Hays Catholic Schools

Framing by Hess Services is underway for the Creative Learning Building at Thomas More Prep-Marian. The facility will house technological tools for prototyping, construction, and instructional space for the hard sciences, art, and agriculture. Course offerings will be expanded to include welding, CAD, engineering, and specialized industrial arts. Thank you everyone who has helped make this facility possible. We continue to seek funds to complete the interior of the project, so if you are interested in helping, please contact Travis Grizzell in the Advancement Office at grizzellt@tmpmarian.org or Matt Brown, CLB Director, at brownm@tmpmarian.org.

Journalist and TMP-Marian alumnus John '83 Allen Jr. recently shared a memory of having the new pope over for dinner. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/american-journalist-who-covers-vatican-shares-memory-of-having-future-pope-over-for-dinner/ John is a TMP-Marian Point of Light and the recipient of the 2022 FHSU Alumni Achievement Award.

The Thomas More Prep-Marian 2025 Sweetheart Candidates, pictured from left to right, are the following: Ella Bain and Caleb Marintzer - Ella is the daughter of Joe and Shaudel Bain, and Caleb is the son of Cody and Karen '98 Marintzer. Macara Rohr and Heuer Brungardt - Macara is the daughter of Mark '93 and Tina Rohr, and Heuer is the son of Christopher and Kathleen Brungardt. Ainsleigh Bain and Austin Gilbert - Ainsleigh is the daughter of Joe and Shaudel Bain, and Austin is the son of Josh and Aimee Gilbert. Shalee Gottschalk and Treger Williby - Shalee is the daughter is Rich and Trina Gottschalk, and Treger is the son of Tyson Flax and Cammi Williby-Flax. The 2025 Sweetheart King and Queen will be crowned at the halftime of the boys varsity basketball game this Friday, February 21, in Al Billinger Fieldhouse when the TMP-M Monarchs take on the Norton Bluejays. Girls varsity game starts at 6 p.m.

Stop by Scooter's Coffee Today! Scooter's Coffee in Hays will donate 50% of proceeds from all day today to Thomas More Prep-Marian. Please stop by for food or a drink. Thank you!

Save the Date for a Scooter's Coffee and Helping TMP-Marian! Scooter's Coffee will donate 50% of proceeds from Saturday, Oct. 12 to Thomas More Prep-Marian. Please make plans to stop by that day for your daily drink. God bless and Go Monarchs!

Graduation Will Start at 3 p.m.; Livestream Link Below With the Baccalaureate Mass at St. Nicholas of Myra Church at 1 p.m., the formal graduation ceremonies begin for the Thomas More Prep-Marian class of 2024. Graduation begins at 3 p.m. in the Al Billinger Field House. Only the graduation ceremony will be livestreamed. Congratulations Graduates and their families. God bless and Go Monarchs! LIVESTREAM LINK - https://youtube.com/live/KqQLujP60sQ?feature=share

Come Pray with Us Tomorrow in the Fieldhouse!

The Chess team took two high school and ten junior high students to Hutchinson High School's Chess Tournament Saturday, and brought home some impressive results. In the High School division, Sophomore Eli Stein tied for first with five wins and one loss, taking home the 2nd Place medal. Sophomore Blaise Staab was 10th with four wins and 2 losses. In the Junior High division, the team jumped off to an early lead, and never looked back, finishing with 20 1/2 points, 7 1/2 points ahead of a 25-member team from Allison Middle School of Wichita, and 8 points ahead of Wichita Collegiate. Individually, 8th Grader Dylan Billinger tied for first place with five wins and one draw, followed by 7th Grader Caden Pinkney, and 8th Graders Colby Schmeidler, Evan Staab, and Zack Billinger in 3rd through 6th with five wins and one loss. TMP took five of the top six places in the tournament! Providing support were 8th Graders Cade Schlautman, James Dickman, and Ethan Gibson, in 10th, 14th, and 17th places with four wins and two losses. TMP's next action will be at State in Emporia on March 9.

Italy Pilgrimage Meeting Coming Up Next Week in Hays!

The combined High School and Junior High Chess Teams all-but-swept the Concordia Scholastic Chess Tournament on Saturday, bringing home 1st High School Team, 1st Junior High Team, and 2nd Junior High Team. A combined High School / Junior High varsity squad earned 18 total team points, led by Sophomore Blaise Staab, who tied for first and second individually with Senior Bricen Benyshek of Concordia at 5.5 points out of 6, took home the 2nd Place trophy. Following TMP at 18 points were Riley County at 13, Concordia at 11, and Ellinwood at 10. Supporting Blaise, but from the 8th Grade were: Zack Billinger, placing 3rd with 5 points, Evan Staab, placing 6th with 4 points, Cade Schlautman, placing 7th with 3.5, and Ethan Gibson 9th also with 3.5. Because of low Junior High numbers, both the High School and Junior High sections were combined, our Junior High 'A' team technically placed 2nd with 14 team points, a point ahead of the 2nd place High School team, but brought home 1st Junior High Team instead. 8th Grader Dylan Billinger was 1st individually with 4 points, 8th Grader Colby Schmeidler was 2nd with 4 points, 7th Grader Caden Pinkney was 3rd with 3.5 points and 8th Grader James Dickman was 8th with 2.5 points. The Junior High 'B' team, consisting only of 6th Graders, was 2nd JH team with 11 points, which would have tied them with Concordia High School. 3rd Junior High team was Concordia with 8, and 4th was Brooks Middle School of Wichita with 4. Individually, Garret Billinger was 5th with 3 points, Braden Unrein 7th with 3 points, Joshua Marintzer 9th with 2.5 points, and Alex Unrein 10th with 2.5 points. Our next action will be on February 25 in Hutchinson. The State Championship will be in Emporia on March 8 and 9.

Two Thomas More Prep-Marian Coaches Reach Milestones in Same Season Monarch head girls and boys basketball coaches Rose McFarland and Bill Meagher reached the 400 and 100 win milestones respectively with victories in January. Coach McFarland sits with 405 career victories, 255 of those coming at TMP-Marian! At 405 wins and 216 losses in 27 years, Coach McFarland currently sits at number 3 in career wins for active female high school coaches in the state of Kansas. Coach Meagher now sits with 103 career victories, all while coaching for the Monarchs! Coach Meagher's career record now sits at 103 wins and 43 losses in 6 years. Congratulations Coaches McFarland and Meagher on reaching these coaching milestones! God bless and Go Monarchs!

Video Invitation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xPu74NUWTeS8GdBfnCNQyCHgha96NXZi/view All are welcome, regardless of religious affiliation! A private Catholic education is more affordable than you think. Check out what small class sizes and traditional values can do for your child at Monarch For a Day on Jan. 5, 2024. For all students currently in the 5th-8th grades. Register for this free, no obligation event at TMP-M.ORG. Current Monarch families and alumni, please share this invitation with any family you know with a current 5th-8th grader and let them know you think they'd look great in Monarch blue! God bless and Go Monarchs!

In action against regional teams at Trinity Catholic in Hutchinson, both high school and Junior High teams from TMP came away victorious, capturing both team and individual honors in both high school and Junior High divisions! The Junior High team, consisting of eleven players, jumped off to an early lead, and holding it until the end, dominating the competition with a total team score of 21 points out of a possible 24. The nearest opposing team, from Reno County, finished an insurmountable six points behind at 15. Individually, TMP players finished in six of the top seven places. 8th Grader Cade Schlautman topped the list with six wins and no losses, winning his last round game against team-mate, 8th Grader Ethan Gibson, in a forced pairing due to TMP's insurmountable lead. Ethan would take 3rd on tiebreaks. Four other TMP players would round out the top seven: 8th Graders Evan Staab, 4th with 5 points, Dylan Billinger, 5th with 5, Zack Billinger, 6th with 5, and Colby Schneider, 7th with 4.5. The remaining five members of the team would also score well: 6th Grader Garrett Billinger, in only his second tournament, would place 11th with 4 points, 7th Grader Caden Pinkney, 16th, and 8th Grader James Dickman, 17th, both with 3.5 points, 6th Grader Alex Unrein, 25th with 3 points, and 6th Grader Braden Unrein, 32nd with 2.5 points. 50 players from eight schools competed. In a much smaller high school division, with only 23 players from six schools competing, a TMP team of only two would also lead throughout the event, finishing with 11.5 points holding off a last-minute challenge from a seven member team from Hutchinson Trinity, who finished with 9. Leading TMP was 10th Grader Blaise Staab, finishing 1st with 6 wins, followed closely by 10th Grader Eli Stein, who was 2nd with 5.5 points. Congratulations to our Chess Team!

Don't forget to eat at the TMP-Marian Soup Supper today! Dine in or carry out both available from 4-7 p.m. in the TMP-Marian Dining Hall.

All are welcome to our all-school rosary on Oct. 4!

Dirt work has commenced on the Cripplegate Field upgrade. Come to tomorrow's Open House at TMP-M to check this project out and much more, including the new weight room and 3rd floor classrooms. The July 19 Open House is come-and-go from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and all are welcome!

Monarch For a Day is Coming on Jan. 13. Any 5th-8th grade student interested in learning more about Thomas More Prep-Marian is invited! Please share with potentially interested families!

There are two more weeks to order your customized TMP-M Blazer! Campaign URL: https://blaze-in.com/thomas-more-prep-marian-custom-blazer-3955.html Flyer URL: https://blaze-in.com/flyers/campaigns/tmpm_3955_v04102022.html

Check out this TMP-M customized blazer available for students. It also makes a great addition to any alumni or TMP-M supporter's wardrobe. We've partnered with Blaze-In to offer the entire TMP-M community a custom blazer. Check out the link here to learn more and order, https://blaze-in.com/flyers/campaigns/tmpm_3955_v04102022.html

If anyone needs curbside service for a Soup Supper carryout order, please call 785-639-4671. Thank you for your support and God bless! Park at the west side of the school building for this service.