Dear parents:
I
welcome advice from parents regarding the operation of the school. And over the years, I’ve gotten plenty of
it! I value the trust you have placed in
our school and appreciate your ideas for improving what we do here at
And,
from time to time, I like to feel comfortable offering broad advice to you. Simply stated, I’m reminded on an almost daily
basis that teenagers need the gentle and sometimes not-so-gentle guidance of
their parents, school personnel, and other key adults.
I am sure that we would all
agree that our teenagers are growing up in exciting but also unsettling
times. Each day finds our world
experiencing political and social upheaval, a roller coaster economy, and unimaginable
breakthroughs in technology and medicine.
During the school day, we work diligently to create a stable, rational,
safe, value-based, fairly predictable environment so our students can learn,
focus, and interact. Our hope is that
they will exit high school with confidence in themselves and their abilities,
with open and willing hearts, and with faith in God. We encourage them to stretch intellectually;
to be responsible for themselves and supportive of their peers; to be ever
mindful of the less fortunate and to confront problems of injustice; to examine
and develop solid morals and values; and to demonstrate the strength of
character to make strong (but not necessarily popular) decisions.
Our
responsibility as educators is immense and yours as parents is even
greater. It’s not easy holding and
expecting our children to meet certain standards. But the pay off is immense and life-altering--
namely, having young adults who are accountable for their actions and who make
good decisions.
Don’t
be afraid to ask questions! Do
you know your children’s friends? Have
you gotten to know their parents? Do you
know where your children are and who they’re with when they’re not with you? Are you home when your children have friends
over to your house? Do you actively supervise
them? Do you call a parent when your
child has been invited to a party or to spend the night to verify that the
parent will be there and actively supervising?
Are you awake when your children come home? Do you know other parents’ attitudes toward
teenage drinking and use of drugs? Do
other parents know – and respect -- your attitudes? Do you know what your children are doing on
the Internet? Have you checked their web
profiles to see what type of information they are sharing about themselves? Do you know where your children get their
money and what they do with it?
From time to time, the staff and
I find ourselves involved in the “aftermath of outside-of-school activities.” Students come to school and talk openly about
their out-of-school adventures. In
addition to the family trips, sports events, and shopping sprees, they speak of
their accidents and near-accidents. They
relate incidents that occurred at family-sponsored dances. They speak of their personal hurts or those of
their friends. Some boast about their
partying. Some share their worries. Some students request – and receive -- school
support and intervention when they aren’t sure where else to turn for help or
advice. Perhaps issues such as these
should not be ones we as staff should become involved in. But once they are put before us, they become
part of what we have to deal with because they affect the daily operation of
the school, the lives of individual students.
Being responsible for young
people’s well-being is a tremendous obligation.
Young people are like plants.
They respond to the environments they find themselves in at any
particular moment in time. Are we
putting them in healthy situations? Are
we letting in the sunshine? Or are we
fostering their involvement in questionable situations that strain
relationships and can cause harm?
Each one of us – parents,
faculty, and staff – is in a unique position to help propel our students toward
healthy choices. We have remarkable
young people here at CCHS. Our goal --
yours and ours -- is to help keep them that way. And working together we can do it.
Debra
K. Sullivan, Principal
UPCOMING
PARENT SEMINAR –
Wednesday, April 23, 8:15 -9:15 a.m. Speaker: Marie Beaver, Executive Director, Rea of Hope
Fellowship Home. Topic: Teens, Drugs, and Alcohol.
NO
SNOW SNOW DAY – Monday, April 28 – what better way to celebrate
Spring -- declaring the end of the snow season!!!???
INTERNATIONAL TASTING – Sunday, April 11,
from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Commons.
Come and enjoy!
NEW AND USED TEXTBOOKS FOR 2008-09 – We will be changing our system for selling used and new textbooks. Textbooks that families want to sell will be collected from students as they finish using them for exams. They will quickly be sorted by staff and PVA volunteers. On June 10-11 (Tuesday-Wednesday), used textbooks for required courses and ones that students know they will definitely be scheduled into (e.g., 2nd year of a language) will be available for purchase. At that time, parents may also order and prepay new textbooks for these subjects. CCHS will place the order for these books and they will be available for pick-up during August registration days. During registration days, used textbooks for all other courses plus leftover textbooks from the June used textbook sale will be available for purchase. Again, during registration, parents will have the opportunity to order and prepay any new textbooks needed. CCHS will place another order at that time. Through this new process, we hope to help our families get the correct textbooks as well as save some money!
LUNCH MONEY – please send your children to school with lunch money. They cannot charge lunch!
CONDOLENCES – Our
sympathy as a school community is extended to Helen Inghram,
NEWS
FROM THE SSAC – Proposals differentiating between public and
private schools were soundly defeated
by the membership (public and private school principals in SSAC-affiliated
schools) at the recent meeting of the SSAC. Bravo!
TUITION INFORMATION FOR
2008-09 -- including invoices
and loan information from First Bank of
SCHEDULING FOR THE
2008-2009 SCHOOL YEAR – Final
placement in 7th and 8th grade math and high school honors, advanced
honors, and Advanced Placement courses
will be made in June after a review of the students’ first and second semester
grades, their current and past year’s standardized test results, various
placement tests, class availability, and teacher recommendations. Students currently enrolled in Prealgebra 7
must have at least a C for 2nd semester to go on to Algebra I in 8th
grade.
NEW STUDENTS FOR 2008-2009 – Applications for new students may be downloaded
from the school website (www.charlestoncatholic-crw.org).
TUITION SCHOLARSHIP
– Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Frank
Jennings and his family, a student scholarship fund was established several
years ago providing partial tuition for deserving CCHS students. The Mary M. Jennings Memorial Scholarship pays
tribute to Mrs. Jennings and her strong belief in the beauty of and
opportunities available at CCHS. Eighth
graders currently enrolled in CCHS may apply for this scholarship which
provides $1000 per year (renewable each year if student maintains school
standards) toward CCHS tuition.
Selection of the recipient is based on commitment to Catholic education,
financial need, strength of character, and involvement in school
activities. To apply, the student
should: 1) write name at the top left-hand corner of a
piece of paper; 2) list schools attended since kindergarten; 3)
describe involvement in school activities; 4) explain how the scholarship will
affect applicant’s educational plans; 5) tell anything special the applicant
would like the scholarship selection committee to know . SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED IN
THE SCHOOL OFFICE BY FRIDAY, MAY 9.
GREEN
& WHITE
TV AND
DVD PLAYER – If you’re upgrading home electronics, please
consider passing along your used large-screen television and/or DVD player to
be used by coaches with our athletes up at the new gym. Many thanks!
SCIENCE
IN THE SUMMER- Mrs. Erby and Mrs. Arnold, Science teachers at CCHS, are offering a
science camp for rising 6th graders. From Astronomy to Zoology, this
camp will cover many aspects of science with a hands-on approach. The camp will
be held from June 24th to June 27th from 9 am to 3
pm. The cost is $235.00. Contact Mrs. Arnold or Mrs. Erby at (304)
342-8415, arnoldad1@yahoo.com
or tonyaerby@yahoo.com
if you are interested in enrolling your child.
UNIFORM NOTES – At this time of year
it’s wise to check your children’s uniforms to make sure they’re in good
shape. Please check hems, buttons, seams,
cuffs (no fraying!), color (not faded), and wear. Socks should be worn with skirts, pants, or
shorts.
SAFETY ISSUES- As you know, the
streets around school become extremely congested around 2:45. It is important that you are aware of the
traffic signals, other drivers, and students at this busy time. Please do not double park or ask students to
load in an unsafe area. Remember,
traffic in front of the school on
BASEBALL AT TRIANA
FIELD – The high school baseball team is scheduled to play
nine home games at UC's Triana Field. Your company has the opportunity to
be a game-day sponsor for the field rental fee of $125. Contact our Athletic
Director, Bill Gillispie, for more information.
SECOND SEMESTER EXAM SCHEDULE–
6th,7th and 8th
graders’ exams:
Tuesday,
June 3 – regular classes 8 a.m. through 1:30 p.m.; period 7 exam will start at
1:30 and end at 2:45 p.m.
Wednesday, June 4 – 6th gr. exams 1,2,5; 7th
& 8th exams 1, 3, 5 (dismissal at 1 p.m.)
Thursday, June 5 – 6th gr. exams 6 and 8; 7th
and 8th exams 2 and 8 (dismissal at 11:15 a.m.)
9th, 10th, and 11th
graders’ exams:
Wednesday,
June 4 – exams 1, 3, 6 (dismissal at 1 p.m.
Thursday, June 5 – exams 2 and 8 (dismissal at 11:15
a.m.)
Friday, June 6 – exams 4 and 7 (dismissal at 11:15 a.m.)
FINAL EXAMS –Remember, students who miss semester exams for
reasons other than family funerals or illness (who will be given the
opportunity to make up the exams) will receive an F for those
examinations. Just a reminder regarding
the seniors- only exam exemption policy:
Seniors may be exempt from second semester exams if: 1) the course is a
two-semester course; 2) the teacher chooses to allow exam exemptions; 3) third
and fourth quarter grades average to at least 94%; 4) fine arts requirements
are completed by March 16 and community service requirements by May 11.
Students enrolled in AP courses must take the AP exam. School finals will not be given to seniors in
AP courses but will be administered to non-seniors. Students who elect to take AP tests in non-AP
classes will follow the exam exemption policy.
Namely, students in these non-AP classes who choose to take AP exams will
also take teacher-developed final exams unless they meet the exemption
standards (seniors only).
CCHS GOLF TOURNAMENT – is
scheduled for Friday, May 9, at noon at the Edgewood Country Club Golf
Course. The cost is $100 per person, of
which $35 is tax deductible. Please
contact Mike Del Giudice (343-4440 or mikedel@ntelos.net) or Pete Pauley
(346-5708 or the5pauleys@aol.com)
to reserve your spot!
MRS. THOMAS’ TIDBITS – Be sure to check out “College Counseling”
section on the CCHS website for updates and additional information.
1) SAT and ACT testing and registration dates
(CCHS code: 490-205)
SAT I and
II (can register on-line -- www.collegeboard.org):
TEST DATE DEADLINE LATE
REGISTRATION
May 3 April 2 April 10
June 7 May 6 May 15
ACT: (can
register on line -- www.act.org)
TEST DATE DEADLINE LATE
REGISTRATION
April
12 March 7 March 8 -21
June
14 May 9 May 10 - 23
2) CCHS encourages students to take both the ACT
and the SAT before the end of their junior year. Doing this allows students to get a baseline
score and allows students to prepare for future tests. Both tests are accepted by all colleges and
universities for admission. We have
found the students perform better on these tests if they are taken before the
end of the school year. By the June
testing dates, students tend to be tired and not as fresh. So, if possible, consider an earlier test
date.
3) Mrs. Thomas
handles college visit requests. Students
should get the forms from her and return the completed forms to her at least 2
days before the trip. Seniors are
allowed 2 college visit days; juniors are allowed 2 college visit
days. College visits must be made before
May 1.
4) To calculate what colleges expect you to pay,
go to www.collegeboard.com
5) Check www.fastweb.com,
www.finaid.org,
www.Petersons.com
for scholarship searches. Also, check
the
6)
Mrs. Thomas is meeting with juniors individually to begin discussing their
college plans. During these sessions, they review PSAT and Strong Interest
Inventory results and discuss how to look for and choose colleges. Afterwards, students receive lists of
colleges that fit their interests so they can begin their college search.
7) Students in grades 6, 7, and 8 will take Stanford
Tests during the week of April 14.
Please do not make medical, dental, or similar appointments for students
until after 12:30 p.m. on these testing days.
To do their best, students should be well rested and well fed. Results of these tests are included in
criteria used to place students in honors and AP courses, as well as used by
staff to analyze academic programs.
NOTES
FROM THE PARENT VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION (PVA) –
1) The
CCHS website includes PVA sign-up forms for all activities.
2) Order forms for fleece jackets with CCHS logo, white uniform polo shirts,
and green athletic/academic competition polo shirts are available on the
CCHS website. For questions, please
contact Kathleen Bors (343-7963) for fleece jackets, Joanne Bronikowski
(344-8850) for green polos, and Lisa Dobbins (346-4995) for white polos.
3) INNISBROOK
ORDERS – Don’t forget- orders can be placed year round! Go to
www.innisbrook.com and click on “Buy Innisbrook Products” and enter CCHS school
number 121949. Orders can be placed year round! Call Lisa Dundervill at
344-2566 for more info.
4) The International
Tasting will be held April 13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Commons. This annual event features homemade culinary
delights representing the diverse cultures of CCHS students and community.
At the door, ticket prices are $15 for adults, $7 for students under 12,
or $45 for families. Checks should be written to CCHS. If you'd like to volunteer or you have questions,
call either Julie Robinson at 345-1125, Sandy Campbell at 343-8090 or Liz
Weisberg at 345-8880.
5) Cafeteria
Volunteers: If you are interested in helping in the cafeteria for the
interim schedule (August and September, 2008) please send your name, email
address, complete mailing address (street, city, and zip code) and phone number
to Scarlett Hutcheson at addpey@aol.com. The regular cafeteria volunteer schedule for
October 2008 through June 2009 will be completed for the school year after
volunteers submit their CCHS Cafeteria Volunteer Form following 2008-2009
school registration.
6) CCHS
Cookbook – Wonderful recipes have been sent in and are being prepared for
inclusion in the cookbook. To order,
contact Caryn Gresham at caryn.gresham@verizon.net or complete the
order form below and send it, along with payment, to the school office.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CCHS Cookbook Order Form
Name
__________________________________________
Phone ______________________
Name of CCHS student(s)
______________________________________________________
Address
____________________________________________________________________
Number of cookbooks ordered _________ @
$12 each = Total enclosed _______________
Make checks payable to CCHS – please write
“cookbook” on memo line.
CONGRATULATIONS –
- to all CCHS Latin students for their performance on the National Latin Exam! 64% of them earned prizes this year and 80% equaled or surpassed the national average. Special congratulations go to the following students: Gold Medal Summa Cum Laude winners: Lindsey Coyle, Andy Phillips, Natalie Tupta and Stephanie Werning; Silver Medal Maxima Cum Laude winners: Corey Brady, Evan Cole, Adam Skaff, Laura Slack, Betsy Sokolosky, John Alan Willis, Erin Casey, Crystal Cook, John Daly, Hillary Frame, Patricia Paolini, Seth Ritchie, Emily Sokolosky, Emma Busse, Ally Hoyer, Sarah James, and Matt Phillips; Magna Cum Laude certificates: Jill Huxley, Justin Smolder, Chelsea Steelhammer, Alexander Bobinger and Bo McKown; Cum Laude certificates: Tony Majestro, Laura Gould, Morgan Pack, Megan Pulliam, Amanda Johns, Lauren Panaro, Michael Robinson, Rachel Silverman and Abby Vorholt.
- to Natalie Tupta who won first place in the recent Maier Sight Translation contest for Latin III. Natalie will receive a cash award of $200.00 at a ceremony on the Marshall University - to the High School Quiz Bowl Team for qualifying for the High School National Championship Tournament in Chicago on Memorial Day weekend after their third place finish in the A/AA division at the state tournament!- to 8th grader Alex Casingal who placed in the top 25 in the state National Geographic Bee.- to Jim Snyder, husband of CCHS Latin teacher Robin Snyder and occasional Latin substitute, who received the James R. Thomas Outstanding Volunteer Award for 2008 during the “Our Community Awards” ceremony held on March 5 by the Charleston Area Alliance.
- to library teacher Mrs. Dara Krack for the selection of the school’s library to receive the We the People “Created Equal” Bookshelf from the National Endowment for the Humanities.- to Catherine Higgins who was selected by Big Brothers Big Sisters as the School-Based Big of the Year. She does an outstanding job dedicating her time to make a difference in the life of her little sister.- to SCORES participants Natalie Tupta for winning first place in Latin Vocabulary and John Alan Willis for winning 2nd place in chemistry and 3rd place in Math 3.- to Joanie Zekan who was selected to attend the HOBY Youth Leadership Program.- to Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach Bill McClanahan who was named the 2007 National Federation High School Basketball Coach of the Year.- to the varsity girls' basketball team on a great season including their efforts in the state tournament quarter and semi-finals. Capen Evans and Alex Thomas were selected to the All Tournament Team. Jill Huxley was named to the 2nd team All State - to the high school cheerleaders and the student body for their positive enthusiasm resulting in the spirit award at both the girls and boys state basketball tournaments.- to Catherine Higgins who has been invited to the 2008 West Virginia Governor’s Honors Academy at Bethany College this summer.- to the boys' varsity basketball team on being state runners-up in the state tournament and for an excellent season. Andrew Cassis and John Baird were selected to the All Tournament Team. John Baird was also chosen for the all state third team and Matt Goolsby and Sam Wood were named honorable mention. - to our regional Math Field Day participants for their strong performance. Andy Phillips finished first and Michael Mallory finished third in the high school division, and Samantha Harris won 2nd place in the Middle School division. All will be competing at the state level on April 26 at Shepherd University
THANKS –
- to Dr. Laura Welch for
sharing her knowledge about drugs with students during the recent evening
science seminar.
- to Dr. Samar Sankari and Dr.
Marguerita Torres for taking time to speak to our classes.
- to the parents who provided
a team lunch experience for the faculty and staff. The delicious meal was enjoyed by all!
2007-08
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Sunday,
April 13 International
Tasting in Commons 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tues.,
Wed., Thurs, April 15, 16, 17 Stanford
Testing grades 6 – 8
Tuesday,
April 15
Wednesday,
April 23 Parent
Seminar: Teens, Alcohol, and Drugs 8:15
– 9:15 a.m.; Showcase of Talent 7 p.m.
Thursday,
April 24 sophomore
retreat; VIRTUS at St. Francis (
Friday,
April 25 freshman
retreat at Camp Virgil Tate
Sunday,
April 27 middle
school athletic banquet at
Monday,
April 28 No
school- no snow snow day
Saturday,
May 3 prom
May
5-16 Advanced
Placement exams
Friday,
May 9 Alumni
Golf Tournament (reservations needed)
Monday,
May 12 junior
retreat (rain date May 15)
Wednesday,
May 14 VIRTUS at
Sacred Heart 6 p.m. (on May 16 at 0 a.m. at Christ the King in
Friday,
Saturday May 16-17 “As
You Like It” 8 p.m in the Commons performed by drama club
Wednesday,
May 21 senior
retreat
Monday,
May 26 Memorial
Day - no school
Tuesday,
May 27 Baccalaureate
Wednesday,
May 28 Graduation
June
3, 4, 5 exams
for middle school students (early dismissal on June 4 and 5 only)
June
4, 5, 6 exams
for high school students
Thursday, June 5 8th
grade moving up ceremony at 5:30; followed by pizza party for 8th
graders in the Commons and a parent reception in
Tuesday-Wednesday, June 10-11 sale
of used textbooks 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. in Commons
June 13-14 Green
& White
Just a reminder -- no
charging lunch! Menu subject to change
at the end of each month!
|
MONDAY |
TUESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
THURSDAY |
FRIDAY |
|
7 – Pizza |
8 – BBQ tater tots cole slaw nachos |
9 – chicken strips baked potato |
10 – meatball sub fries spaghetti salad |
11 – baked mac & cheese chicken Caesar salad tomato soup |
|
14 – Pizza |
15 – tacos nachos super nachos |
16 – chicken parm baked potato |
17 – baked ravioli homemade veggie soup corn dogs |
18 – homemade cheese quesadillas spaghettios |
|
21 – Pizza |
22 – sloppy joes waffle fries fruit cup |
23 – baked chicken Greek salad Green beans |
24 – sub day chili-chip-cheese nachos |
25 – chicken fajitas potato wedges |
|
28 – Pizza |
29 – hamburger spicy fries nachos |
30 – chicken sandwiches baked potatoes |
1 - Chicken wraps Fries |
2 -Pizza
|
5 -Pizza
|
6 - Meatball sub Spaghetti salad Tater tots
|
7 - Chicken parm Baked potato |
8 - Corn dogs Homemade chili-chip-cheese |
9 - Breakfast for lunch |
12 -
Pizza
|
13 - Baked
ravioli Homemade veggie soup |
14 - Chicken nuggets Baked potato |
15 -
Sloppy joes
Tater tots
Cole slaw |
16 - Spaghetti Salad Garlic bread |
|
19 - Pizza |
20 - Chicken alfredo Corn Slice bread Salad |
21 - Chicken strips
Baked potato
|
22 - Hot ham and cheese Sandwiches Chicken noodle soup |
23 - Cheeseburger Fries Nachos |
26 - Pizza
|
27 -
BB&Q Potato wedges Cole slaw |
28 - Chicken and rice With pita |
29 - Cheese quesadilla Spicy fries Tomato soup |
30 - Hot dogs Tater tots Nachos |
2 - Pizza
|
3 – cooks’ choice |
4 – lunch for 6th grade only (pizza) |
5 – exams – no lunch |
6 – exams – no lunch |
MIDDLE
SCHOOL ATHLETIC BANQUET -- is scheduled for Sunday, April 27, at
6:00 pm at the
******************
RESERVATION DEADLINE – FRIDAY, APRIL 18 ***************************
If you have any questions, please contact Missy
Deer (346-9336) or Lisa Cassis (925-5946).
Middle
School Athletic Banquet
Family Name: _________________________________________________________
No. of persons attending: ________(x $12.00)
Total enclosed: $________
Name(s) of athletes attending: ___________________________ Grade: __________
___________________________ Grade: __________
Name(s) of parents attending: ___________________________ ________________________
Return this form and payment to
CCHS office by Friday, April 18!