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THE CRUSADER TIMES
News from The Atonement Academy --- Vol. 2020-2021 No.8, September 10, 2020
"Three things are necessary to everyone:truth of faith which brings understanding,love of Christ which brings compassion, andendurance of hope which bringsperseverance."— St. Bonaventure
The virtues described by St. Bonaventureare the theological virtues of faith, charity,and hope. The Catechism of the CatholicChurch teaches us that these virtues are"the foundation of Christian moral activity;they animate it and give it its specialcharacter. They inform and give life to allthe moral virtues. They are infused by Godinto the souls of the faithful to make themcapable of acting as his children and ofmeriting eternal life. They are the pledge ofthe presence and action of the Holy Spirit inthe faculties of the human being."
Upper scholars with Miss Gray at therecent Upper School Tea.
The Atonement Academy relies onits faculty and staff to helpscholars develop understanding,compassion, and perseverance inall circumstances.
A LETTER FROM MR. WATSON
THE RETURN OF A PRE-COVID TRADITION
Dear Academy Family,
Beginning on Monday morning, September 13th, I will once again be offering ourscholars my customary handshake as they arrive in the Piazza during carline.
There are hand sanitizer dispensers at the entrances to both buildings which wealready ask students to utilize as they enter, so, from an epidemiologicalperspective, they will be able to erase all traces of contact instantly. If you or yourchild would prefer not to take up this form of salutation quite yet, just say, “nothank you,” and I will instead give a friendly wave.
Why this, why now? An Atonement education—any true education, really—ismore than the simple transfer of curricula from teacher to student. True education
takes place in the context of a community forged by the pursuit of the true, thegood, and the beautiful. This is especially the case when a student is, as atAtonement, immersed in a liberal arts education, the aim of which can besummed up as “learning to live well.”
Thus, when I greet a scholar with a handshake, eye contact, and a “Goodmorning, Mr./Miss ______,” I am in that moment affirming our shared mission andcelebrating the common life to which it has called us both. Put into words, I amtrying to convey something to the effect of—
You are welcome here; you are expected. I am glad you are here.
We are in this together—we are both here to love God, serve others, and seektruth. I may be further along than you (maybe!), but we are really pursuing thesame project.
I think it’s going to be a good day, don’t you?
Do your best, have fun, be a leader.
Even as I type this I can’t help but think of Mr. Rogers! But you get the idea. Themoments when young people are truly noticed for the right reasons canreverberate for the rest of their lives. At the very least, such moments arecertainly a good way to start our school days.
Let us continue to pray for one another. Our Lady of The Atonement—pray for us.
Your servant,
Matthew David WatsonHead of School
NOTA BENE: NOTE WELL
Safe Return Plan. Thank you for partnering with us to carry forward the missionof Catholic classical education in these challenging times. Please remember thatour comprehensive Safe Return Plan and all updates and revisions will always besent first to your email inbox and then will be posted on our website at this link.
Inclement Weather. As noted in our Parent-Student Handbook (p.27), "TheAtonement Academy will conform to the decisions of the Northside IndependentSchool District concerning weather-related closings and weather-related lateopenings." Also, "The highways and residential neighborhood surrounding TheAcademy are subject to flooding during heavy rains. Exercise great care whenstreets are flooded. Lateness and absence due to flooding is always excused. Ifflood conditions make it difficult to reach the school in the afternoon, after-schoolcare charges will be waived."
September 10Holy Name of Mary Commemoration, with crescent cookies distributed by ourPTC.
September 11Parent Teacher Conferences (Student Holiday – No Classes)
UPCOMING TEAM SPORTS
Lady Crusader Volleyball9/10/20 Thursday First Baptist Academy UC AWAY 6:30 p.m. Varsity9/15/20 Tuesday Our Lady of the Hills HOME 6:30 p.m. Varsity9/17/20 Thursday BACH HOME 6:00 p.m. Varsity9/18/20 Friday Winston AWAY 5:00 p.m. Varsity
Middle School Volleyball9/15/2020 Tuesday Bracken Christian HOME A-4:30 p.m.9/17/2020 Thursday BACH HOME A-4:30 p.m.
Middle School Football9/17/20 Thursday Scrimmage- Bracken HOME 7:00 p.m.
Varsity Football9/18/20 Friday Scrimmage-St. Gerard Catholic HOME 7:00 p.m.
Middle School Cross Country9/19/20 Saturday THESA Small School Invitational Haltom City, TXBoys-9:00 a.m. Girls-9:30 a.m.
Always check our school website for updates and details.In addition, Atonement Sports are kept current on their social media page(Atonement Sports) and the Athletics tab on the school website.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES TOMORROW,SEPTEMBER 11th
Parent-teacher conferences are tomorrow, September 11th. If you have not yetscheduled a conference with your child’s teacher and would like to do so, pleaseschedule an appointment by clicking on your child’s teacher’s Doodle link below.As this year’s conferences will be held remotely via Zoom, the teacher will sendyou a Zoom link once you schedule a conference. Lower School Pre-K 3 - Lisa Pyle: https://doodle.com/poll/uc64wm7hyyvs9tde Pre-K 4 - Maria Lozano: https://doodle.com/poll/idy8wi8c42rhyk7u Kinder A - Tina Fitzgerald: https://doodle.com/poll/7ea2mk3wft4fycvm Kinder B - Alaric Chaney: https://doodle.com/poll/wgw534hf3zbhbaug 1st - Maria Kennedy: https://doodle.com/poll/7chxrck57mtu4ddz 2nd - Kristie Weems: https://doodle.com/poll/wzgazp74se8fzfsd 3rd - Brenda Garza: https://doodle.com/poll/8gxcgpyt8pkkr6gz 4th - Stephen Sackett: https://doodle.com/poll/fsnnhi3fgbmgr7zw 5th - Autumn Taylor: https://doodle.com/poll/83p67xidca56syuc 6th - Bridget Kennedy: https://doodle.com/poll/r6svp8qtanpbqexs
Middle and Upper School Zach Adian: https://doodle.com/poll/bagv7edduit7mzmr Colin Chude: https://doodle.com/poll/hsi3zumirbpnq58a Jenni Gray: https://doodle.com/poll/em7ngnruiwxdpv5b Audrey Lenahan: https://doodle.com/poll/6uqg3iyv6dx2yim5 Sister Mary Margaret: https://doodle.com/poll/g7xtki8im85yga2x John Markovetz: https://doodle.com/poll/saxpd8q2r8qz2wde Nicholas Mataya: https://doodle.com/poll/d4gap4v3e5wfhr89 Alejandro Oliveros: https://doodle.com/poll/ag4rzb5chxxfza6i Laura Oliveros: https://doodle.com/poll/5u4szr3g7mwtp2ri Elizabeth Otten: https://doodle.com/poll/yz7qsyub6gs53n5z Regina Szyszkiewicz: https://doodle.com/poll/b3khg3798q6z8n78 Shawn White: https://doodle.com/poll/p6f58sr3zt4gecu8
FACTS-SIS PARENT ALERT COMMUNICATION SYSTEM Through FACTS-SIS, The Atonement Academy has acquired a new notificationand rapid alert system to help improve and facilitate communication with ourfamilies. Parent Alert will allow the school to send out communications via text,email and voice messages for all types of events. These alerts can be used formany reasons but will also provide a fast, efficient way to communicate with ourfamilies in cases of time-sensitive information and emergencies. To ensure you are able to receive our alerts please text the keyword“START” to 22-383 from your mobile device. Any text alerts from the schoolwill begin with “TAA ALERT” and calls will show from “210-695-2240.”
REMOTE LEARNING Electing Remote Learning for the 2nd Quarter We have asked families to renew their choice to continue Remote Learning on aquarterly basis. Please email Mrs. Powell ([email protected]) bySeptember 25th if you wish to continue Remote Learning for the second quarter. Remote Learning FAQs and Office Hours For questions about Remote Learning please consult our Remote Learning FAQs.Teacher’s office hours for Remote Students may be found here.
SAT INFORMATION
We are pleased to report that The Atonement Academy has shown consistentaverage of a 1200 SAT score throughout the years. Last year’s graduating classhad a 1293 average! We look forward to what the Class of 2021 will achieveregarding their scores. The College Board reports there is limited testing capacity in certain areas due tohealth restrictions and high demand. Test centers make individual decisionwhether to administer the SAT. The College Board recommends that scholarscheck directly with their testing center to check whether or not the test is beingadministered. Note: due to limited capacity and high demand, most universitiesare foregoing a SAT or ACT score for Fall 2021 applications. SAT Dates: September 26 registration deadline August 26 (late registration is September 15)October 3 registration deadline September 3 (late registration is September 22)November 7 registration deadline October 9December 5 registration deadline November 5
THE BIG GIVE IS TODAY, AND YOUHAVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT TO HELP
MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
The Atonement Academy will once againparticipate in The Big Give, a special day ofgiving to nonprofits. Rescheduled from March22 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, thedesignated day in South Texas is today,September 10, from midnight to midnight! The Atonement Academy will raise funds forcampus security equipment, which will include:“keyless” entry access control, surveillance cameras, and intercoms for majorentrances. Our goal is to raise $15,000, and we already have a challenge grant of$1,000 from a generous donor who will donate that amount as soon as we raiseour first $1,000! This is a very important cause--and a very achievable goal. To participate, go to the BigGiveSA site and follow the directions there. It's safeand secure and gifts of every amount are appreciated. Whether you give $25,$50, $100 or more--your gift will help fund the security equipment we need. WHY THE BIG GIVE? The public enthusiasm for this regional fundraising efforthelps schools like ours get valuable exposure for donations as well as enrollment.The BigGive website showcases schools like ours and provides generous donorswith an option for making a charitable gift to our school. In addition, there are anumber of incentives to give online, including a matching program in whichEVERY donation of up to $100 will be matched dollar for dollar for gifts made at9:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. 3:15 p.m, 6:15 and 11:15 p.m.! We hope you will participate in The Big Give again this year, and thank you foryour support of our school!
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: JOHN MARKOVETZ
What do you currently teach, and what do you enjoy about it?I'm currently teaching Geometry and Pre-Calculus, two sections of each. I likeworking with the students and helping them prepare for the more advancedclasses they'll take in math and science, such as Calculus and AP Physics. I alsoenjoy helping them see the intricate nature of God's creation through thediscoveries and complexities of math. What do you most appreciate about teaching at The Atonement Academy?I have been a teacher at The Atonement Academy since 2006, with a few yearsas an administrator as well. I most appreciate the classical and Catholicfoundation upon which we base our curriculum, and especially the opportunity tohelp form the students in their Catholic faith. What are you looking forward to in the 2020-2021 academic year?I'm looking forward to having each of our students successfully complete the2020-2021 school year. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your interests!My first career was the Air Force, and I am originally from Colorado. My wife MaryAnn and I have made San Antonio our home since 1998. In my leisure time, Ienjoy hiking in the local parks and, when the opportunity presents itself, exploringwilderness areas in the Colorado Rockies. I am currently reading two books, JohnSenior and the Restoration of Realism, by Father Francis Bethel, O.S.B. and ThePower of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise, by Robert Cardinal Sarah.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: JOHN KARAKO
Class of 2018 graduate, John Karako, likes achallenge. Upon entering Texas A&M University heearned both a spot in the prestigious Corps of
Cadets, as well as admission into the school’scompetitive engineering program.
His summer internship at an aerospace company wasput on hold due to the pandemic, so in April, when heread about a competition that fosters ideas to beat thespread of COVID-19, he was on board.“At the time,there was a shortage of masks, so our project aimedto sanitize the masks faster,” says John. John andthree other team members took part in an engineeringcompetition called “Aggies Against COVID-19,” anddesigned a product called ‘Sterilight,’which uses far-UVC light, a type of ultraviolet light, to sterilizefrequently-used surfaces.
“Our team made the top ten out of seventy-one teams in the competition,” saysJohn. “We received a $2,500 grant to prototype our design.” John and hisengineering team are currently reviewing the prototype and discussing whether ornot improvements are needed.
John’s team also qualified for the National Science Foundation (NSF), I-CorpsSite Fellows Program. The national program helps participants gain the insightand skills to commercialize a product.
John credits his education at The Atonement, which has helped foster his successin college. “Mechanical engineering is a tough school,” says John. “The fact thatMr. Adian has such a rigorous program at The Atonement has helped me succeedin engineering. I don’t know that I would have, without him.” (Mr. Zachary Adianteaches upper school math and science at The Atonement Academy.)
When asked what he misses most about The Atonement Academy, John saysdaily Mass and the convenience of being able to attend confession. “What helpedme at Atonement was really knowing my faith, inside and out. It can bechallenging at a secular school. I’ve been challenged on my beliefs many times,and others have asked why I believe what I do. Atonement helped me know thewhat, and the why. It’s easy to practice your faith at Atonement because everyonearound you believes as you do. At A&M, you choose to practice your faith.”
John’s advice to students at his alma mater? “Put your all into it. It’s not alwayscool to be a ‘try-hard.’ Teachers at Atonement are there because they want to bethere. If you meet them half-way and put in the work, you’ll get the most out ofyour education.”
YEARBOOK CLUB
Interested in making our yearbook better? The Yearbook Club is for Middle andUpper School scholars who are interested in taking pictures, designing pages,and sharing their school spirit. We are looking for 10 dedicated, school-spirited,hard-working members.
How do you join? Complete the Yearbook Sign-Up form and turn it in bySeptember 18th. Sign up forms are here and on our website.
If accepted as a club member, you will be required to sign in and work on theyearbook every week beginning October 12 and ending April 23. Work mayinclude taking and uploading photos, designing a page, or revising pages for finalsubmission.
Mandatory meetings are the following Mondays:
First Semester September 28, October 12, October 26, November 16, and December 7
Second Semester January 11, February 15, March 1, March 22, and April 12
Remote Students will Zoom for meetings. Additional dates may follow as we nearthe yearbook deadlines.
If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Powell or email her [email protected].
SCENES ON CAMPUS
Many photos of our Crusaders andtheir yard signs were entered in ourdrawing, and included here are justsome of the depictions of signs in frontof homes and in backyards -- weapplaud our Crusaders' creativity withsigns on apartment balconies and atgrandparent's homes, too! Our prizeswere drawn by Mr. Watson, Mr.Creech, and Mrs. Joiner (pictured), andthe winners were the Landry family andthe Ku family! Congratulations!
In other scenes, our pastor, Fr. Lewiscelebrated a birthday on September7th, and students began decorating hisdoor and hallway last week. Choirdirector Mr. Alejandro Oliveros broughta group of upper scholars to sing"Happy Birthday," too. Anahaat Kaurdisplays her distance learning activityfor second grade. Lastly, Mr. Watson,our headmaster, hosted the first 2020-2021 "Coffee with Mr. Watson" lastFriday morning.
UPPER SCHOLARS PRODUCERADIO PLAYS
Every fall, the drama classes perform aradio play, using good vocal technique tocreate characters, build suspense, and tellthe story. They are also responsible formaking their own sound effects and findingappropriate music to set the mood.
This week, two of the classes performedepisodes from the 1940’s thriller seriesEscape, using scripts based on classic shortstories. One class performed the perennialfavorite “The Most Dangerous Game,” andthe other performed the hair-raising tale,“Three Skeleton Keys.”
Let's pray for our school and for each other! Atonement mom Dr. Barbara Ku willbe spearheading our Wednesday Rosary this year. She started this week, and allare welcome to join! We meet in the Sacred Heart Chapel, located adjacent to themain chruch (use the smaller red door). Join us at 3:00 p.m., just before carlinebegins, and you will be out in approximately 15 minutes.
SOCIAL MEDIA INFORMATION
Join us on social media! Even if you are not one to post your personal activity, itIS a vehicle for information and engagement with our school!
FACEBOOK is an online social media and networking platform that uses thewritten word, photos, and videos to communicate with the world.
The Atonement Academy page is our public page. Anyone with an account cansee the information here, so it is great for getting information out to the public andadvertising our school to interested families. "Like" us on Facebook and ask yourfriends to do so as well! It can be a great venue for us to share all the good newsabout our school community! The page is managed by school representatives.
Atonement Exchange is a private group. Participation is limited to currentlyenrolled families and graduates of our upper school. A series of qualifying
questions must be answered before a person is allowed to join the group, and atthe beginning of each school year, the group is updated with our current families.It is a great private forum for our Atonement community to exchange information,books, uniforms, photos of school sports and events, and parent formation ideas.Posts to the Exchange are managed by school personnel.NOTE: There is stilltime to advertise and trade or sell your gently used textbooks and uniforms on theExchange!
Atonement Sports is a public page that is managed by our department ofathletics. School sporting events and photos are promoted on this page. "Like" thepage on Facebook to follow sports-related information and activities.
INSTAGRAM is an online, worldwide photo/visuals platform.Our account is found under theatonementacademy and is managed by schoolpersonnel. It provides visual content similar to what is found on The Atonement'sFacebook public page.
Website About Us Academics Admissions Resources
15415 Red Robin RoadSan Antonio, TX 78255
Contact Us
The Atonement Academy, founded in 1994,is a PreK through 12th grade Catholic,classical school. It is the parish school of OurLady of The Atonement Catholic Church, oneof the founding parishes of the PersonalOrdinariate of The Chair of St. Peter,established by Pope Benedict XVI andlocated in Houston TX.
