St. Paul VI Catholic High School

Our Panthers have truly been making the most of the summer months. 🎻 Karina Velasco '25 joined other talented musicians during the Summer Orchestral Institute of the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra (LSYO).💡She also participated in the HOYA Summer Program Artificial Intelligence (AI) Academy at Georgetown University, and served as a violin mentor for young musicians at PVI Pops Camp. Click the link for more details and be on the lookout as we spotlight more of our students: https://www.paulvi.net/page/News-Detail?pk=1341217

Today we welcomed back our faculty and staff for the first day of Orientation & Professional Growth Week. The day was full of energy and enthusiasm, complete with Mass, icebreakers, info sessions, and time to collaborate and be together in fellowship. 2024-2025 school year...here we come! ✝️ 📚

Welcoming our newest teachers to the PVI family! As we embark on a new school year, we are blessed to have these educators join our community to help our students grow in grace and wisdom 🌟🙏📚

📬 You’ve got mail! The Panther Tracks magazine was mailed out recently. Make sure to flip through and read the latest PVI news, including new electives, student accomplishments, Class of 2024 spotlights, athletic victories, alumni news and gatherings, and much more! You can read an online version here: https://bit.ly/4cGK7ah

Cheers to a fantastic start to the school year with Moms & Margaritas! 🎉🍹 It was wonderful seeing a record number of moms connect and get to know each other. Huge thanks to our Parent Ambassadors for making this event a success and for all your support! 🌟

🌟 Today, we honor and celebrate St. Jane de Chantal, one of the patron saints of St. Paul VI Catholic High School! 🙏 St. Jane's life of devotion, compassion, and service continues to inspire us every day. Let us strive to emulate her kindness and love for others in all that we do. St. Jane de Chantal, pray for us!

We were thrilled to host Freshman Fun Day yesterday, Wednesday, August 7. The event included bingo, PVI trivia, board games, and lawn games. Students also went on campus tours and engaged with student leaders from Big Brothers & Big Sisters and the SGA, creating lasting memories and connections. While the freshmen may be new to the campus, they are more than ready to kick off the school year with enthusiasm and excitement!

🎶 Music filled the halls during this week's 17th annual Pops Camp! A full contingent of musicians aged 10-18 convened at PVI this week. Guided by a staff of six professional musicians, the younger campers and high school mentors have been leveling up their skills as they prepare a most exciting concert sure to please. All are welcome to the concert tomorrow, Friday, August 9, at 11 a.m., in Teatro Montini. Admission is free and open to the public. A potluck lunch will follow in the Bel Alton Commons. Highlights will be patriotic, jazz, sacred, and Star Wars music, along with a premiere selection written by one of our diocesan rising 9th graders.

Our College Application Academy wrapped up today on campus. Over the course of two days, seniors learned all about the college application process, including an overview of the Common Application, mock application reviews, essay writing, resume building, interview tips, and more! Thank you to the more than 16 college representatives who helped make this program possible.

🇺🇸 Congratulations to Juan Escobar, a member of the PVI Facilities Department, who became a U.S. citizen on Monday! Summer staff celebrated with Juan yesterday with cake in Fr. Heet Lobby. 🍰

It’s been great seeing students in the Class of 2025 on campus taking their senior portraits the past two days! 📸🎓Thank you Victor O'Neill Studios.

Friends in Faith! ✝️ John Hohmann '24 entered the Catholic Church earlier this summer, and received his First Communion and Confirmation. His friend Carson Hill '23, another PVI alumnus who was in Options, served as John's sponsor, and a PVI group came out to support John on the special day.

"We felt so much love. Carson helped and supported John and I am very grateful for Carson's support; it shows what a wonderful person he is to help his friend through this spiritual journey," shares John's mother Hope. "Our time at PVI has had a profound effect on our family—we have never been happier and more connected to Christ."

Many PVI students are making the most out of their summers! Madisyn Kroeger '25 attended the Governor's School of Agriculture at Virginia Tech. While at Governor's School, Madisyn was able to live on campus, learn more about a subject she is interested in (animal science), and complete research with students from all over Virginia. Students were assigned groups and given a topic along with in-depth research assignments. Their completed research was presented in a Global Seminar Symposium and was judged by Virginia Tech faculty and graduate students. Madisyn's research group of four students received awards for Outstanding Research Paper and Outstanding Research Poster, both earning perfect scores. Their research will be published at Virginia Tech in the near future. Congratulations and well done, Madisyn!

Having a ball at PVI this summer! ⚽️🏀🏒⚾️🥎🥍 The halls may be quiet but our fields and gyms are full of energy and the sounds of competition! 👏 It’s been a blast having a number of sports camps on campus the past few weeks.

The world’s a stage! 🎭 We had a great time at PVI Theatre Camp last month. Thanks to all who attended and our fabulous counselors. It was also wonderful to meet a great group of future Panthers who are joining us on campus in the fall!

A PRAYER FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

God, source of all freedom, this day is bright with the memory of those that declared that life and liberty are your gift to every human being. Help us to continue a good work begun long ago. Make our vision clear and our will strong; that only in human solidarity will we find liberty, and justice only in the honor that belongs to every life on earth. Turn our hearts towards the family of nations: to understand the ways of others, to offer friendship, and to find safety in the common good for all. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

The PVI Music Department just spent a splendid week in Ireland! 🎶🇮🇪 They started on the west coast with tours of Bunratty Castle and Kylemore Abbey and performed in a 14th-century church in Galway. Then, they toured the Cliffs of Moher and saw a sheep dog demonstration at Caherconnell Fort. In Dublin, they saw the Book of Kells at Trinity College and learned traditional Irish drumming and dance from a former Riverdance member. The tour was finished with performances at St. Ann's Church in Dublin and The Civic Theater in Tallaght.

Today we were delighted to welcome Father Jonathan Fioramonti, Chaplain; Lauren Ross Hawkins '01, Associate Dean of Exceptional Learning; and Juan Escobar, Maintenance Mechanic, to the PVI staff. We are so excited to have you!

We want to give a Saturday shout out to Logan '25 and Preston '25, co-founders of the Paul VI investing club Losten Charity Group, who donated $1,000 to Porto Charities earlier this month. At the start of the school year, Logan and Preston had a goal to learn about the stock market and challenged themselves to earn $1,000 through their investments. Having served as an Options peer mentor, Logan suggested Porto Charities as the recipient of their earnings and the Porto Fund was born. The fund had its ups and downs during the year, but the boys reached their target goal and presented a check to Porto Charities representatives Kathryn Doherty, Chief Operating Officer, and Leo Alonso, President, Board of Directors, on June 13.

Logan and Preston: We 🖤💛 your initiative and motivation to learn, grow, and give back!

Congratulations to Jordan Smith Jr. '26, who was selected as a member of the 2024 USA Men's U17 National Basketball Team! Jordan is one of 12 elite student-athletes traveling to Turkey to represent the U.S. The U.S. will take on France in their opening game tomorrow, June 29, at 10:30 a.m. ET.

Jordan also represents PVI as a student leader off the court and was recently selected as a Black & Gold Ambassador. Black & Gold Ambassadors are seniors, juniors, and sophomores who positively engage with prospective students and families and represent St. Paul VI Catholic High School and its mission.

Jordan is the latest Paul VI student-athlete to represent Team USA. Former PVI players and gold medal winners include VJ King '16, Jeremy Roach '20, and Patrick Ngongba II '24.

Check it out! 🎙️ Adam Delacourt '25 and other students from around the Diocese were part of the Bishop's Walk Humbly podcast about WorkCamp. "Being able to come here and serve and spend so much time with [my friends from youth group] and with the Lord and grow in my faith...has just been a wonderful experience every year." Tune in at the 8:23 minute mark to hear more: https://bit.ly/3zea1Uv

📸: Catholic Diocese of Arlington

PVI was well represented at this year's Diocesan WorkCamp held in Frederick County, Virginia. The PVI workcampers, including current students, faculty and staff members and an alumna, are pictured together after a Mass celebrated by Bishop Burbidge before they headed out to the worksites. These workcampers are participating through over seven parishes in our Diocese. Please pray for our students who have experienced a week of life-changing home-repair projects for our neighbors in need!

If you're interested in serving at WorkCamp next summer and don't know how, contact PVI Campus Ministry so we can get you involved!

On the summer checklist for our newest Panthers is picking up their Chromebook! 💻 ✅ Thank you to our student volunteers and tech team for making the pick-up run so smoothly!

Are you a lifelong learner who is passionate about Catholic education and works to inspire others to be extraordinary? Are you interested in joining the dynamic PVI community as a counselor, teacher or staff member? We are busy making plans for next school year. If you are interested in being considered for a current or future opening at Paul VI, send your resume to [email protected]. View current openings at www.paulvi.net/about/employment.

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength." ~St. Francis de Sales

For all fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, and fatherlike figures in our lives, may God bless them abundantly! Happy Father's Day!

Congratulations and thank you to our faculty and staff members who were recognized for their milestone years of service to PVI at our end of year brunch today!

20 Years of Service: Eileen Curren, Matt Ryan
15 Years of Service: Patrick Rozmajzl
10 Years of Service: Nubia Jimenez-Marin, Ellen Bower, Bob Brofft, Meghan O'Connor, Trish Adams

As we look back on this past school year, we are so proud of what our students have accomplished! To round out our Directed Independent Study presentations, Nisha Downey ’25 recently shared her project, where she created a nonprofit called Braille Buddies, through which visually impaired students in India connect with others around the world. Read more: https://bit.ly/3z140uq