The RamPage

May 5, 2023

May 6th

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta

May 8th

LATE START - 9:00 AM

Senior Farewell Mass

May 11th

FFA Banquet

May 15th

Baccalaureate Mass

May 16th

Graduation

May 17th

FOG DELAY

May 24th

FOG DELAY

May 25th & May 26th

Spring Musical

"Beauty & the Beast"

Final Exams

May 30th

Periods 5 & 7

May 31st

Periods 2 & 4

June 1st

Periods 1 & 3

June 2nd

Period 6

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 75th anniversary Wing-Ding a success! It was so much fun to have so many people on campus. We had alumni who were here when the school opened, families who are currently sending their children to Garces, and everyone in between. Thank you to Bishop Brennan, Garces Rector Fr. David, and Fr. Theo for coming and celebrating our 75th. We are so grateful to the Hail Mary Club, the Garces Alumni Board, and the 75th Committee for helping to organize a great night on our campus. Members of the committee were Steven Antongiovanni, Jon Barnes, Joan (Haller) Finch, Raji Sanghera, Eric Sill, Bernadette (Eyherabide) Root, Jenny Etcheverry, Cindy Meek, Shannon Campbell, and Lou Ann Durrett. A big shout out to Shelly Stricklen-Phoenix and the Class of 1993 who had their high school reunion at the Wing-Ding and to John Etcheverry & Nanette (Campbell) Etcheverry for all their help before, during, and after the event. We want to especially thank our sponsors who helped to underwrite a wonderful event for the Garces community:

Mission Bank

GMC Motor City

Bruce Beretta & Melissa Fortune

Edith & Domenick Bianco

Jasmine Vineyards

McMurtrey Lince, Inc.

Colombo Contruction

Knight's Site Services

Dewar's Candy Shop

Check out the 75th Anniversary Wing-Ding highlight video below to hear some great interviews, including one with the Bishop:

Congratulations to Randall Giumarra and Joshua Braun! Randall is the 2023 Valedictorian and Josh is the 2023 Salutatorian. Josh will give the benediction at the commencement ceremonies and Randall will give the keynote speech. Their hard work, dedication, and commitment to a rigorous and challenging course schedule paid off! Randall will be attending UCLA this fall and Josh is attending Cal Tech. We are very proud of them and their accomplishments.

Happy Retirement

Mrs. Richardson!

We will miss you!

Registrar and longtime employee Joan Richardson will be retiring after 31 years of service to the students and families of Garces Memorial. On Friday, the students surprised her during lunch with flowers and hugs. They wanted to let her know much they love her and to thank her for all she has done to support them.

Joan began helping at Garces Memorial when her oldest daughter, Shannon Campbell, attended Garces. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, families received a small break in their tuition by volunteering to help in the school cafeteria. Joan enjoyed the friendships she made while helping so much that she eventually began working full-time in the cafeteria. 

In 1991, the new Principal/President, Ed Hearn asked Joan to assist him with his transition and take on the role of Registrar.

All four of Joan’s children, Shannon Campbell, Stephanie (Campbell) Napier, Nanette (Campbell) Etcheverry, and Mathew Campbell attended Garces. Eventually, Joan’s two stepchildren, Kyle Richardson and Eric Richardson would also attend Garces. She has had one grandchild graduate from Garces, Caroline Napier, and has two graduating this year, Kaitlyn Etcheverry and Jimmy Napier, a current grandchild who is a junior, Tessa Etcheverry, and a sophomore, Luke Napier. Joan’s sons-in-law Mark Napier and John Etcheverry are also graduates of Garces Memorial.

Joan has dedicated her time here at Garces assisting the administrative team, students, and co-workers.

She has been and remains an advocate for Catholic education in our community. Always a team player and willing to help when asked. A mainstay in our Garces Memorial community.

Co-worker and friend Sherry Burns had this to share. “I do believe God places people in your life for a reason. Joan started as a co-worker but soon became one of my closest and dearest friends. I know how hard of a decision this was to make when someone like Joan has put her whole heart and soul into Garces and touched so many people along the way. Garces is not just a workplace for her, it's her second home. Joan now is your time to enjoy retirement with your family. As I say goodbye to my friend, I will miss our morning coffee talks most. I will not say goodbye to “my true-blue friend” as Joan would say, instead I will say enjoy life you have earned it. I will miss you.”

Click to read the message from Ed Hearn

Mental Health Month at Garces

Mr. Golla, working with Mrs. Thompson, has a four-week program to highlight mental health at Garces during the month of May. By promoting mental health awareness and reducing the negative stigma around mental health issues, Garces hopes to help students improve their mental health and well-being. Each week will have a theme and activities to reinforce the importance of mental health as it relates to teenagers. There are daily announcements and weekly activities the students will participate in. The weekly themes are:

• Week 1 - Depression
• Week 2 - Anxiety
• Week 3 - Body Image (Self-Love)
• Week 4 - Social media (Self-Talk)

This week the students focused on gratitude and one of the activities had the students posting what they are thankful for.

In the gym on Wednesday at lunch, five Garces Memorial senior student-athletes were honored during a signing ceremony as they future college athletes at their National Letter of Intent ceremony. Andrew Boyd, our co-ASB president, signed with Hamline (Minn.) University’s football program. Kaydence Boyd became the first Garces girls wrestler to sign with a college program as she will be a member of the Colorado Mesa women’s wrestling program. Josh Braun, our salutatorian, signed with the Cal Tech men’s water polo program. Mia D’Amato signed with Whitter College’s women’s volleyball team and Kylee Limpias, who helped lead the Rams to consecutive D-I girls tennis championships, signed with the women’s tennis program at Cal Lutheran. All four have a GPA above. 4.10 and together, the average is 4.41.

This Week in Garces Athletics

Provided by Trevor Horn, Sports Information Director

Baseball

The varsity baseball team has won three of the past four games and is playing through the most successful stretch of the season. Last Friday at home, Griffin Garcia pitched a complete game shutout and Thomas Buckley hit the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the sixth in a 1-0 win over Bakersfield Christian, the No. 5 ranked team in the Central Section. Then on Wednesday at home, Buckley’s fourth-inning grand slam highlighted an 8-4 victory over No. 16 Centennial as Dom Banducci had three RBI and Bradley Horton pitched six innings and added an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth and a diving catch in right field in the seventh with Luke Shaw on the mound. The Rams are at Centennial at 4 p.m. today.

Boys Golf

The Rams secured the inaugural River League title with a huge win at Sundale Country Club in the final regular season league tournament on Tuesday. Carson Sorci led the way with a 4-under-68 and Aidan Sorci, who had the top overall average this year, shot a 69 as the Rams scored 379 as a team and will bypass the Area tournament and will compete as a team at the section championships.

Softball

The Rams lost a heartbreaker on Wednesday against Centennial 12-0 in five innings and look to snap a four-game losing streak today at 4 p.m. at Centennial. The Rams wrap up the regular season with two games next week against Stockdale with Senior Night for Taylor Crider at 4 p.m. next Friday.

Swim and Dive

Addison Roberts and Claire Banducci both advanced to the Central Section state-qualifying dive championships at Clovis West on Thursday after Roberts finished second in the section D-II championships and Banducci finished third on Wednesday. Roberts finished sixth overall in the section. The D-II swim championships begin today at the KHSD Aquatic Complex today with 18 Rams in competition, including freshman standout Charlie Potter, who was recognized as one of the five “Swimmers to Watch” at the section championships this weekend. Potter is the top seed in the boys 200 individual medley and the 500 freestyle. His time of 4 minutes, 42.62 seconds in the 500 at the league finals set a meet and school record while fellow freshman Jett Kalmikovs also set a school record in the boys 100 backstroke in 1:41.32. On the girls side, the Rams are led by another freshman, Katie McCarthy, who won the league title in the girls 200 free (2:03.40) and also took second in the girls 500 free (5:31.85).

Boys Tennis

Three boys tennis players advanced to the South Area qualifying tournament at Wasco this week. In doubles action, No. 4 seed Nico Fanuuchi and Brysen Limpias defeated their opponents from Taft 6-0, 6-0 and can advance to the section championships next weekend at Reedley-Immanuel for a second consecutive season with two wins today beginning at 1:30 p.m. Michael Garcia lost his opening round match on Thursday at Area.

Track and Field

Led by two third-place finishes in both boys relay teams, the Rams finished third on the boys side at the league championships at Liberty on Wednesday. David Smith, Julian Smith, Nathaniel Wallace and Ian Harrison ran the 400 relay in a time of 44.36 seconds as Jules Struzyna, Harrison, Wallace and Julian Smith finished third in the 1,600 relay in 3:49.38. 

In Our Prayers

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

Matt Pandol Jr.

Husband of Linda Pandol; father of Matt Pandol III '15, Stefanie Pandol '13, and Mark Pandol '19

Marie Sakowski

Thursday, May 11th

St. Francis Church

Rosary 9:30 AM

Mass 10:00 AM

Mother of Jim Sakowski '70, Susan (Sakowski) Swertfager '71, Mary Ellen (Sakowski) Thomas '74, Steven Sakowski '76, Thomas Sakowski '76, Vincent Sakowski '79, and Sally (Sakowski) Goodman '82; Grandmother to Melissa Sakowski '98, Zach Sakowski '00, Amy (Sakowski) Wolensky '01, Greg Swertfager '03, Jenna (Sakowski) Moore '07, Nick Sakowski '11, Peter Sakowski '11, Chris Sakowski '13, Patrick Sakowski '13, Paige Sakowski '15, Matthew Sakoski '16, JohnPaul Sakowski '17, Sam Sakowski '19, and Jack Sakowski '25.

Services Pending

Jeff Mulhoffer '92

Husband of Jennifer (Bachman) Mullhofer '03 and brother to Brian Mulhoffer '97