nearly 3,000 flags for Veterans Day
St. Gabriel’s students appreciate the transformation of the Monarch butterfly
Over the past several weeks, St. Gabriel’s Catholic School has been home to more than 20 Monarch caterpillars. The children have had the opportunity to watch them hatch from eggs, grow over a two week period, create a chrysalis, and finally emerge as a butterfly.
Using the Monarch Watch tagging system, so far over 17 butterflies have been tagged and released to begin their journey to Mexico. Watching this transformation of life provided many first-hand lessons for students in science, math, environmental issues and most importantly caring for one of the most fragile creatures.
Persephone Jordano, a second grade student, observed, “It was heartbreaking because it flew away but beautiful because when it flapped its wings, there was a flash of color!” The St. Gabriel’s students will be monitoring the Monarch Watch website to see if any of own butterflies are recovered in Mexico this winter.
For the second year in a row, students at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School showed overwhelming participation in the Storybook Pumpkin Decorating Contest. This book-related fall event was a huge success, with an astounding 123 entries from Pre-K through 5th grade students.
It was a voluntary contest open to family participation, and the main goal of the contest was to generate interest in literature through wonderful character portrayals. There was a wide variety of genres and characters represented: from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s Violet to Fancy Nancy’s Nancy and from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe’s Aslan to Charlotte’s Web’s Charlotte.
The St. Gabriel’s librarian, Jennifer Coleman, did an incredible job organizing the contest, and the judges all commented on how difficult it was to choose a favorite. One teacher remarked, “What a gift you are to our school, Jennifer! Thank you for the joy you bring to children, teachers and parents!”
Mobile Loaves and Fishes
Each year the students at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School give back to the community to promote a sense of ethical responsibility and to develop a lifelong desire for service to others. While there are certain grade-specific projects, the major all-school service monthly project is with Mobile Loaves and Fishes.
Lower School students participate by preparing hundreds of snack packs each month that consist of items such as canned sausages, cheese crackers, raisins and candy. They also decorate meaningful prayer cards with words of inspiration and joyful drawings. Parent volunteers are exceptional role models as they give generously of their time to supervise students during preparation.
Middle School students and parent volunteers then take the snack packs to the Mobile Loaves and Fishes commissary. There they prepare sandwiches and load the food truck for a lunch delivery. They visit a couple of downtown locations to give the food and donated clothing items to those in need.
It has been an inspirational experience for all involved so far, and the St. Gabriel’s community is looking forward to many more Mobile Loaves and Fishes volunteer opportunities.
St. Gabriel’s Homecoming celebration: fun for the whole family
With the help of generous volunteers acting as fairy godparents, the St. Gabriel’s Catholic School multi-purpose field magically transformed into festive fairgrounds. Hundreds of students and their families lined up outside of the gates anticipating the hours of fun to be had in celebration of Homecoming.
As soon as the clock struck four, kids of all ages flooded the carnival. From a massive bounce slide to miniature golf, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Children transformed into tigers and butterflies by having their faces painted, and many opted to have their hair sprayed green to show their Saber spirit.
Other crowd favorites were the inflatable water gun labyrinth, the soccer challenge, and the Kona Ice snow cone truck. Kids even braved the enormous rock climbing wall and put their balancing skills to the test in the egg-on-a-spoon races.
Once the carnival games came to a close, it was time for the big game: St. Gabriel’s 8th grade football team versus Holy Family. The crowd was buzzing with excitement, and the cheers got even louder when the lower school students put on a special half-time show. Thanks to Coach Deborah Campaign’s leadership, the students wowed attendees with their dancing skills and enthusiasm.
The thrill continued with and incredible interception and 90-yard touchdown by Connor Maloney. The St. Gabriel’s Sabers defeated the Blue Angels six to zero. The crowd went wild, and it was a wonderful way to close such an extraordinary day.
It would not have been possible without the ever-present support of countless volunteers. Booster Club President, Ryma Biederman, makes Saber spirit top notch, and Homecoming Carnival chairs Christa Highlander, Laura Johnson, and Joanne Senn make the celebration better and better each year. The St. Gabriel’s community shines time and time again, and the success of this event was no exception.
St. Gabriel’s welcomes Rebecca Hammel as the new Head of Lower School
Emerging from a nation-wide search, Rebecca Hammel’s 21 years of experience in Catholic schools, with 15 of those years in Administration, make her uniquely qualified for the position of St. Gabriel’s Catholic School’s Head of Lower School.
Mrs. Hammel’s deep faith, genuine connection with the St. Gabriel’s mission and core values, and her proven leadership are exemplary. Her dedication to education and the lives of students, her collaborative and decisive management style, her obvious enthusiasm to support faculty and staff as the key components in a school’s success were just a few of the special characteristics that helped Mrs. Hammel rise to the top of an exceptional pool of candidates.
Janet Ickert was a committed and much-loved Head of the Lower School for 10 years and set high standards of academic excellence, personal integrity, and spirituality. The St. Gabriel’s Search Advisory Committee believes that Mrs. Hammel will, with the continuing support of St. Gabriel’s terrific faculty, staff, and community, keep the bar raised high for and call out the best in the students. Furthermore, she will nurture their lasting love of learning, deepen their faith and commitment to service, allow them to excel as scholars, and help them grow wise.
“I am thrilled to be a new Austinite and to join the St. Gabriel's Catholic School community,” Mrs. Hammel said. She continued, “This is a beautiful area with warm and welcoming people. In my new role, I look forward to working with the families and teachers to afford our children rich learning experiences embedded in Christian virtues.”
St. Gabriel’s has been blessed once again to find an extraordinary leader to begin the next chapter in the life of its Lower School. The community looks forward with great excitement to the days ahead and their promise of something special for the school community.
7th Graders earn medals for National Mythology Exam
This year, all 7th grade students took the 2011 National Mythology Exam sponsored by the American Classical League.
Although only sophomores through seniors in high school are eligible to score 100% and get gold medals on this very same exam, we had two students who, in only 7th grade, received 98% and got silver medals: Jennings Inge and Michael Martinez. Conrad Rippy also received a silver medal, with a 96% on this national exam!
We also had 8 students to receive bronze medals (meaning 90% or better). Those students are Rylee Ross, Sam Gilmer, Jessica Holmberg, Alicia Morales, Rachel Bloomquist, Tom Hogan, Tex Athanas and Megan Lanctot.
Congratulations to these and all the students who took the exam!
The Wizard of Oz is revealed at St. Gabriel's
The St. Gabriel’s Catholic School lower school production of The Wizard of Oz was full of just what the characters needed: brains, courage, and heart. Putting those elements to work resulted in incredible acting, fearless singing solos, and a spirit of community that blew audiences away.
The level of skill exhibited during the multiple performances made play-goers forget sometimes that the actors were just children in grades Pre-kindergarten through five. Every single student in the lower school worked for months on their parts. This ranged from rehearsing lines to practicing dance routines, and memorizing stage positions to handling costume changes.
All of this diligence certainly paid off, and it was felt by the gracious songs of praise by attendees. One parent commented, “I thought last year was the best, but this year is even better!” It was all due to the enthusiasm and dedication of the kids, the passion and vision of the director, the creativity and generosity of the volunteers, and so much more.
Director and music teacher, Penny Gabrielsen, amazed crowds yet again. One faculty member said, “With so many over-the-top things going on, Penny handled it all with grace and talented direction. This community is so truly blessed with what she does, and I don't think anyone really understands what it takes to pull off this kind of production.”
St. Gabriel's Honors Volunteers
From room moms to Saber Dads and from committee chairs to board members, all volunteers at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School were honored. The annual McCabe Mass and Volunteer Appreciation Reception was a beautiful occasion to celebrate all who generously give of both their time and their talents.
Steve Balak, Head of School, stated, “As I reflect on all that our volunteers do, all that our volunteers accomplish for the students and for the school, I am amazed by such commitment and generosity; your service is truly humbling and your dedication…inspiring.” He continued, “Thank you for your contagious enthusiasm, ideas and creativity. You bring a joyfulness and richness to St. Gabriel’s; this spirit in your presence is energizing and sustaining.”
During Mass, all volunteers stood as the school community reached their hands out to them in prayer. Afterward, they were each presented with a token of appreciation: a beautiful poem card entitled, “With Gratitude.”
Each year, one among the many St. Gabriel’s volunteers is selected by the Board of Trustees to receive St. Gabriel’s highest volunteer honor, the Monsignor McCabe Award. The 2011 recipient who was honored after Mass was Mr. John Chronis, father to eighth grade student, Pete Chronis. John’s legacy at St. Gabriel’s includes serving on the Board of Trustees for several years, taking the role of room parent, being a member of the Athletics and Gala committees, and much more.
John exemplified why he was deserving of the award when during his speech he recited this Winston Churchill quote, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
He set an inspiring tone for the Volunteer Appreciation Reception that followed, and the great spirit of the event was almost tangible.
St. Gabriel's "wax museum" combines fun and history
From George Washington to Albert Einstein and from Betsy Ross to Jane Goodall, the St. Gabriel’s Catholic School “wax museum” represented a wide range of important historical figures in a fascinating way.
In order to prepare for the 6th Annual Third Grade Wax Museum, students did diligent research on the people they were each going to represent. Once the hard work was over, they chose just wigs, helmets, props and more to look just like them.
Students took their spot in the museum and froze into position. Sacagawea could be seen staring off into the horizon as she explored the Western United States. John Chapman was spotted biting into an apple, as he was the American pioneer nurseryman who became known as Johnny Appleseed.
Once a museum visitor stopped to look at each exhibit, the wax figure became animated! The third graders would share their information, which included such topics as women’s suffrage and the Underground Railroad.
They were so well-prepared that the people they represented certainly would have been proud if they were there.
First annual Book Swap - a success
The St. Gabriel’s Catholic School library hosted its first annual Book Swap, and it was a great success! Reading recyclers brought in books to donate throughout the week so there was a wide assortment from which to choose.
On the Friday before Spring Break, the donated books became coupons based on the student's donation. Each class excitedly perused the selection, and when they found just the right books, they used their coupons to “purchase” the books.
From books about Austin to mysteries, and from books for pre-schoolers to books for teachers, they had it all! Over 750 books were swapped in the Lower School alone! One teacher exclaimed, “What an amazing idea - I cannot wait to read, read, read over the break! Thank you to our wonderful librarian, Jennifer Coleman, for making reading fun for us all!”
St. Gabriel's designated Coats for Kids Drive winner
By collecting over 500 jackets, St. Gabriel’s donated the most out of the 35 schools that participated in the event. Legacy of Giving was kind enough to present a lovely banner to the school in recognition for their hard work.
First Texas School to provide cyberbullying training for entire middle school
Five students recognized by Bishop for service and leadership
On Thursday, February 2nd, 2011, Bishop Joe Vasquez celebrated Mass with representatives of the seven Catholic middle schools located in Austin at St. Austin's Catholic Church. This Mass honored 7th and 8th grade students who were recognized for their leadership and service at school and in the community.
We are pleased to announce the recipients from St. Gabriel's Catholic School (L-R): Meg Biederman, Avery Coffey,Kathleen Shea, Mackenzie Schafer, and Connor Brucker.
Sixth grade student shares gift of her music
Michelle Mongillo, a 6th student at St. Gabriel's, wrote and performed guitar & vocals in this beautiful sound clip. She was brave enough to perform it for the first time in front of an audience of over 400 people at school, and she blew everyone away! Her soulful voice and poignant lyrics will give you chills.
Though New Orleans is 500 miles away, the St. Gabriel’s Catholic School community celebrated Mardi Gras as if it were in the same city! The smooth sounds of a saxophone and a trumpet could be heard throughout the campus, as musicians marched through the halls.
At A Legacy of Giving's "Walk for Water" assembly, students learned about global access to clean water and the Walk for the Water walk-a-thon. The walk-a-thon is our spring Legacy all-school service event, which will be on Saturday, April 28, at the Burger Center. Mark your calendars now!
“X?n Nián Kuài Lè,” Bernice Hernandez exclaimed to the third grade students at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School. They echoed “X?n Nián Kuài Lè,” which means “Happy New Year.”
Students were able to use their sense of smell to learn about the Chinese New Year as well. Hau brought traditional fruits and shared samples of lemongrass, cinnamon stick, and ginger root for all to smell. The students closed their eyes to really soak in the scents, and the audience agreed that they were wonderful to smell.
St. Gabriel’s Catholic School will apply its $20,000 grant toward the cost of a new state-of-the-art 
Over the past several weeks, St. Gabriel’s Catholic School has been home to more than 20 Monarch caterpillars. The children have had the opportunity to watch them hatch from eggs, grow over a two week period, create a chrysalis, and finally emerge as a butterfly. 
For the second year in a row, students at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School showed overwhelming participation in the Storybook Pumpkin Decorating Contest. This book-related fall event was a huge success, with an astounding 123 entries from Pre-K through 5th grade students. 
Each year the students at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School give back to the community to promote a sense of ethical responsibility and to develop a lifelong desire for service to others. While there are certain grade-specific projects, the major all-school service monthly project is with Mobile Loaves and Fishes.
With the help of generous volunteers acting as fairy godparents, the St. Gabriel’s Catholic School multi-purpose field magically transformed into festive fairgrounds. Hundreds of students and their families lined up outside of the gates anticipating the hours of fun to be had in celebration of Homecoming.
The thrill continued with and incredible interception and 90-yard touchdown by Connor Maloney. The St. Gabriel’s Sabers defeated the Blue Angels six to zero. The crowd went wild, and it was a wonderful way to close such an extraordinary day.
Emerging from a nation-wide search, Rebecca Hammel’s 21 years of experience in Catholic schools, with 15 of those years in Administration, make her uniquely qualified for the position of St. Gabriel’s Catholic School’s Head of Lower School. 
This year, all 7th grade students took the 2011 National Mythology Exam sponsored by the American Classical League.
The St. Gabriel’s Catholic School lower school production of The Wizard of Oz was full of just what the characters needed: brains, courage, and heart. Putting those elements to work resulted in incredible acting, fearless singing solos, and a spirit of community that blew audiences away. 
From room moms to Saber Dads and from committee chairs to board members, all volunteers at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School were honored. The annual McCabe Mass and Volunteer Appreciation Reception was a beautiful occasion to celebrate all who generously give of both their time and their talents. 
From George Washington to Albert Einstein and from Betsy Ross to Jane Goodall, the St. Gabriel’s Catholic School “wax museum” represented a wide range of important historical figures in a fascinating way. 
The St. Gabriel’s Catholic School library hosted its first annual Book Swap, and it was a great success! Reading recyclers brought in books to donate throughout the week so there was a wide assortment from which to choose. 
By collecting over 500 jackets, St. Gabriel’s donated the most out of the 35 schools that participated in the event. Legacy of Giving was kind enough to present a lovely banner to the school in recognition for their hard work.
On Thursday, February 2nd, 2011, Bishop Joe Vasquez celebrated Mass with representatives of the seven Catholic middle schools located in Austin at St. Austin's Catholic Church. This Mass honored 7th and 8th grade students who were recognized for their leadership and service at school and in the community. 
Michelle Mongillo, a 6th student at St. Gabriel's, wrote and performed guitar & vocals in this beautiful sound clip. She was brave enough to perform it for the first time in front of an audience of over 400 people at school, and she blew everyone away! Her soulful voice and poignant lyrics will give you chills.