About
Welcome
A Message From the President & Principal
Dear St. Francis Family,
Peace and all good! As we prepare to launch another school year under the theme “Let Us Begin Again,” we are filled with energy and possibility. Classrooms are ready. Jim Bonds Stadium and Friedman Field are set. The stage lights of the Degheri Performing Arts Center are on. And most importantly, the hearts of our Golden Knights are eager.
We begin again—not because we’ve forgotten the past, but because our faith compels us toward renewal. The Gospel calls us to continual conversion, and at St. Francis High School, we respond by recommitting ourselves to our mission and lifting our vision a little higher.
United by Mission, Inspired by Vision
Our mission remains steadfast: to form faithful men, loving brothers, virtuous leaders, and dedicated learners in the Capuchin Franciscan tradition of love, discipline, and prayer.
Our vision propels us forward: St. Francis will empower young men to transform the world through a balanced pursuit of excellence and goodness. Rooted in Capuchin Franciscan values and animated by
service, we seek to graduate courageous leaders and compassionate servants—formed in mind, body, and spirit—who live lives of profound goodness wherever God calls them.
Mission unites us. Vision inspires us. One anchors; the other elevates. We need both.
“Keep the Nose Up”: An Airplane Analogy for the Year Ahead
Pilots know that to climb, you must keep the nose up. The moment you relax your focus, gravity pulls you down, and you level off or begin to descend.
This year, we’re choosing to “keep the nose up”: to orient our hearts and minds toward a higher purpose, deeper learning, and more intentional care for one another. We will not coast on past success or allow distraction to knock us off course. With our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ and our lives rooted in Franciscan virtues, we will ascend—together.
A Community Effort
Tracy Traver, Principal
Peace and all good! As we prepare to launch another school year under the theme “Let Us Begin Again,” we are filled with energy and possibility. Classrooms are ready. Jim Bonds Stadium and Friedman Field are set. The stage lights of the Degheri Performing Arts Center are on. And most importantly, the hearts of our Golden Knights are eager.
We begin again—not because we’ve forgotten the past, but because our faith compels us toward renewal. The Gospel calls us to continual conversion, and at St. Francis High School, we respond by recommitting ourselves to our mission and lifting our vision a little higher.
United by Mission, Inspired by Vision
Our mission remains steadfast: to form faithful men, loving brothers, virtuous leaders, and dedicated learners in the Capuchin Franciscan tradition of love, discipline, and prayer.
Our vision propels us forward: St. Francis will empower young men to transform the world through a balanced pursuit of excellence and goodness. Rooted in Capuchin Franciscan values and animated by
service, we seek to graduate courageous leaders and compassionate servants—formed in mind, body, and spirit—who live lives of profound goodness wherever God calls them.
Mission unites us. Vision inspires us. One anchors; the other elevates. We need both.
“Keep the Nose Up”: An Airplane Analogy for the Year Ahead
Pilots know that to climb, you must keep the nose up. The moment you relax your focus, gravity pulls you down, and you level off or begin to descend.
This year, we’re choosing to “keep the nose up”: to orient our hearts and minds toward a higher purpose, deeper learning, and more intentional care for one another. We will not coast on past success or allow distraction to knock us off course. With our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ and our lives rooted in Franciscan virtues, we will ascend—together.
A Community Effort
None of this happens alone. It takes:
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Faculty and staff who approach education as ministry.
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Parents and guardians who partner with us in trust.
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Alumni and benefactors who give generously of their time, talent, and treasure.
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Students who bring curiosity, courage, and heart.
Thank you for being that kind of community.
Let Us Begin Again—Together
Here we are, poised on the runway of a new year. Engines humming. Instruments checked. Destination set.
Let’s lift off by:
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Recommitting daily to prayer, purpose, and presence with one another.
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Reaching higher in academics, service, and personal responsibility.
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Remembering who we are: disciples of Jesus Christ in the Capuchin Franciscan tradition, called to a balanced pursuit of excellence and goodness.
Let us begin again—grateful for all that has been, and hopeful for all that God will do in and through us this year.
With gratitude and optimism,
Andy Burghdorf ’00, President
Tracy Traver, Principal
