What’s recently happened?
It's the Christmas season and nobody does it quite like Andrean High School (AHS). Between Christmas themed service projects, decorations, dress down days and more, Christmas is all around fun for AHS students.
AHS started the month by decorating every hallway for Christmas. The upstairs hallway has lights strung from the ceiling and the downstairs hallway has big balloon arches and paper snowflakes on the ceiling. The walls are lined with wreaths and the classroom doors are wrapped with wrapping paper. Large candy canes have been hung on the walls and both of the staircases have been lined with twinkling lights.
These new decorations bring such a liveliness and warm feeling to the building. Spirits are high and there is a childlike buzz in the building.
This month, AHS collected gifts to donate to families in need. Students brought in things like toys, winter coats, and winter gear like hats and gloves. Each religion class period had a different family to buy for, so there were many families provided for.
Once the gifts were bought by the National Honors Society (NHS), students stayed after school to wrap all the presents.
This month, AHS also held its annual Young Adults Really Care (YARC) Christmas party. YARC is a group and event that holds holiday parties for people with special needs in the community. Visitors got to meet Santa, do holiday crafts, listen to Christmas music, and enjoy holiday treats. YARC is one of the biggest events that students help out with. It is fun for both the visitors and the students putting it on.
December has also brought the start of AHS’ winter sports. This month the basketball team has begun its season and started with a home opener against Lake Central High School (LCHS) Although it was a hard fought game, LCHS took the win. The game showed such promise for the team and fans can be sure it will be a great season!
AHS has also teamed up with local small business Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt, so fans can now purchase a sweet treat while watching the amazing 59er’s basketball team.
What’s coming up?
First semester is coming to an end, so there's one thing on all students' minds right now: finals. Midterms are upon AHS, so students are spending day and night studying to work to get their desired grade.
In preparation for the long tests ahead, Monday, December 16 and Tuesday, December 17 are dress down days! Monday’s theme is Christmas pajamas and Tuesday is ugly Christmas sweater/Christmas attire.
These two days will be days of review over everything the students have learned so far this year.
Finals will kick off Wednesday, December 18 and finish on Friday, December 20. Periods one, two and three will give their finals on Wednesday, periods four and five will give theirs on Thursday, and periods six and seven will give theirs on Friday.
Friday will also be a big night for AHS athletics. The AHS Boys Basketball team takes on Kankakee Valley High School for an intense match at 7 p.m.. Students are encouraged to come out and show support for their peers.
Christmas break starts as soon as finals end on Friday and classes will resume the first week of January.
Christmas break is a great opportunity for students to take a break and relax. They have time to rest their minds, but also spend time with family and friends.
As a Catholic school AHS tries to keep Christ in Christmas, so over the break, students will be celebrating the birth of the Lord!
Have a great break and stay warm 59ers!
Staff spotlight:
Christa Manthe is one of the fine arts teachers at AHS. This is Manthe’s first school year at AHS, and the school couldn’t be happier to have her as an addition to the school family.
Manthe teaches 2D art, 3D art, Painting 1, and AP art history.
She had always dreamed of being an artist. She has so much natural talent and it shows in all of her demonstrations and works of her own that she has hung up around her classroom.
As she got older she realized that rather than be an artist she wanted to teach art to high school students.
Before working at AHS, Manthe worked at Pierce Middle School in Merrillville. When she saw the job opportunity, she said she jumped at the chance.
“I was working in a middle school and I had always wanted to work at a high school, but that wasn’t the only thing that caught my interest in the position. I was born and raised Catholic, so it felt perfect to find a position that taught high school students art in a Catholic school. I knew this spot was meant for me,” she said.
God and her faith are very important to her and it is clear she lives a life of Christ through her gentle and kindhearted nature.
One thing Manthe loves about AHS so far are the students. She loves the joy she sees on the face of the students daily, the kindness they all show her, and the school spirit they display.
“Always follow your dreams!” she said.
Student spotlight:
Caroline Linklater is a senior at AHS. She is involved in volleyball, Ambassadors, NHS, and Student Council.
Linklater knew she wanted to attend a Catholic High School so that she could profess her faith and make it known. She had always gone to a Catholic school, so it was what she was used to. She loved the family aspect of Andrean and the feeling of everyone knowing each other.
Linklater has been playing volleyball since she was 8. She has been an outside hitter for the majority of her career. Linklater made varsity as a sophomore and was labeled as a force to be reckoned with this past season. however she unfortunately tore her ACL in the first game of the season. Since this event Linklater has been going to physical therapy three times a week in hopes of coming in even stronger.
Linklater believes that although this journey was tough mentally and physically, it has brought her closer to God and has made her a stronger person.
Linklater plans to attend Fransiscan University of Steubenville in Ohio and play Division III volleyball. She plans to major in theology and education and become a campus minister or religion teacher.
Linklater’s favorite part of AHS is the teachers.
“I love being surrounded by adults that truly care about my well being and my education. I would feel comfortable to go up to any one of my teachers and talk to them about any problems I may have in my life. They are in it for the right reasons and are definitely making a difference in my life.”
As the end of semester one approaches, Linklater is forced to think about graduation and what's to come. The thing she will miss most about AHS is her friends and the people who she talks to every day that have made a difference in her life.
Linklater has a quote she wants all of her peers to know. It is: “The fact that our heart yearns for something earth can’t supply is proof that Heaven must be our home.” - C.S. Lewis.