The Bear Facts

April 18, 2026

Good morning! I’m Michael Joyce!

I’m Nathan Leerar!

And I’m Shiloh Trainer! Welcome once again to the “Bear Facts”, the weekly news show from Bishop Garrigan High School.

This morning three Garrigan students are on their way over to LeMars where they’ll be competing at the state solo and small ensemble music contest. Gabby Buscher will be performing an alto saxophone solo, Corbin Darling will have a baritone solo, and Eva Kohlhaas will perform a vocal solo at state. All three Garrigan entries will perform around noon at Gehlen High School in LeMars. Best wishes, musicians!

Tomorrow twelve Garrigan students will be leaving on a week-long mission trip to Mississippi. Father Jake Rosenmeyer started this annual mission project when he was a lay member of the Garrigan staff about a decade ago. Garrigan helps support missions sponsored by Franciscan sisters in Morton and Okolona, two very poor rural towns northeast of Jackson. Last week we had an out-of-uniform day to help buy school supplies for kids in those towns.

Students heading to Mississippi include seniors Kayden Graves, Tate Foertsch, Amaury Thomas, Gabe Swift, Sacha Alesch, Carley Nielsen, and Hailee Reutzel; as well as juniors Matt Besch, Josephine Joyce, Cora Deardeuff, Sheila Reding, and Leo Snyder. They’ll tutor students, help serve meals, and organize the facilities at the mission centers. They’ll be returning to Algona next Saturday, April 25.

Next weekend Garrigan freshman Hope Rooney will be heading to Atlanta to compete at the International DECA Career Development Conference. DECA is an activity that supports business-oriented skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and teamwork, communication, creativity, and innovation. At the state DECA conference last winter Hope was one of the top entries in the Entrepreneurship category. That earned her the right to advance to Atlanta. Good luck at international contest, Hope!

Tomorrow is your last chance to see the Garrigan spring play, Robin Hood and His Merry Men. Amaury Thomas has the lead role in the play, which also features Shiloh Trainer, Sacha Alesch, Cora Deardeuff, Kayden Graves, Matt Besch, Leo Snyder, and Tate Foertsch. Other cast members include Addison Laubenthal, Sawyer Herrick, Henry Bode, Alice Casey, Rachel Kahle, and Delaney Fessler—Arndorfer.

Rounding out the cast are Lucy Eisenbarth, Abby Deardeuff, Anaya Thomas, Riley Doerning, Madelyn Tigges, and Jared Graves. Helping out behind the scenes are Alyssa Haugland, Ava Roethler, Aiden Lichter, Aidan Deitering, Eli Casey, Bree Ludwig, Weston Ehlers, Gabby Buscher, Dawson Lappe, and Addyson Faris. The final show will be Sunday afternoon, April 19, starting at 2pm. Don’t miss your chance to see Robin Hood and His Merry Men.

Last Wednesday we held our annual “Giving Back Day” at Garrigan. High school students spent the day working on a wide range of service projects, both at school and in the community. Different groups helped clean up the grounds at Garrigan and Seton, got the fields ready for summer sports, worked with older people in the community who needed help, and helped clean up at area churches and cemeteries. Giving Back Day is a break from the routine, and it also helps us make a difference by pitching in.

Next Wednesday Bishop Garrigan’s senior class will be making a trip down to Des Moines. The main thing they’ll be doing is a tour of the Iowa state capitol. They’ll get a glimpse into the inner workings of government shortly before they start casting votes themselves. Garrigan government teacher Brian Patterson is organizing the trip to Des Moines.

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Kegan Berte. Here to tell you about him is Alyssa Haugland.

Kegan comes to Garrigan from the Bancroft area. His biggest activity has been the Envirothon, where he qualified for state. Kegan is part of the school maintenance crew, and he’s helped maintain the student website, and he also helps serve at school and parish masses. Next year Kegan plans to go to Northwest Community College in Sheldon, and we wish him all the best in the future.

Thanks, Alyssa! On our Golden Bear calendar, the trapshooting team is hosting the Larry Lenz Invite today, and there’s state solo and ensemble music contest in LeMars. This is also first communion weekend at the area churches.

Tomorrow at 2pm will be the final performance of Robin Hood. Right after the play is over, students will leave on the mission trip to Mississippi. There’s no school Monday because of teacher inservice.

The trapshooting team has a meet in Ventura Monday night. Tuesday there’s a coed golf meet at North Union, boys track at Belmond, and girls track at Garner.

Next Wednesday the seniors will head to the state capitol. There’s trapshooting in Palmer that night. Then on Thursday there’s boys track at North Iowa—Buffalo Center, and the golf teams host a coed meet with North Iowa.

Next Friday some students will participate in Iowa Lakes aviation day. There’s boys track at Pocahontas and girls track in Estherville on Friday. Also on Friday Hope Rooney will be leaving for international DECA in Atlanta.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for this week. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to tune in again next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.