March 2025
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PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Dear SavioFamily andFriends, We are turning the corner on our third quarter, find ourselves in the midst of the Lenten Season, and are preparing for a successful finish to the school year with the commencement ceremony for the Class of 2025! As this is my fourth year here, and this is my first group to see matriculate from 9th grade to graduation, these future alums hold a special place in my heart and career. Every year, each of us has our own way of preparing for the annual Lenten journey. We contemplate what to sacrifice, what to do differently in order to make a difference, and how much to give to support those in need. Just like Advent, it is meant to be a time of prayerful discernment and meaningful transformation. As a child, I viewed Lent as a short-term challenge, and when I crossed the finish line of the Easter celebration, I could return to old habits. As an adult, I have realized that it is meant to impact me with more of a lasting change. Our Senior class knows that after Easter, they also are expected to move from the past to a new viewpoint of what opportunities are waiting for them. Through the support of their family, strength of their faith, and experiences at Savio, they truly become “servant leaders in the image of Christ.” They become new evangelists when they enter the world to “cast their nets, tell the story, and welcome others in” to a relationship with Jesus Christ. So, let us enjoy and appreciate each day we have left in this school year, embrace the true essence of what Lent is meant to be, and continue to pray that the Class of 2025 will have a journey, both during Lent and in life, that is full of meaningful sacrifice, joyful giving, and transformational change in our world. Take care and God bless,
TIM CULLEN | PRESIDENT
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DID YOU KNOW?
DID YOU KNOW THAT OUR SCHOOL CAMPUS HAS UPGRADED OUR OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY? Many have driven down Neenah Avenue over the past two years and noticed a banner on the fence by the practice fields. It said, “Apply Now” and was a great way to let people know we are here. This area is being updated with a colorful display of cups spelling out our name, and showing our beloved mascot, Bosco. We also have updated the banner too. So, next time you drive by, check it out, take a pic to share, and honk your horn. Go Eagles! DID YOU KNOW THAT THE SPRING MUSICAL, “THE
DROWSY CHAPERONE”, WILL BE THE LAST SHOW PRESENTED BY OUR BELOVED THEATRE DIRECTOR JOYCE MINK? Please plan to attend, cheer on our outstanding performers, and celebrate Joyce for all of the dedication, talent, and care she has shared with our students over the years. Reserve your tickets on our website for April 3-5 at 7 p.m. Thank you, Joyce, for your dedication to the Savio Theatre Department! 3
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MARDI GRAS PARADE
On Fat Tuesday, the House Council hosted Savio’s third annual Mardi Gras Parade. “Countries” was this year’s theme. Three Savio and three Holy Family faculty members served as judges, looking for criteria in three categories: • Execution of theme: how clearly and creatively the float represents its assigned country • Effort: attention to detail, creativity, planning, and effort • Family involvement: all students engaged and participating as a cohesive group St. Francis of Assisi placed first with their Vatican City float! Final rankings: 2. Vietnam - Padre Pio, Bos 3. China - St. Lawrence, Bos 4.Greece- Catherine of Siena, Bos 5. Italy - St. John Paul II, Leo 6. USA - St. Blaise, Bos 7. Scotland - Philomena, Aquila 8. Norway - St. Sebastian, Leo 9. Fiji - St. Thomas Aquinas, Aquila 10. Ireland - Kolbe, Aquila 11. Egypt - St. Joan of Arc, Angelus 12. Mexico - St. Patrick, Angelus 13. France - Mother Teresa, Angelus 14. Tanzania - St. Anthony, Angelus 15. Brazil - Therese of Lisieux, Leo 16. Australia - St. Nick, Leo
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ASH WEDNESDAY: Remember you are dust... The annual tradition marking the beginning of Lent, Ash Wednesday, was noted by St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School and Holy Family Catholic School, joining together for the all-school mass with Father Roopesh Mathew, OSH, Parochial Vicar at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church serving as the celebrant.
Father Roopesh, joined by Deacon Richard, blessed the ashes on the altar during mass before St. Dominic Savio students joined them in distributing ashes to the congregation. The ashes, made from palm branches
from the previous year’s Palm Sunday service, are applied to a parishioner’s forehead by a priest or lay member who says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Savio competes in Engineering Festival
Savio students presented projects at the Greater Austin Regional Science and Engineering Festival (GARSEF) on February 20. Of the 17 students, four placed in the top five of their categories: Sydney Griser 4th, Animal Science Arina Kyslova 4th, Chemistry Niku Rao 5th, Environmental Engineering Andrew Rosen 2nd, Mathematics By placing second, senior Andrew Rosen has qualified to attend the Texas Science and Engineering Festival (TXSEF) at Texas A&M in March!
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Encountering Christ on the Streets
The Junior Street Retreat at St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School is a transformative experience designed to help 11th-grade students encounter Christ in a profound and personal way. This faith-driven retreat takes students beyond the walls of a traditional retreat setting and into the streets of downtown Austin, where they meet and engage with individuals experiencing homelessness. The retreat begins in Eucharistic Adoration, grounding students in prayer and inviting Jesus to work through them. With hearts prepared, students travel in small groups, guided by senior leaders and adult chaperones, to meet and listen to those living on the streets. Rather than offering food or money, the students provide something even more valuable—their time, presence, and genuine attention. Through these encounters, they hear personal stories of struggle, resilience, and faith, gaining a new perspective on human dignity. In the evening, students visit Community First! Village, a master-planned community for formerly homeless individuals. Over a shared meal, they listen to the stories of residents who have overcome homelessness and discovered hope. The retreat concludes with reflection, where students share how their perspectives on poverty, faith, and service have
deepened. Many leave with a renewed understanding that, even with nothing material to offer, they can always share the love of Christ. Through this retreat, students witness firsthand the power of faith amidst suffering and learn that simple human connection is a gift in itself. Written by Gian Gamboa, Director of Formation & Ministrys Junior Caleb Kyburz shares about his group’s encounters in downtown Austin.
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Emerging Leaders
For the first time in St. Dominic Savio Catholic Student brings new business club to Savio Savio Junior Lucas Cherian brought DECA with him from his former high school in
“My event was an automotive marketing series, and my family has a large background in car sales and dealership management, so I went in confident in my knowledge,” said Gremillion. “My event consisted of a 10-minute prep time, during which I received my prompt and came up with my solution. I then had 10 more minutes to present my solution to a judge. It all came down to professionalism, creativity, and especially confidence.” To learn more about DECA, visit www.deca.org
High School history, a new business club was formed by a student that will connect marketing, hospitality, finance, and management with a core business mindset that could help students align their plans and goals for future study in college. DECA is a worldwide organization that assists high school and college students to find their passions and apply learning to connect to the business world. Located in 50 US states and nine countries,
Oregon, where he successfully competed at the District, State, and international levels. “When I started my junior year at Savio, I felt motivated to start this club here,” said Lucas Cherian, who competed at the DECA District level in Austin for Savio with 10 new club members. Out of the group, Senior Leila Gremillion advanced to the DECA State Competition in Dallas.
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Iron Eagles soar through the Season The Iron Eagles season began in earnest on
Optimus, and Bumble Bee, were all ranked in the top 15 going into the League Championship. The League Championship decides which teams will advance to either a Semi-Area event or the Area Championship. The Semi-Area is a final opportunity for teams to advance to the next level - Area. At the XTreme League Championship, Iron Eagles 6272 Prime advanced directly to Area. Iron Eagles 3708 Optimus and 8814 Bumblebee advanced to the Semi-Area event. Unfortunately, neither 3708 or 8814 advanced to the Area Championship. The Area Championship was to be held on February 22nd in San Antonio, but the icy weather required schools to close and the event was postponed. Iron Eagles 6272 Prime will be competing in the Area Championship on March 22nd in San Antonio at Wagner High School.
Saturday, September 7th. With a challenge titled, “Into the Deep,” teams are challenged to get their robots to retrieve a “specimen” (a rectangular plastic block) from a submersible (a large rectangular metal frame). They must either place them in two buckets (upper and lower) or put them in their designated “home” area to be scored on the metal frame. The teams are part of the XTreme League that is hosted by KIPP Collegiate in Austin. They participated in three league meets held in November, December, and January. Each of these preliminary events allows each team to accumulate ranking points. After the third league meet, the teams participate in the League Championship and are ranked according to their ranking points. The Iron Eagle teams, Prime, 8
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Robotics Mentoring Team
The Iron Eagles Robotics Team was created two weeks after Savio opened. It is the oldest club/team on campus. Since its inception, two mentors have been actively involved with the teams’ success. MICHAEL BUTLER is our program director. He recently retired from National Instruments. He is instrumental in helping students create their Engineering Portfolios, which document the teams’ journeys from concept to completion. MIKE GREGORIO has also been with the program since the beginning. He is currently working as a project manager for Flex Manufacturing. SCOTT BARNES joined the mentoring group about 10 years ago. He is currently working for Oracle as a software engineer. Señor Scott is also a special parts provider. He set up a manufacturing space in his home that created custom parts for the teams. THANH NGUYEN joined the mentoring group this year. He is employed by SpyCloud as a software engineer. Mr. Nguyen has been learning along with the rookies on “how to robot.” JUAN FLORES is our Engineering teacher. He has mentored FTC teams for about eleven years. Mr. Flores leads the FTC class. SYLVIA WOOD is the Engineering/Technology Department Chair. She has been mentoring FTC teams for 10 years and has been involved with FIRST Robotics for about 15 years. Ms. Wood assists with registrations, transportation, housing, and parts acquisition. In other words, she is the “team mom”.
24-25 Season Accolades
3708 Optimus League Championship: 2 nd Place Connect Award Semi-Area Championship: 2 nd Place Control Award 6272 Prime League Championship: 2 nd Place Inspire Award (Overall Best) 8814 Bumblebee League Championship: 1 st Place Control Award Semi-Area Championship: 1 st Place Innovate Award
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PEP RALLY The pep rally for Winter Sports was held on January 31 with students raging to win the Spirit Stick for their class. The marching band led students from the hallways into the gym with all of the excitement of game day. The Savio Dance and Cheer teams opened the rally before Savio girls’ and boys’ basketball coaches spoke to the crowd. Coaches for the girls’ and boys’ soccer teams also shared stories of victories and teamwork performed by both teams, followed by the Savio swim team coach, who told the crowd about the upcoming district meets. Bosco, the Eagle, brought the crowd to its feet with a one-man unique style all his own using
a box of props such as a large phone, soccer ball, basketball, and dumbbells. In the end, the Spirit Stick was won by the sophomore class, who yelled and screamed the loudest!
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EAGLE UPDATES
W e are entering the final leg of our school season with our spring sports. We had an exciting winter season with our swim teams competing at the state meet with our girls bringing home the bronze in 6A Division 1 and our boys finishing 6th in the state. Our girls took down several school records during the meet and both teams represented Savio well. Our basketball teams competed well all season long, with our girls finishing 3rd in the district and going two rounds in the state playoffs before falling to a tough Antonian team. Both of our soccer teams finished 3rd in district play and qualified for the state playoffs. The girls lost to St. Paul XXIII 1-0 and the boys to St. Pius 5-0. Both teams had a great season and competed well in the 6A division. As we enter our spring season, we will compete in softball, baseball, tennis, golf, and track and field. All of our teams are in full force and competing for an opportunity at the state playoffs. Be on the lookout for our summer camps and opportunities to strengthen your skills in many different sports and activities. Go Eagles!!!
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A Night of Fun & Generosity: The Savio Soiree Casino Night & Procurement Kick-Off Party
T he Savio Soiree got a major boost at the recently held Casino Night & Soiree Procurement Kick-Off Party on January 25. It was a thrilling evening of fun, philanthropy, community spirit, and margaritas! Hosted in anticipation of the upcoming Savio Soiree, the event brought together over 100 guests who not only enjoyed the excitement of casino games but also contributed generously to the cause. A heartening 95% of the attendees arrived with donation items to help support the Soiree’s fundraising efforts. These contributions ranged from bottles of fine wine and liquor to gift cards, purses, and beautifully assembled baskets. We also received a coveted bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 10-year bourbon that will be raffled off at Soiree on April 26, 2025. Tickets to Soiree are on sale now. The outpouring of generosity was a testament to the strong sense of community and commitment to making the upcoming Soiree a success. The evening was made even more enjoyable thanks to the partnership with the Knights of Columbus from St. Williams Catholic Church, who rented and staffed the casino tables for this event. The atmosphere was electric as guests tested their luck at blackjack, poker, craps, and roulette. But it wasn’t just about the games – the friendly and experienced dealers were on hand to teach the guests the ropes, ensuring everyone, whether novice or expert, had a great time. As the night unfolded, the excitement of the games was matched only by the warmth of giving, making the event a perfect blend of fun, community, and generosity. The Casino Night and Procurement Kick-Off Party set the stage for a successful Savio Soiree, and everyone in attendance left with a sense of excitement and anticipation for what is to come.
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Saturday, April 26, 2025 6:00 p.m. | The Haute Spot, Cedar Park
J oin us at The Haute Spot for a fabulous evening of fun, fellowship, and fundraising as we celebrate Savio’s 15th Anniversary! The Haute Spot, an inviting musical venue under a canopy of trees and market lights will provide us with the perfect atmosphere to build community, support Savio, and have an unforgettable evening. All are welcome (21+)! SPECIAL FEATURE! Purchase your Bourbon Raffle tickets NOW for a chance to win a very rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 10-year Bourbon! (valued at over $1,300) Runner-Up Prizes: Two winners will receive a bottle of high-end local bourbon Underwritten by:
What’s in store: Your night will include dinner and drinks. In addition to our silent, live auction, and Paddles Up Fund-a-Need, there will be some fun games and the Haute Spot house band will provide entertainment for the evening. The dance floor is waiting for you! ACT NOW! Scan the QR code to purchase your bourbon raffle tickets (on sale now!) and tickets for the event!
Savio Parent Association & Michael & Carrie Crowley *Note: Winner does not need to be present to win
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UPCOMING EVENTS
APRIL 11 Parent Information Session APRIL 17 APRIL 18 Good Friday No School APRIL 21 Easter Monday No School APRIL 30 Servant Leader Presentation Night Holy Thursday Early Dismissal
MAY 1 Spring Concert MAY 3 Prom, Kalahari Resort MAY 5-16 AP Exams MAY 23 Baccalaureate Mass 5pm, St. Vincent de Paul MAY 23 Last Day of School MAY 24 Graduation
APRIL 3 Sophomore Breakfast by SPA APRIL 3-5 The Drowsy Chaperone Spring Musical, 7pm
APRIL 7-10 National Spanish Exams in Class APRIL 11 SPA Parent Social
10am, Riverbend Center for the Arts
Scan to see more events on the school calendar:
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FOLLOW US ONLINE! www.saviochs.org
Forming Servant Leaders in the Image of Christ
THE GIFT OF LIFE St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School has held two successful blood drives to date this school year. On October 22, Savio students completed 20 successful whole blood donations; on January 16, 21 students donated blood. Pictured: Senior Mariana Calderon completes her blood donation.
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