Dear Friars:

From May 7 through May 17, Servite High School joined other campuses across the country as they accommodated an AP Examination schedule. During that time, I was fortunate to serve as AP Examination proctor and had ample opportunity to meet and interact with numerous students and several members of the staff.

Though my wife serves the school on a daily basis, these 11 days were my first prolonged exposure to the Servite community. I admit, after my previous experiences with your campus I assumed that Servite’s Formation themes were merely another form of school charter or even mission statement – something every school has in place and, once recorded in some handbook or other, can be comfortably forgotten.

What I experienced during my time as AP proctor, however, has frankly pulled the jaded pall from my eyes and awakened me to the practical meaning of community and to the potential for character to manifest every minute of every day in a family of faith.

I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to all Servite staff members who went out of their way to make my job not only easier, but thoroughly enjoyable, and who made me feel like a welcome, if temporary, family member.

I’m grateful to Mike Clapp for jumping in to plug all the little holes. It’s been said that no strategy survives contact with the enemy, and no matter how well things were planned little problems were bound to crop up. Mr. Clapp made himself a solution to those little problems no matter how busy he was.

I’m grateful to Padraic Emparan for bringing Servite’s faith directly into the testing process by leading his students in prayer before their exam. That small gesture, simple and direct, illuminated Servite’s living faith for me.

I’m grateful to Jacqui Engelman for taking such great care of me, of the students, and of the library. I’d never have finished each day’s testing without the hundred little things Jacqui jumped in to do during the exam periods. Many students would have been lost without the procedures and advice she never lost patience in reminding them of. Finally, the entire testing schedule would have stalled without Jacqui’s careful arrangement of seats and tables to accommodate each group of students.

I’m grateful to Elsa Gibbs for participating in the, at times, difficult process of bringing technology into the testing environment. Every device added was another potential problem, but the Spanish students were prepared regarding their software, and we were prepared regarding necessary changes in exam security.

I’m grateful to Hilary Recknor for what was clearly a mountain of work performed before and after every exam. Counting, sorting, collating, stacking, noting, listing, copying, storing: the blissfully organized testing materials I received each morning were, each and every box, a testament to all the work she’d done before I arrived.   

I’m grateful to Desiree Stubbs for her help in smoothing out the minutiae of managing each testing group. Each morning and afternoon, as we sorted out paperwork and names, she remained focused on simple solutions, minimum disruption, and teamwork.

I’m grateful to Tim Wekall for taking time out of his schedule to resolve what may have otherwise been a critical concern for the students who took the calculus exam. His prompt response to my query allowed us to resolve the issue without any disruption to the schedule.

There are certainly other staff members who helped this process, some of whom I interacted with and some of whom I never met. It’s my intention here to thank them all, and any fault in failing to name them must be understood to come from my failure of memory.

To the credit of Servite’s staff and parents, however, what truly impressed me about the school were the students I encountered. Though well over 150 students filed past me during the exam period, I’d be remiss if I didn’t recognize a few who stood out for the fine quality of their character. In this spirit I’d like to thank Adriano Bianchini for volunteering to help me manage testing materials. I’d like to thank Han Jang for his friendly but respectful demeanor and both him and Troy Monteleone for their patience with the quirks of uncooperative timers. I’d like to thank Michael Swartz for his absolutely unfailing courtesy and good-natured willingness to be helpful any way he could.

I feel that special recognition should go to Dominic Hattouni for the incredible Catholic leadership he displayed. Not only did Mr. Hattouni quickly step forward to lead his fellows in prayer when I called for a volunteer one morning, he also helped to manage exam materials. During our exam break I observed him counseling his peers regarding their morale and spirits, quietly moving from student to student and inquiring as to their mental and emotional states. This young man, with his quiet leadership, rang a deafening clarion in praise for the men of compassion, faith, and intelligence that Servite seeks to produce.

Lastly, I want to thank Mrs. Hofreiter for…well, everything.

Sincerely,

Jeff J Hofreiter

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I stepped on the grounds of Servite High School for the first time as an incoming freshman, it hit me. I was beginning to be a part of something so special that when I was older I could tell my kids that I was a part of the Servite Brotherhood. People that have never gone here don’t know what this unorthodox experience is. One cannot even put it in words without rambling on for hours on end.  Here at Servite we share an unbreakable connection with those Friars that founded the Servite Order in 1233. They established the level of excellence that all Friars should hold true to themselves. As I look back on my years at Servite, all I can do is smile.

As an incoming freshman, I was determined to play golf and get a quality education. Not only have I accomplished that, but also I have had many experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life. My greatest experience at Servite came but only a few weeks ago. On April 25, our Varsity golf team had Trinity League Finals where the top nine players advanced to move onto CIF SS Individuals. I placed tied for ninth after two days with two competitors from an opposing Trinity League school. They decided to settle the tie in a sudden death playoff. With my whole team, coaches, parents, and administrators cheering me on, I was able to prevail in the playoff winning myself a spot in the CIF SS Individuals Tournament. It was quite unreal to think that everyone that was there was for me. I could only feel sorry for the other two players that were almost overwhelmed with all the support I received and the lack of the support that was shown from their team. My father, who was following me in the playoff, later told me that how cool it was to watch all my teammates cheer me on while none of the other school’s players even bothered to watch the playoff. That is what the Servite Brotherhood is all about.

The by far worst moment at Servite occurred during Freshman Formation. While standing in the gym for what seemed like five hours, I could only think about why I was here. “Is this all I am going to be doing for the next four years?” “What is the point of standing in this sweat shop?” Why can’t I faint already so I can sit in the back and drink water?” These questions were all that crossed my mind. I never once thought of looking at the big picture. All I was worried about was being able to sit down and drink some water. When I look back on it, I now realize that there was a point to that “stupid and ridiculous activity”. What Coach Toner was trying to convey was that we are all much stronger than we think, and together as a brotherhood of Servite Men, we can accomplish almost anything. So my worst memory of my freshman year turned out to be a good memory as a senior because I am now stronger mentally and emotionally than I ever would have been without Formation Weekend.

When I was younger, my family went to church every Sunday. I enjoyed this but as I grew older, I had complications with sports where I could rarely make the church service on Sundays. So it progressively faded and we eventually stopped attending church besides the major Christian holidays, Christmas and Easter. When I arrived at Servite and witnessed my first ever religion class, it brought me back to the days in Sunday school where we would read about Noah’s Ark and David and Goliath. I feel that Servite has brought me closer to God because if it weren’t for Servite, I feel that I would have completely lost my spiritual life. God is a huge part of my life now and everything I do reflects that. I try and always stay positive and look on the bright side of things because I know in the end that things will turn out for the better if we put our faith in God.

So far in my four years as a Friar, I have achieved many goals that I had previously set out for myself. For example, being on the Principals High Honor Roll all four years and winning a CIF SS Title for golf. Not only did we win a CIF Title, we won three back-to-back-to-back. So instead of a story to tell my children, I have a ring that validates our success. Before I die, I want to leave the world a better place than I came into it. This sounds quite cliché but I truly believe that helping others and doing God’s will can help me accomplish this goal. I would also like to see the birth of my grandchildren before I die. I know this is out of my control but as a child, I never had a grandfather. So there was never that old man around that you could jump onto his lap and he could tell you what he did when he was your age. My final goal before I die would be to raise children that will be there for me in my loneliest of times. When everything seems to be going for the worse, I can rely on my children to comfort me and get me through my tough times. My goals seem fairly simple yet some of my goals I cannot quite control. So I have to put my faith in God so he can lead me in the path to success.

As I ponder the many great memories I had, I just hope to myself that what Servite is now is what Servite will be in twenty years. The men they produce are class act leaders and we should not go away from the rigors that are prevalent at Servite. I am exceedingly glad I came to Servite and quite honestly, I don’t know what kind of man I would be if I chose to go to another school. Servite has granted me the qualities and character that I need to succeed and as I leave this school in two weeks, all I have to say is “Credo”.

Servite High School has three students whose art work has been selected by a panel of judges for exhibit in the All District Art Exhibit (the best of the best in Orange County schools from out of over 6,500 entries) in the Imagination Celebration Gallery at South Coast Plaza’s Crate and Barrel Wing from May 16, 2012 to May 30, 2012.  The All District artists are:  Nicholas Reinders ’14 for “The Hallway”, Gerard de Guia ’13 for “Servite Outside”, and Alex Munoz ’12 for “In The Trap”.  There will be a student artist reception in their honor on Saturday, May 19, in the South Coast Plaza’s Crate and Barrel Wing.

Also chosen for exhibit in the 1,000 Pieces of Art Imagination Celebration Gallery at South Coast Plaza are Robert Rodriquez ’12, Alex Munoz ’12, Miles Williams ’12, Estevan Gonzalez ’14, Martin Ortega ’14, Juan Carlos Martinez ’14, A.J. Mayin ’14, and Bradley Lineberger ’14.   Their art work will be part of an exceptional display of student artwork chosen from over 6,500 county entries from private and public schools, grades kindergarten through high school.  The work will be on exhibit at the Crate & Barrel Wing of South Coast Plaza from May 16-May 30, 2012. 

On Saturday, April 28th, Servite President Pete Bowen ’82 will be speaking at the Made 4 More Men’s Conference along with four other Catholic men about the need and importance of strong leadership in our community today.  The conference will be held at Rosary High School in Fullerton. 

For more information, or if you would like to attend this event, please visit www.catholicsatworkoc.com.

Pete Bowen has been practicing and teaching leadership for 25 years. He is the author of the new book: On Leadership: Reuniting America and Reigniting Success and has appeared on various national television programs. He is president of Servite High School and as such, has responsibility for the school and in developing and achieving its strategic vision. Pete is an expert on leadership and ethics. He is a former Marine Corps officer having served as both a pilot and instructor of the AV-8B Harrier.

“There is more to life, but you need to invest in yourself to discover that. Four hours can change your life. Attend the Made 4 More conference, it will be a life-changing experience!” -Matthew Kelly

Suggested Donation $20 per person.  Registration includes a light lunch after the  conference.  Questions?  Call Mark McElrath at 714-401-0845 or Mike Haddock at 714-603-8555. 

Irvine teen gets Make-a-Wish meeting with Pope Benedict XVI | – Life – The Orange County Register.

The Friarbots just wrapped up an intense and rewarding three days at the Long Beach Arena for the FIRST Los Angeles Regional Competition.  They finished the qualifying rounds ranked very high and were then picked by an alliance (599 RoboDox and 1138 Eagle Engineering) to compete in the elimination rounds! They won the first two matches of the quarter finals and made it all the way to the semifinals where they put up a good fight to a powerhouse alliance of well established teams that were ultimately the winners.

For more information, click here.

For photos of the event, click here.

Come out and hear the Servite Jazz Band and Concert Band tonight (March 20th) in the Spring Concert at 7:30PM in the St. Juliana’s Parish Center in Fullerton. We are also having a dessert night so come out and enjoy some great music and great food!

The suggested donation is $5, and desserts and beverages will be available for purchase. The concert will help raise funds to help the bands cover the expenses in traveling to Disney World to compete in April.

Tri-School Theatre is busily preparing for Seussical, our spring musical!  With a cast of over 55 students from Connelly, Rosary, Servite and some local elementary schools, this show promises to be fun for the whole family.  Beloved characters from classic Dr. Seuss books show us that “anything’s possible!”

Tickets are on sale NOW at www.trischool.org 

Thursday, May 3^rd 7:00pm

Friday, May 4^th, 8:00pm

Saturday, May 5^th, 8:00pm

Sunday, May 6^th, 8:00pm

Servite Online March 2012

I found that the confirmation of the Assistant Provincia and the three Provincial Counselors to be the most impressive act of the chapter. The confirmation took place in the Theater of Servite High School during a liturgy for the Solemn Feast of the Seven Holy Founders. Assembled there were the 950 plus all boy student body, organized into eight priories, each with the name of a Founder and Philip (Benizi). After a challenging homily, inviting the students to imitate the Founders, by the Prior Provincial, John Fontana, the newly elected were confirmed in office by the Vicar General, Franco Azzalli. At the conclusion of the Mass, the “cool” Bishop Jose Luis Ponce de Leon of the Vicariate Apostolic of Ingwavuma spoke to the students about his youth and soccer days in Argentina. Speaking to the students in English and Spanish, he mentioned how he would like to see a closer relationship between the high school Star of the See in Africa and Servite in Anaheim. His remarks drew thundering applause and affirming hoots. Next the Vicar General spoke of his youth in Turin, Italy. He shared how he resisted the vocation call. His sincerity was enhanced by his struggle to speak to the students in English. His efforts were affirmed by loud applause and warm hoots. The final speaker was the “Prior General” of the student body. His message—GO SERVITE—electrified the students into a growing thunderous pep rally! I was impressed that we are doing something right at the school and both the lay administration and the committed Servite Friars there have instilled a spirit that is around “since 1233.”

 Michael Doyle, O.S.M.

Servite students Matt Baray ’13, Carlo Chiana ’12, Gerard De Guia ’13, Samuel De Vroede ’14, Juan Carlos Martinez ’14, Anthony Munoz ’14, Alex Munoz ’12, Andre Orate ’14, Jacob Richards ’14, and Miles Williams ’12 have been selected to participate in the Orange County Department of Education’s Preserving the Arts Exhibit. 

The CAEA Youth Art Month Exhibit, Preserving the Arts, will be on display through February 22, 2012 at the Orange County of Department of Education.