COLORADO SPRINGS. Who says school lunches are boring and bland? Not the kids at the new St. Gabriel Classical Academy (SGCA), which opened its doors to preschool through fifth grade this year at St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish.

Hot chicken barbecue sandwiches, carnitas tacos, and homestyle macaroni and cheese are among their favorites, along with vegetarian options and delicious fresh vegetables and fruits. Partnering with Skills Academy, students receive freshly prepared, farm-to-table meals four days a week.

COLORADO SPRINGS. “Priorities are just a list until they’re tested” — this is the advice often given by Deacon Rob Rysavy while serving in leadership roles in the military, non-profit, and education arenas. It is also the counsel he is now following for himself with his decision to step down from the position of St. Mary High School’s president in the summer of 2023.

COLORADO SPRINGS. On a cool autumn night last month, current and alumni Pirates of St. Mary’s High School celebrated 137 years of tradition with a week of homecoming events, culminating in the school’s first homecoming football game in three years. Warriors dressed in Pirate green are once again moving the pigskin up and down the gridiron.

COLORADO SPRINGS. “Faith, Knowledge, Community.” These are the pillars upon which St. Mary’s High School places its Catholic identity, its academic rigor, and everything else that defines the excellence of a 137-year-old Catholic school.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Aug. 22, 1992, was the first day of classes for St. Mary’s High School at the current campus on Yampa Street. After holding classes for 107 years in downtown Colorado Springs, the school embarked on a new chapter in its already long history.

COLORADO SPRINGS. In 1885, when nine girls enrolled in the school that is today St. Mary’s High School, the Sisters of Loretto were not thinking about an endowment to support students 137 years in the future, they were simply trying to find land for the school they just opened.

COLORADO SPRINGS. At St. Mary’s High School, summer means STEM Camp and a chance for area students to try out STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities both on campus and around the local community. This year’s camp was the seventh one hosted by St. Mary’s and continues to be popular with Colorado Springs students.