Autumn Message from President Kay Sullivan

Dear Lancer Families,

Happy Thanksgiving! May God bless you and your family during this sacred season of gratitude. I wish you the joy of creating treasured memories with family and friends. 

On behalf of the Salpointe community, I thank you for doing your part -- as students, parents, past parents, alums and employees -- to make our school a welcoming, inclusive place where prayer, service and community are more than a list of values. 

This first semester has been most engaging! Salpointe welcomed back the treasured classes of 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989, 1999 and 2009, as well as thousands of generational alums during Homecoming weekend October 18-20.  The celebration started with an inspiring dedication of completed Aspire projects and a campus-wide blessing by Very Rev. Gerald Kicanas, Bishop Emeritus of Tucson, and Fr. Emanuel Franco-Gomez, O.Carm., Salpointe’s chaplain. The evening proceeded with a delicious BBQ dinner at Sal’s Diner and the Lancer win over CDO on Friday. On Saturday, Salpointe saluted alums who have celebrated 50 years since graduation with the Maroon and Gold Society luncheon under the tent in freshman patio. Saturday night was jam-packed with class parties across Tucson and then our alums joined together for Mass, breakfast and tours on Sunday morning. It was a magical weekend of Lancer pride! (Click here for photos.)

On November 15, Salpointe Lancers will be honored with the Youth in Philanthropy Award presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The award recognizes Salpointe’s commitment to serve our community through our IMPACT program. Over 1200 Lancers and 120  faculty/staff members touch Southern Arizona’s vulnerable populations by volunteering at 100+ nonprofit organizations: we pray with hospice patients; we feed the hungry at soup kitchens; we stock food banks; we listen to the stories of vets with PTSD; we read books with underserved children in failing schools; we work at disaster relief agencies; we honor planet Earth by planting trees, prepping community gardens, pulling buffelgrass and clearing trails. In addition to IMPACT Day, the Lancers serve our community all year long with ongoing outreach activities and through the commitment of every club and athletic team to serve through Games for the Greater Good.  The litany of service is heartwarming. (Click here to see photos of Salpointe students serving our community and living the Carmelite mission of our school.)

Great progress in construction and fundraising is underway as Salpointe’s “Aspire: Arts Academics Athletics” project moves forward.  With this $10M campaign, Salpointe is energizing the holistic educational experience by upgrading three key areas of student development: arts, academics and athletics. In the area of fine and performing arts, we are creating the transformative, synergistic Stearns Center for the Arts, with new or renovated learning spaces for Drama, Band, Choir, Dance, 2D and 3D Art as well as a theater lobby/art gallery. Academic and athletic components of Aspire were dedicated on October 18: six fully renovated multipurpose learning spaces, including the Jane and Tim Garigan 411 classroom; the expanded Ashton Family STEM outdoor workshop; the Stevens Strength and Conditioning Center in Honor of Paul Sayre ‘82; the Kalil Family Gymnasium; Fr. John Lyons Bistro; and the addition of lights on the baseball, softball and track fields. We need $2.5M to finish the campaign: Aspire with us! For more information, contact me at ksullivan@salpointe.org or 520-547-5878. (Click here for photos.)

 
Special gratitude goes to the Salpointe Catholic Education Foundation for their long term commitment to supporting excellence in education here at Salpointe, including a $500,000 pledge in support of Aspire.  Thanks to the continuing generosity of the Foundation, Salpointe is able to retain its position as the premier secondary school in Southern Arizona. If you are not yet a member of the Foundation, please consider joining! Contact Jen Harris at jharris@salpointe.org for more information.

Thanks to the Salpointe Parent Association (SPA) for their welcoming presence at so many events! This dedicated group of women and men offer genuine hospitality as they build a strong sense of community here at Salpointe. After producing the Lancer Men’s Mass and Breakfast featuring UA head football coach Kevin Sumlin and then leading the volunteer effort at Homecoming, SPA is now planning the Lady Lancer Brunch and Blessing on Sunday, March 8 at Hacienda del Sol. Save the date! Contact Kasey Barghout at kbarghout@salpointe.org for more information.

Kudos also go to our Alumni Council, a group of loyal Lancers across the generations who meet quarterly and work on projects to benefit our school and community. In addition to working at special events, the Alumni Council has taken responsibility for bi-annual roadway cleanliness along Ina Road. All alums are welcome; contact Kasey Barghout at kbarghout@salpointe.org for more information.

Finally, I sincerely thank you for your confidence in Salpointe’s bright future. May God bless you and your family during this season of gratitude, hope and joy!

Kay Sullivan
President

PS: Help a young Lancer who could not otherwise afford to attend Salpointe by designating your tax credit contribution to Salpointe through CTSO. You can pay this tax liability to the state or you can help a Lancer. Hurry, the deadline is December 31!
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Salpointe Catholic High School

1545 E. Copper St.,
Tucson, AZ 85719
(520) 327-6581
Attendance: (520) 327-1990
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