Assumption High School Newsletter
March 30, 2016
Dear Fellow Knights,
Our mission at Assumption is to provide an extraordinary Catholic education to all who seek it. One way we are able to fulfill this mission is through April Knight, our annual celebration of the tremendous Assumption family. This wonderful evening has been a cornerstone of the Assumption experience for 30 years, and we would not be able to do what we do without the historically successful event.
There are several ways to support this worthwhile cause. The first is to attend this year’s April Knight, which will be held on Friday, April 28. Dedicated volunteers spend countless hours making April Knight a great time to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and strengthen the Assumption family ties. Reservations can be made by calling Susie Foster at 326-5313 x 281, emailing her at susie.foster@assumptionhigh.org or by clicking the link in the article below.
The second way to show your support is by purchasing an April Knight raffle ticket…..and then selling at least two more! Historically, current parents and students have done an amazing job taking the lead on raffle ticket sales. If you haven’t seized the opportunity to sell any tickets yet, please do your best to sell two or three . . . and if you’ve already sold several, then be an overachiever and sell a couple more!
The Early Bird drawing is April 5, but we will happily accept Grand Prize tickets up through the evening of April Knight, or until 1,500 tickets are sold, whichever comes first. Please lend a hand - purchase a ticket using an e-check here, download a ticket to be mailed in with your payment here, and please feel free to contact Susie Foster with any questions.
Thank you for your continued support and for remembering why we are here: to provide a solid Catholic education for every student who walks through our doors. I hope to see all of you on April 28!
God Bless,
Andrew D. Craig '95
President
Assumption Celebrates CSW 2017
Catholic Schools Week (CSW) 2017 was held January 29 – February 4. Students and parents kicked off the week with the annual Spaghetti Supper and by speaking at local parish Masses about the benefits of a Catholic school education.
During Catholic Schools Week, Assumption took part in a combined Scott County K-12 Catholic Schools project, Dodgeball for Diapers, which benefited Bethany Home for Children and Families, Humility of Mary Shelter and Women's Choice Center.
On Monday afternoon, students participated in a dodgeball tournament, with all entry fees going to purchase diapers, and on Wednesday, students donated $3 to the project to spend the school day in their "best-dressed" attire instead of school uniforms.
The Scott County K-12 Catholic Schools (Assumption, All Saints Catholic School, John F. Kennedy Catholic School, Lourdes Catholic School, and St. Paul the Apostle) collected nearly 20,000 diapers and 40,000 wipes that were then donated to the aforementioned charities.
The annual All Schools Mass was held Thursday, February 2, in the AHS gymnasium. Students, faculty, and staff from the grade schools joined the Assumption community for the celebration. Father Thom Hennen celebrated the Mass, and Fr. Bill Kneemiller, Fr. Jim Vrba, Fr. Tony Herold, Fr. Jason Crossen, Fr. Rich Adam, Fr. Jake Greiner and Fr. Apo Mpanda concelebrated.
Celebrate Havana Knights on April 28!
The 31st Annual April Knight Gala and Auction will be held Friday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m. in the Assumption High School Gym. This year’s theme is “Havana Knights.”
Havana Knights will be a Cuban-themed fun filled evening featuring delicioso comida (entrée stations by Happy Joe's PizzaGrille, Jersey Grille and Zeke’s Island Café; plus queso y oliva bordo and a Dulce Finales and Cubano café station for your dining enjoyment!). In addition to a full bar, specialty rum and cerveza cantinas will be available, along with both live and silent auctions.
Maestros de Ceremonias: Brendan Bush ’04 & Joe Stopulos ’04. Cubana Musica by The Manny Lopez Quartet.
¡Cubano Blanco attire encouraged por favor!
Reservations may be made by downloading and returning the Reply Card located here. Invitations for the event may be viewed here.
Raffle tickets are currently on sale for both the Early Bird Drawing (April 5) and Grand Prize Drawing (April 28) and may be purchased by downloading the form located here and sending in your payment along with a completed form.
Please contact April Knight Coordinator, Susie Foster, (susie.foster@assumptionhigh.org) for more information.
Alumni Q&A with Brett Ebert '08
 We recently caught up with 2008 graduate Brett Ebert, an Aerospace Engineer for Boeing in St. Louis.
Mr. Ebert graciously spoke with us about his current work at Boeing, and his experiences at Assumption. Read the full text here.
The Sound of Music Wows Audiences
"Silver white winters that melt into springs, these are a few of my favorite things…" The Assumption Knight Players hit all the right notes during their spring musical, The Sound of Music, with shows on March 9, 10, and 11, in Sunderbruch Auditorium.
Rousing renditions of My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi and Climb Ev’ry Mountain thrilled audiences, while the story of a governess who finds love in a widower’s house during the rise of the Nazis in Austria warmed hearts.
"The Sound of Music was a great experience for everyone involved! From the cast, crew, and pit orchestra to the parents and supporters, everyone deserves recognition for making The Sound of Music a success!" Drama Director Liz King '00 Powers said. "A special thank you to this year’s seniors – they are a very special group, and will be missed dearly next year!”
YouTube the Winter Band Concert
The Assumption Band recently performed their Winter Concert in Sunderbruch Auditorium. Below are links to watch the concert on YouTube. Enjoy!
Jazz Band
Sway
Misty
Big Noise from Winnetka
Wind Ensemble
Flambeau Overture
Novena
Symphonic Band
Holst Second Suite – March
Holst Second Suite – Song of the Blacksmith
Spirit of Aloha (with the QC Ukulele Club)
Band and Choir Traveling to St. Louis
The Assumption Music Department will embark on a four-day music appreciation excursion to St. Louis April 20-23.
Highlights of the trip include a viewing of the Broadway production of the Lion King at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, a Gateway riverboat dinner cruise, and stops at the St. Louis Zoo, City Museum, and Union Station, as well as the world-famous Gateway Arch.
Students will also enjoy tours of the New Cathedral (formerly known as Old Cathedral) and the Shrine of St. Joseph, both historic churches where they will perform during the celebration of Mass.
On the way to St. Louis, music and choir students will participate in Master Classes instructed by Drs. Vroman and Jost at the Dingledine Music Center on the campus of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.
Two Knights Claim State Wrestling Titles
Assumption wrestling saw another successful season come to a close with two Knights crowned state champions at the 2017 Iowa State Wrestling Tournaments at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
A total of six Knights wrestlers qualified for the traditional three-day tournament, with junior Matt Robertson (132) and sophomore Julien Broderson (160) finishing the tournament atop the podium to become Assumption's 21st and 22nd state champions. As a team, the Knights finished third in the team standings.
Head Coach Pete Bush '79 and the Knights' wrestling program also finished third at the 2017 Iowa Class 2A State Dual Championship with a 40-25 win over Washington in the Consolation Championship. Assumption defeated Creston Orient-Macksburg in the quarterfinals, before falling in the semifinals to eventual state champion New Hampton.
During the regular season, the Knights compiled a 12-4 dual meet record, and took second at the 2017 MAC Tournament (hosted by AHS), where four Knights were crowned champions after eight reached the finals. Assumption was also crowned Regional Dual champions and Sectional Champions on their way to the state tournament.
Girls Hoops Makes State Tourney Run
Assumption's Lady Knights basketball team capped off an outstanding 2017 season with a berth in the 2017 Iowa Class 3A State Tournament, marking Assumption's 14th trip to the annual state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Facing third-ranked Center Point-Urbana in the quarterfinals, Assumption found itself trailing to start the final period, but made a furious fourth-quarter surge to make it a close contest down to the end, before falling 56-50.
Senior guard Jasmine Harris surpassed the 1,000 career-point mark in a Feb. 3 win over Davenport Central and closed her high school career with 1,107 points. A University of Sioux Falls recruit, Harris was named First Team All-State by both the Des Moines Register and Iowa Newspaper Association following the season.
During the regular season, the Knights compiled a 16-8 overall record, including a third place finish in the MAC standings. Harris was also a First Team All-Conference selection, while junior Bailey Brown earned Second Team honors, and juniors Molly Gervase and Grace Jacobsen were named Honorable Mention all-conference.
Alumni Notes
Milestones
• Michael K. Bush '70 was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in Boca Raton, FL, on March 4.
• Topher Carton ’12, a senior wrestler for the University of Iowa, qualified for the 2017 NCAA Division I Championships at 141 pounds. Carton went 2-2 and helped the Hawkeyes to a fourth place finish.
• A.J. Tjaden '12 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Business Dean's List.
• Danielle Moore ’13 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Engineering's Dean's List.
• Matt Vonderhaar ’13, a senior guard for the Coe College men’s basketball team, surpassed 1,000 career points, and was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, while also earning Iowa Conference All-Academic Team recognition.
• Laura Blaser '14 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean's List.
• Kayla Boche '14 was named to the President's List at the University of Iowa for the fall 2016 semester. She was also named to the Dean’s List for the fall 2016 semester.
• Lexi Flynn '14 was named to the fall 2016 Dean’s List at Coastal Carolina University.
• Mary Kirk '14 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Human Science's Dean's List.
• Mallory Lamb '14 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Engineering's Dean's List.
• Markel Mommsen '14 was named to the Wartburg College 2016 fall Term Dean's List.
• Julie Pham '14 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Human Science's Dean's List.
• Riley Behan '15 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Engineering's Dean's List.
• Leo Bormann '15 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Human Science's Dean's List.
• Bruce Moore '15 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Human Science's Dean's List.
• Matthew Tjaden '15 was named to the fall 2016 Iowa State University College of Business Dean's List.
• Allison Bouffard '16 was named to the Wartburg College 2016 fall Term Dean's List.
• Synclaire Lunardi ’16 was named to the Carthage College Dean's List for the fall 2016 semester.
Marriages & Engagements
• Chelsey Pianca ‘09 and John O’Donnell ‘09 are engaged to be married at Our Lady of Victory on November 11, 2017.
• Michael Millea '09 and Lindsay Lovaas were united in marriage August 6, 2016, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport.
In Memory
• Richard J. Smith ’63 passed away January 31, 2017.
• Evelyn E. (State ‘65) Doty Dowdal passed away February 4, 2017.
• Charles “Charlie” “Chuck” Luther ’65 passed away February 20, 2017.
• Linda L. Laake ’65 passed away February 21, 2017.
• Sister Ann Therese Collins, former Davenport Diocesan Superintendent of Schools and teacher at AHS, passed away February 26, 2017.
• W. James ‘Jim’ Michalik Jr. ’59 passed away March 6, 2017.
• Timothy E. Gasser ’72 passed away March 22, 2017.
If there is news that you would like to see appear in the next newsletter, please email us at: alumni@assumptionhigh.org.
Upcoming 2017 Reunions
Class of 1997: June 17, 2017
Contact: Tony Holland
(anthony.j.holland@gmail.com)
Class of 1987: July 21-22, 2017
Contact: Angie Bormann Paulson
(kapaulson91@gmail.com)
Class of 1977: June 30 - July 1, 2017
Contact: Carol Mooney Hagen
(cmhagen59@gmail.com)
Class of 1972: July 29, 2017
Contact: Kathy Werthmann Mata
(km1416@gmail.com)
Class of 1967: October 6-8, 2017
Contact: Sue Vasen Coffin
(rscoff@mchsi.com)
Class of 1962: Aug. 31 - Sept. 2, 2017
Contact: Bill Tiedje
(wtiedje@aol.com)
SAA/ICA Class of 1957: July 1, 2017
Contact: Mike Hart
(mnhart@wisc.edu)
If you are interested in planning your class reunion, or know of someone who might be, please contact Jordan Gizzarelli at 563-326-5313 x 242 for more information.
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