St. Mary's Colgan Catholic Schools

🧤 PARISH WORK DAY — Saturday, December 13
Join us after the 8am Mass for a morning of campus clean-up. Meet in the SMC High School parking lot. Donuts and juice will be provided! We and expect to finish by 12pm, depending on turnout.

SMC is pleased to announce the hiring of Mr. Jeff DeLaTorre as HS Government, Geography teacher and HS Athletic Director for the 26-27 school year.

A graduate from Chanute High School in 1990 and Pittsburg State University in 1995 with Bachelor's Degree in Education, Mr. DeLaTorre is currently in his 31st year of education.

Most recently, Mr.DeLaTorre has been at Fort Scott High School since 2000. He has served in various capacities with KSHSAA through the years, including service as a committee member, Sub-State manager, and host of 6A State Baseball Tournament in Fort Scott for two years. Currently serving as District 2 Rep. for the KIAAA (Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association). He was also the head Boys Basketball Coach at FSHS from 2000 - 2020, where he won 6 league titles and 2 4A State Championships in 2004 and 2005. In addition to state championships, he also led Ft. Scott to 4A runner-up in 2007 and 3rd in 2012. Since 2018, he has served as Athletic Director and Activity Director at FSHS.

"I am extremely excited to join the staff at St. Mary's Colgan next year and begin a new chapter of my career. I am honored to have this opportunity and look forward to being a part of the tradition of success at Colgan High School." - Jeff DeLaTorre

" Mr.DeLaTorre will be another excellent addition to our staff. With his credentials, experience in the classroom and outside of the classroom, we are now able to reorganize our JH and HS athletic responsibilities in order to provide an additional layer of support, supervision, and administration within our growing athletic programs. Beginning in the fall of 2026, along with his teaching duties, Mr. DeLaTorre will serve as the HS Athletic Director and Mr. Kent ONeal will serve as the JH Athletic Director in addition to his JH math teaching duties." - Tim Conrad

St. Mary’s Elementary School is counting down with joyful hearts, patiently waiting for the night of our Dear Savior’s birth! 🎄✨ Thank you to the Pittsburg Knights of Columbus for setting up our nativity and helping us share the true meaning of Christmas. 🙏💫

Reminder: No School 12/8

Our little travelers in daycare took a festive train ride across Europe earlier this week—from sparkling France to wintry Germany.

Our JH & HS youth groups spread Christmas cheer tonight, caroling around town and at Via Christi Villages! 🎶✨ Joy, laughter, and holiday spirit all around! ❤️🎄

FCS Day is a day celebrating Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) education, held annually on December 3rd to honor our founder Ellen Swallow Richards, known widely as the founder of "home economics". The FCS Program at SMC has been revived since its closure in the 1990s. We have currently approximately 70 students enrolled this semester in FCS classes ranging from Introductory Level, Personal Finance, Food & Nutrition, Lifespan Development and Career Exploration/Job Shadow. Next semester: Parenting & Culinary are offered. We have an active FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) chapter of over 40 affiliated members, one district officer and have had multiple STAR Event state qualifiers in our four years as an affiliated chapter.

That first snow feeling!! ❄️

Last chance for Panther apparel from the PTO Store! The store closes tomorrow (12/2) at noon, so be sure to grab your gear while you can!
Shop here: https://firstedition.chipply.com/colganpanthers/?action=viewall

First Sunday of Advent: HOPE
Advent opens with a quiet call to stay awake.

Our hope isn’t wishful thinking, it’s confidence that God is already at work in the dark soil of our lives. As the first candle burns, we lean forward toward the promise: the Light will break through.

Let us pray: Come Lord Jesus, open our hearts to your Light.

St. Mary’s Elementary teachers participated in their first in-person LETRS training. Up to today, all the work in this program has been online modules and reading the text assignments.  All this work will prepare our teachers to use the Science of Reading to teach our students to be successful readers…and receive a Seal of Literacy on their teaching license! We thank our teachers for their commitment to excellence in the classroom.

Congratulations to Raphael Aita (freshman) for making 2nd Team All-SEK in co-op soccer for Pittsburg! ⚽️💜💙

💙🐾Huge shoutout to the Lady Panther Dance Team! Bringing home the State Runner-Up title is a testament to your dedication and passion. Congratulations, Lady Panthers!

Lady Panther Dance Team is moving on to State finals! Start time is approx 11:26am. Let's Go Panthers!!!

Reminder: There will be no school tomorrow (11/21) and no school next week (11/24-11/28). Wishing all our Panthers a very Happy Thanksgiving!

🏀 HS Basketball Schedule and Calendars can be found on our website at OLLsmc.org/panthers

🏈 Panther Football — 2025 All-CNC Postseason Awards 🏈
Congrats to our Panthers on their conference honors!

🥇 All-CNC 1st Team
A. Schremmer (#7, Sr.) — Defensive Back
B. Radell (#54, Sr.) — Defensive Line (Unanimous)
J. Hamilton (#52, Sr.) — Offensive Line (Unanimous)
C. Simmons (#12, So.) — Linebacker
J. Lomshek (#10, Sr.) — Kicker
K. Adamson (#21, Sr.) — Running Back (Unanimous)

🥈 All-CNC 2nd Team
B. Badart (#19, Sr.) — Wide Receiver
B. Radell (#54, Sr.) — Offensive Line

⭐ All-CNC Honorable Mention
B. Crossland (#2, Sr.) — Linebacker
C. Morris (#73, Sr.) — Offensive Line

💙🐾We are PROUD of you! Congratulations on a great season!

{HS ONLY} Thanksgiving Food Drive Tuesday 11/18: Taco 'bout My Twin Tuesday
Bring canned corn, chili, beans, tomatoes, etc. and TWIN with a friend. Dress code rules apply.