The Bear Facts
January 29, 2022


 Good morning! I’m Riley Rosenmeyer!

 I’m Marguerite Fakler!

 And I’m Eva Snyder! This is the “Bear Facts”, where we’re getting ready for Catholic Schools Week here at Bishop Garrigan High School.

 This coming week schools all over America are celebrating faith, excellence, and service—the theme of Catholic Schools Week 2022. The week celebrates the achievements of Catholic Schools throughout the country. Schools like Garrigan and Seton have higher graduation rates and higher rates of college placement than public schools, they provide valuable service to their communities, keep a sense of faith alive, and they save taxpayers millions of dollars each year.

 The Catholic Schools Week celebration starts this weekend, with masses celebrating schools in all the area Catholic churches. We’ll begin the school week Monday with a special K-12 mass. Tuesday is Student Appreciation Day, with a black and gold day for all Garrigan and Seton students.

 There will be a schoolwide rosary on Wednesday, and we’ll also be doing a wide range of service projects that day. These include collecting for the food pantry, helping at the senior center, and delivering Meals on Wheels to area shut-ins. We’ll also be sending cards to area priests, deacons, sisters, and seminarians.

 Thursday will be an out-of-uniform pajama day. It’s Teacher Appreciation Day, and parents will be providing special meals and desserts for the staff. Then Friday students can take part in a wide range of fun activities—including skiing at Mount Kato, bowling in Humboldt, ice skating in Mason City, ice fishing, and seeing movies at the Algona Theatres. Catholic Schools Week should be a great time for everyone.

 Last Saturday Bishop Garrigan competed in the district large-group speech contest at Manson. Four of the Bears’ five entries earned Division I or “excellent” ratings. All three judges rated the One-Act Play Bedtime Stories excellent, and the Readers’ Theatre Uncool and the Ensemble Acting presentation We Need a Man also earned I’s. Garrigan’s Group Improvisation was also rated “excellent” for portraying a trip to the beach when the sand was too hot.

 Nineteen Golden Bears now advance to the state speech contest February 5: seniors Riley Rosenmeyer, Meredith Tigges, Marguerite Fakler, Mya Kemna, Ava Eisenbarth, Katelyn Cink, Ella Muller, Isabel Casey, and Meredith Illg; juniors Audi Crooks and Garrett Heying; sophomores Brendan Plathe, Benjy Trainer, Violet Bode, and Ella Schaaf; and freshmen Issac DeLange, Scott Bormann, Thadd Kollasch, and Molly Peterson. Congratulations, speech!

 In the past most Bishop Garrigan students took driver’s education in the summer through programs offered by Algona High. That’s changing this year. Now Garrigan is offering driver’s ed on-site during the school year. Coach Marty Wadle is in charge of teaching Golden Bears to drive safely.

Related to the new driver’s ed program, several Garrigan students have joined the group called SAFE, which stands for “Seatbelts Are For Everyone”. The program uses education and rewards to encourage wearing seatbelts, driving safely, and following traffic laws. It has been shown to decrease accidents in other areas around the country.

 Garrigan students who have gone through SAFE training are Cal Birkey, Garrett Heying, Ben Trainer, Veronica Capesius, Lillee Deike, Abbie Capesius, Hailey Nemmers, Amaury Thomas, and Keaton Helleseth. They’re working to implement the program to help other students here at Garrigan.

 Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Meredith Illg. Here to tell you about her is Garrett Heying.

 Meredith Illg has been in lots of different activities over the past four years. At the winter sports senior night last week, she was honored for four years of participation in both danz squad and cheerleading. She was an alternate on the state champion girls golf team, and she’s been to state multiple times in speech. She’s also active in choir, drama, and musicals. Meredith will be off to college next year, and we wish her all the best in the future.

 Thanks, Garrett. On our Golden Bear calendar this week, Monday we’ll begin Catholic Schools Week with a K-12 mass. The Mayor of Algona will begin the day with a special proclamation.

 Monday night the JJV boys basketball team will be playing at Forest City. Then on Tuesday the JV boys and varsity girls and boys will also take on the Indians. There will be a black and gold day at school on Tuesday.

 We’ll have a K-12 rosary Wednesday morning, and we’ll do a variety of service projects that day. Wednesday night Garrigan will host its annual community gathering, where people can learn about the school and give input into its future. Speech students will provide entertainment at the event.

 Thursday is the Feast of St. Blaise, and we’ll start the day with the annual Blessing of Throats. It’s pajama day at school, and that night the early childhood classes will have an open house.

The JJV Bears will play North Union Thursday night. We’ll have fun activities for Catholic Schools Week on Friday, and that night the JV and varsity Bears will travel to Britt to take on West Hancock. Finally next Saturday there’s state large-group speech in Spencer.

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