03/12/2026
Dear St. Francis de Sales Parish School Families,
Our Home & School Dinner & Auction – Emerald Evening: Shining in Faith and Purpose is happening this Saturday! We are excited to gather our St. Francis de Sales Parish School Family for a night of celebration and support for our school’s mission. This year is especially exciting because a generous private donor has pledged to match every dollar raised to $100,000, doubling the impact of our community’s generosity. Funds from the evening will help provide teachers with new MacBooks, install interactive classroom panels to enhance student engagement, furnish both current and new classrooms, and launch our innovative STREAM Lab, giving students hands-on learning opportunities in Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. It will be a wonderful evening of fellowship and purpose, and I hope you will join us to make a lasting impact on our students.
Wednesday night, our St. Francis de Sales Parish School family gathered to celebrate our recently completed basketball season at our annual Winter Athletic Banquet. It was a great evening recognizing the dedication, growth, and teamwork our student-athletes demonstrated throughout the season. We are proud of the effort our players demonstrated on the court and the sportsmanship they represented for our school community.
A special part of the evening was the presentation of individual awards recognizing athletes who demonstrated outstanding improvement, leadership, effort, and excellence on the court. These awards highlight the commitment our students bring to their teams and the positive example they set for their classmates and teammates.
Boys B Squad Basketball
Girls A Squad Basketball
Boys A Squad Basketball
Several other special awards were also given to recognize the spirit of hard work, dedication, and sportsmanship within our athletics program. One of these is the Patrick Seamus Xavier Good “Best Effort Award,” which is awarded to one boy and one girl from the A Squad Basketball Teams who show exceptional effort in improving as athletes, whether or not they meet their goals, while displaying enthusiasm to learn, participating faithfully in practices and games, and demonstrating outstanding sportsmanship. This year’s winners are Janelly Sanchez and Cedric Wollman!
The Eric Peterson “Best Effort Award” is awarded to a Boys B Squad Basketball player in 5th–7th grades who consistently demonstrates dedication to improving as an athlete, shows enthusiasm for learning, regularly participates in practices and games, and exhibits strong sportsmanship as both a teammate and a competitor. Eldin Hochstrasser was honored with this award!
Congratulations to all of our award recipients and student-athletes for their fantastic seasons.
Thank you to our dedicated coaches, who support our athletics program and help our students grow not only as athletes, but as young men and women of faith, character, and perseverance.
This year’s basketball coaches include:
A special thank you goes to our Athletic Directors, Michael Deane and Amanda Pechous, for their leadership, organization, and countless hours dedicated to making our athletics program a positive and meaningful experience for our students.
We are grateful for the strong sense of community that continues to make St. Francis de Sales Parish School such a special place.
We are proud to recognize Addeleigh Janikowski for receiving the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Good Citizenship Award. This prestigious honor is given to students who demonstrate outstanding qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism.
Teachers and staff recognize Addeleigh for her positive attitude, quiet leadership, and genuine care for others. She manages responsibilities with maturity and a willingness to help, facing challenges without complaint and always with a smile. Respectful and kind in her daily interactions, Addeleigh serves as a role model for her peers, especially through her patience and kindness when working with younger 4K buddies. Her leadership extends beyond the classroom through her participation in volleyball, basketball, Choir of Angels, the school musical, and the service club Mary’s FIAT. Whether encouraging teammates, singing in the Mass choir, or taking on a leading role in last year’s musical, Addeleigh consistently exceeds expectations in academics, athletics, and service, making her a wonderful representative of the values celebrated by the DAR Good Citizenship Award.
Please join us in congratulating Addeleigh for her remarkable achievement and her commitment to making a difference in our school and community!
I hope to see everyone at the Dinner and Auction on Saturday!
Dave Wieters
Principal
50/50 Raffle Tickets for the Annual Auction
Selling raffle tickets is an important part of supporting the success of this event and is an easy way each family can help contribute, especially for those who may not be able to attend on Saturday evening. Every ticket sold directly supports our students, teachers, and school programs.
If you still have tickets at home, please send them in with your child by tomorrow. If you need additional tickets, we would be happy to send more home tonight.
Thank you for helping make this event such a success and for all you do to support our school community.
Yearbook Orders:
It is time to order your yearbook! 8th graders DO NOT need to order!!
Click the link below to order. Store closes on Friday May 1st.
https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/Order/SelectStudent?isAdvertisementOnly=False
Boys B Johnny Z Tournament
Spirit Wear Store is now OPEN!
https://stores.inksoft.com/st_francis_de_sales/shop/home
Raise Right isn’t just for gifts — it’s the easiest way to support SFDS all year long! Sign up today and shop anytime with instant e-cards, using your credit card or bank account for quick checkout. Need physical gift cards? Just order on the dates listed in the Important Notes section below or on the school calendar.
School Code: LE8L45FD2L91L
https://www.raiseright.com/shop
Next Order is 3/16/26 by 9:00 AM, with the casual date on 3/18/26.
If you have questions, see Mrs. Vavrina — she’s happy to help!
Easter Mass Schedule
Rooted in the history of the Eucharistic Congress, CRS Rice Bowl invites Catholics and faith communities in the United States to encounter God and our global family throughout Lent by practicing the pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Lenten alms donated through CRS Rice Bowl support the work of CRS in more than 120 different countries each year. Twenty-five percent of donations to CRS Rice Bowl stay in the local diocese, supporting hunger and poverty alleviation efforts. Since its inception in 1975, CRS Rice Bowl has raised more than $350 million. Thank you for your continued support for this mission.
2 Ways to turn in your Alms Collection
CRS Rice Bowl P.O. Box 5200 Harlan, IA 51593-0700
CCHS Activities
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Important Dates: