BGHS admits students and hires staff without regard to race, national origin, gender, or disability.
During the month of November, which our church dedicates to all those who have been called to heaven, it is fitting to remember these words of a great saint: "When we lose those we love, they are not where they once were; they are everywhere we are."
We strive here at Bishop Garrigan to instill that kind of comforting faith in our students, the kind of faith which will be with them throughout their lives.
Eugene Meister, Michael Stence, Kathy Froehlich
The conduct policy for athletic events at BGHS prohibits these unacceptable behaviors:
... Mrs. Wunder, for receiving a $500 grant from the Midwest Dairy Council. The grant will be used for some athletic equipment and for a special lunch treat one day this fall.
Bishop Garrigan Schools are dedicated to providing quality, value-centered Catholic education to young people of north central Iowa. We seek to achieve a balance between academic excellence and Christian social conscience through a combination of intellectual preparation, physical development, belief in God, and service to our fellow human beings.
Visiting college reps this month: U of Iowa, Wartburg, Mt. Mercy, Augustine, Minnesota West
ITED testing is now complete. We thank the students for their positive attitude in taking these tests. With the importance of school improvement, the federal and state departments of education now require reporting out on at least two assessments. ITED is the one widely adopted by most schools in the state of Iowa as their primary test.
Seniors and parents should be scheduling their visits to colleges at this time and making applications by December 1, if possible. We have done a lot of online applications for seniors already at BGHS.
On December 3 at 7pm, there will be a financial aid meeting for parents of seniors at BGHS. A representative from Des Moines will be here to give an overview of the process and answer questions. Also, FAFSAs will hopefully be available at this time.
FAFSAs (Free Applications for Federal Student Aid) will be available for senior parents in December. This is the federal form to apply for financial aid for college. They may be filed any time after January 1. It is also a good idea to make your tax appointment now for early February--many schools have priority deadlines of February 15 - March 1 when filing FAFSAs.
Seniors will participate in are abusiness tours November 14. This is part of a career development opportunity as they choose college majors and also to highlight what is here for them if they decide to return. Sophomores will do this in the spring.
We are able to do many colleges online at BGHS. If you need assistance, we are happy to help.
The BGHS magazine drive is now underway. All students have packets to sell popular magazines. Prices are the same or less than mail order offers, and 40 percent of the price stays here to support school activities. The sales goal is $55 per student, with class goals determined by the number of students per class. The drive will continue through mid-November.
The National Honor Society induction ceremony for this school yea will take place November 13 at 2pm in Friedmann Auditorium. Members and parents will be honored at a reception in the school lunchroom following the ceremony.
All juniors and seniors who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher have been invited to complete a student activity information form. A faculty council reviewed these forms. New members were selected by a majority vote based on leadership, service, and character. Faculty council members are changed each year to insure maximum fairness.
Students are asked to adhere to the dress guidelines as listed in the student handbook. On dress-up days, short skirts, low-cut blouses or dresses, shirts or blouses that expose the midriff, and flip-flops are not acceptable. On black and gold days, we ask students to wear color-appropriate clothing. T-shirts or sweatshirts that promote BGHS are also okay to wear. Athletic running pants, shorts, and flip-flops are not acceptable. On jeans day, students may wear the same type clothing. Shirts with inappropriate slogans, athletic clothing, and flip-flops are not acceptable. Thank-you for adhering to these guidelines.
The BGHS girls cross country team finished seventh in a rain-delayed and extremely tough 1A regional at Fort Dodge on October 22. Katrina Even finished seventh individually to earn her tenth medal of the season and qualify for state competition. Carrie Courtney, who competed at state three times for the Bishop Garrigan regional champions in the last three years, ran her best time of the season to finish 18th. Shanna Miller was 62nd, Taylor Brandenburg was 71st, Holly Byrkeland was 74th, Krissy Kohlhaas was 83rd, and freshman Anna Kollasch was 90th. The boys team was thirteenth in their 1A district meet at Fort Dodge. They were led by four juniors: Benny Hellman 38th, Chris Kellner 50th, Christopher Schmidt 65th, and Sam Norland 66th. Senior Jake Lane, in his second cross-country meet for BGHS, was 72nd, and freshman Alex Hamilton was 109th.
Katrina Even will compete at the state meet in Fort Dodge Saturday, October 27. The 1A girls race will begin at 2pm.
Three new local businesses have come on board: Best Buffet Chinese restaurant at 10%, Creative Memories (Amber Garman) at 15%, Cinco De Mayo Mexican restaurant at 10%.
Please continue to purchase gift cards at the more than 55 businesses that support Scrip. With the holiday season coming, make Scrip available to your family and friends--the more you purchase, the more you help with tuition. Information about Scrip is available on our website.
At the October meeting, the school board heard a presentation by Lynn Miller and reviewed local and diocesan harrassment policies, fundraising, and other financial reports.
Class flower = turquoise and white carnation
Class colors = turquoise and black with silver
Class motto = "Behind us are memories, beside us are friends; before us are dreams that will never end."
Baccalaureate will be Wednesday, May 7, at 7pm. Graduation will be Sunday, May 11, at 2pm. Prom will be Saturday, April 12.
Sixty teams participated in the Bishop Garrigan quiz bowl tournament last month. Garrigan has six teams in the tournament, and all six had at least one first place finish among their four preliminary matches. The team of Ethan Dahlhauser, Mark Poeppe, Brittany Berte, and Rebeccah Erdman made the play-offs and finished 7th overall out of 60 teams. They lost to the second place team from West Bend-Mallard. Boone won the tournament. In November the BGHS team will compete at Algona High and MOC Floyd Valley (Orange City), and in December they will have tournaments at spirit Lake and South O'Brien (Paullina).
The music and drama departments will present the fall musical production By, Bye Birdie on Friday and Saturday, November 2 & 3 at 7:30pm in Friedmann Auditorium. More than fifty students are involved in this production, led by drama and set director Mark DeLange, vocal director Linda Ferjak, and instrumental director Ken Ferjak, with Anne Studer in charge of costuming. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for students, and are available in advance from the BGHS business office or at the door.
For the band, it has been a busy year so far. We marched in the Algona parade and did very well. At the field competition, we gained valuable information that we used at state the following week, where we received a Division II. The concert band is preparing for the Christmas program December 19.
We are still collecting cans for recycling to fund plumes for the marching band hats.
If you apply online, give Sister Janet Goetz, Registrar, the name of the college and its location, and the transcript will be mailed. IF you complete the hard copy application, five it and the application fee to Sister Janet, and they will be mailed with the transcript. Official transcripts (school seal/signature) must be mailed, not faxed.
The first transcript is mailed without charge. If you send more than one transcript to the same college, there is no charge for the second or third transcript. After the first transcript, each succeeding transcript--for college, jobs, scholarships--there is a fee of $2 for each one. This fee must be paid at the time the transcript is requested, or the total amount paid before graduation.
Transcript fees must be paid prior to graduation. The policy of $2 per transcript applies to post-graduation requests also. For post-graduation requests, provide your full name, birth date, and year of graduation. If it applies, ask ILCC to send your transcripts to the college, also. If you have questions, contact Sister Janet.
This year we will make two separate trips to the mega-mall for calendar rewards. Monday, November 5, juniors and seniors who qualified will make the trip, with Tuesday, November 6, as the alternate date if we are still in the playoffs. Freshmen and sophomores will go on Wednesday, November 6. All students not going on the trip are expected to be in school for regularly scheduled classes.
Last month twelve Garrigan seniors were treated to a four-hour visit to the Kossuth County Courthouse, police station, and jail. Kossuth County Attorney Todd Holmes led the tour, answered questions, and gave information about the legal profession and his job as county attorney. The students met with officials from each department and received detailed summaries of the services they provide. While visiting the courtrooms and judges' quarters, the Business Law students received an unexpected visit from Senior Judge James Andreasen (retired Iowa Supreme Court Justice) and District Court Judge Don Courtney, both of whom shared some of their experiences as judges in Iowa's legal system.