Online
Newsletter
Text Only Version
April 2009 Vol. 32
/No. 7
Dear Parents and F=
riends
of Spellman,
As I write this le=
tter
the first vestiges of spring are struggling to make an appearance -- a sign=
al
to each of us that our Lenten journey is coming to an end. At this time of year we are all
encouraged to take strength in the salvation event that brings hope to each=
of
us -- the Resurrection of Jesus ...His dynamic affirmation of life.
In these troubling times, we all need the hope th= at the Easter season brings to us … hope in the goodness of people … = hope in the face of helplessness, discouragement and loneliness ... hope in the power of God to lift = us up from all the difficult realities that tend to stretch our ability to hope.<= o:p>
May the celebratio=
n of
Easter 2009 restore in each of us an abundant measure of hope based on a deep faith in the Lord.
Peace ... and Happy Easter!
Sister
Thomasine Knowlton, CSJ
President
A Message From…The Chairman of the Board
Dear
Spellman Community:
&nb=
sp;
The=
events
of the current time are certainly worrisome. Rising unemployment,
troubling national deficits, unending bailouts, earth-shattering frauds, a
battered stock market and two separate wars being concurrently waged half-w=
ay
around the world…This is not good. The academic world is reporting ve=
ry
negative news as well. Huge faculty layoffs and cutbacks, reduced program
content and choice, massive financial losses, rising tuition costs,
astronomical increases in student fees and fewer seats for incoming student=
s.
Nev=
ertheless,
as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary, Cardinal Spellman High Sch=
ool
continues to enjoy a healthy balance sheet, strong enrollment, remarkably l=
ow
employee turnover, expanding academic, social and athletic
opportunities, an increasingly diverse and talented student body, a
well-maintained physical plant, and an unwavering dedication to high quality
teaching and learning. Better yet, we continue to do this by fueling =
the
educational experience with a contemporary and powerful commitment to our f=
aith
and to our God.
Tro=
ubling
times or not, Cardinal Spellman continues to hold on to its priorities and =
we
remain hopeful and confident about our future. And it’s a good
thing we do—because the
nationwide statistical data is clear. Kids who graduate from Catholic
high schools positively outperform, in the aggregate, kids that do not.&nbs=
p;
This is true both in terms of academic performance in college and in later
performance in the work place. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, th=
ank
you for your continuing support in making this achievement possible.
&nb=
sp;
Barry C. Cosgrove
Chairman
As =
we
continue our journey through Lent, may you experience God’s peace and=
His
love for each of us.
Thi=
s month
is a short month academically with spring vacation but it is also a very
important month as we transition from winter to spring and as we anticipate=
the
last term of the year. Please
encourage your son/daughter to not let down on his/her academics. Interims were given to seniors on =
February
26th and to the other classes on March 6th. I hope that you have had an opport=
unity
to review this report with your child.&nbs=
p;
If you feel your son/daughter is letting up on academics, please call
and speak to his/her teachers if you have concerns or questions regarding
grades. The end of the third =
term
is March 20th for seniors and April 3rd for grades 9,=
10
and 11.
I w=
ould
also like to take this opportunity to remind you that all financial aid for=
ms
and endowed scholarship applications are due on April 1st. No financial aid will be awarded w=
ithout
a processed financial aid application.
We =
continue
to work on our self study for re-accreditation. I would like to take this opportun=
ity to
thank all of you who have helped in so many ways—especially by respon=
ding
to our parent survey and by volunteering to be on one of the committees.
As =
always,
I encourage you to contact any of us at Spellman when you have questions or
concerns. As always, we appre=
ciate
any feedback that you can provide.
Ms.
Dorothy Lynch
Principal
Thi=
s year
we have changed the timing when seniors will receive their Interim Reports =
and
Report Cards for Term 3 and 4. Since the seniors have a much shortened Term=
4
we moved up the end date for Term 3 from April 3rd to March 20
Ter=
m 3
Begins &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 1/26 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 1/26
Int=
erims &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 2/26 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 3/6
Ter=
m 3 ends &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 3/20 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 4/3 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
Rep=
ort
Cards Distributed <=
/span>3/26 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 4/9
Ter=
m 4
begins &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 3/23 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 4/6
Int=
erims &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 4/15 &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 5/15
Ter=
m 4 ends &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 5/13 &=
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p; &=
nbsp; 6/10
You=
r sons
and daughters are in the process of making decisions regarding courses for =
the
next school year. We encourag=
e you
to help them in this process. If
you need to speak with a guidance counselor, please do not hesitate to call
(508-588-1399).
On =
April 3rd,
your son or daughter will be bringing home a form to be signed containing t=
he
courses that he/she has selected for the coming school year for your
approval.
Ple=
ase sign
this form and have your son/daughter return it to us via the homeroom teach=
er
along with the $200 re-registration fee.
<= /p>
=
Forms
and fees should be returned on April 6th to your child’s
homeroom teacher.
In order to ensure your
son/daughter's seat for the school year 2009 - 2010, it is imperative that =
you
return these signed forms with the re-registration fee ($200) promptly. If your son or daughter is not ret=
urning
to Spellman next year, please send a letter to us stating the school he/she
will be attending.
=
=
PLEASE
NOTE:
=
We build
the master schedule based on the course selections made by your son/daughter
and approved by you and the school. Once the master schedule is designed it=
is
very difficult to accommodate requests to change a student’s courses.=
Fin=
ancial
Aid / Endowed Scholarship applications were due April 1st. Decisions regarding financial aid =
will
be made in early May. If you =
are
looking for financial assistance for the 2007 - 2008 school year and you ha=
ve
not filed an application, please call Ms. Lynch immediately. Financial
Aid applications must be completed each year that you are seeking financial
aid.
=
Rep=
resentatives
from Flynn & O’Hara Uniform Company will be here of April 14=
th
from 11:00am – 12:30pm and from 2:30 – 6:00pm to take orders for
the 2009 - 2010 school year. =
We
encourage parents of 9th, 10th and 11th gr=
ade
students to make sure that their sons’ and daughters’ uniforms =
are
in compliance with our regulations
(especially that the skirt/skort is no more than 6 inches above the
knee).
Class Rings
Rep=
resentatives
from the Josten Ring Company will be here Wednesday April 8th fo=
r a
short presentation in the auditorium to give sophomores information regardi=
ng
class rings. Your son/daughter will be given an order packet with all the
information such as styles and cost. Students will be ordering their class
rings on Tuesday April 28th. As Parents, you will be receiving
information through the mail directly from Josten’s within the next f=
ew
days.
If =
there
are any juniors or seniors who wish to order a class ring they should see M=
rs.
Davis for the informational packet.
Ms. Susan Dav=
is
Assistant Principal
Religious Studies and Campus Ministry
=
The
school Mass for March was celebrated by Fr. Wally Keymont, Pastor =
of
Saint John’s Parish in
A Lenten Parent Prayer Night <=
/span>was held on the evening of
Wednesday, March 25th sponsored by members of Peer ministry. Parents, friends, and students sha=
red in
the evening of prayer that included a Communion Service, Adoration, music a=
nd
singing, prayer circles, and fellowship.&n=
bsp;
An experience of God’s love overflowed in abundance!
=
Recently,
Cardinal Spellman students viewed the video, “God Grew Tired of Us=
221;
as a means to raise consciousness about the “Lost Boys of the
Sudan” and as segue into a school-wide Lenten project being sponsored=
by
Outreach, STAND, and the Peace Club.
A Run/Walk was held on Saturday, March 21st to raise money
for a well to be built in Sudan, known as the “Water for Sudan”
project.
=
Ministry
Retreat Days:
=
Peer
Ministry, 2009 welcomed the new candidates for 2010 duri=
ng an
afternoon of retreat on Sunday, March 29th. Students came together in pr=
ayer,
activities, and fun to recognize this important time of transition. The new candidates were encouraged=
for
their new roles and strengthened for their ministry on behalf of the Spellm=
an
community. The torch of=
God
Squad will soon be passed!
=
Prayer
Posse, 2009 will be hosting a welcoming retreat for =
Prayer
Posse candidates on the e=
vening
of April 16th from 6:30-9:30pm at the school.
=
Other
Ministry groups will schedule individual retreat experiences to=
be
held in May, June, or the fall.
=
=
Parents,
friends, alums: Please join u=
s for
one or more of the following events:
=
A
powerful dramatic presentation of the Paschal Mystery will be held in the Cardinal
Spellman High School auditorium on Holy Thursday, April 9th. Members of the TAG team have plann=
ed an
experience like you’ve never witnessed before! Please come to enter more fully in=
to the
sacred events of Holy Week.
=
The
April School Mass
will be held in the Spellman auditorium on Thursday, April 16th
beginning at 9:30 a.m. Father=
Ed
Riley from Saint Joseph’s Parish in Holbrook will be our celebrant.
=
The next
meeting of the Parent Prayer Group will be held on Tuesday evening, April 2=
8th
beginning at =
7:00
p.m. in Room #104. Parents, f=
aculty
and mentors of our students are warmly invited and encouraged to join us in
prayer. The sessions are base=
d on a
book “The Power of a Praying Parent” authored by Stormie
Omartian. With question=
s or
for more information, please contact Spellman parent, Mrs. Margi Mannke
(781-337-4097) margim@verizon.net=
or
Mrs. Lynne Jensen (508-584-9276) ljensen@spellman.pvt.k12.ma.us
Guidance
=
Scheduling
In =
March,
Ms. Michel, Scheduling Coordinator and the guidance counselors met with all=
of
the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in class to discuss next year’s
program of studies. Most stud=
ents
have tentatively chosen their courses; however, a small percentage of stude=
nts
still have decisions to make regarding elective choices. At the beginning of April, parents=
will
be asked to review the selections and sign their approval on the course
selection worksheet. We trust=
that
students have been discussing the process at home since our original
presentation four weeks ago. =
If
parents have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact us by p=
hone
(508) 588-1399 or by email.
D=
uring
the month of April, there will be a variety of programs offered to
“jump-start” the college admissions process for Juniors:
On March 24 at 10am in the auditorium, the juniors atten=
ded
an informative college admissions program.=
Some of the topics included in the presentation include: managing college materials, how to=
focus
one’s search, and understanding how schools select students. Please join us for this engaging
program.
Approximately 300 colleges will be represented. Each school is set up at an indivi=
dual
table. Students and parents w=
ill
have the opportunity to personally speak with the admissions representatives
and gather printed information from the college. The sessions offered during the sc=
hool
day and will not be counted as excused absences. Therefore we highly recommend that
students and their parents attend the Tuesday night evening session. All of the juniors have been given=
a
flyer listing the colleges that will be in attendance.
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, April 14 at 7pm for
Cardinal Spellman’s Annual College Information Program. The featured speaker will be Brian
Murphy, Dean of Admissions at Stonehill College and the members of the Guid=
ance
staff. They will provide gene=
ral
information on the college admissions process. That night we intend to distribute
Spellman’s College Admissions Guidebook. Although all parents are welcome to
attend this program is specifically designed for parents and students of the
current junior class.
=
SAT
Registration - Standardized Testing
The
Guidance Department recommends that all juniors take the SAT this spring
preferably the May 2 test date. The
deadline was March 31 to register; late registration is April 9. The SATs will also be given on Jun=
e 6
with the deadline for registration May 5. The June date is excellent for jun=
iors
to take the SAT 2, if they have taken the May 2 SAT. These subject tests are required by
about 10% of the colleges in the country (www.collegeboard.com) The ACT test is given June 13 with=
a
deadline of May 8 to register. (www.act.org=
) If at all possible, register onlin=
e for
all of these tests.
Apr=
il
vacation is an excellent time for students to visit college campuses because
the colleges are in session. =
Before
you go, check the individual college’s website to make an appointment=
for
a tour.
=
College
Research for Juniors and Sophomores.
T=
he
guidance counselors have been meeting with juniors to discuss college
admissions and use the Naviance Software.&=
nbsp;
This program provides the tools for students to narrow their choices=
of
colleges. At the end of this
current school year, sophomores will also be introduced and registered to u=
se
Naviance.
By =
April 1,
almost all seniors should have heard from their colleges and will have until
May 1 to make their final decision and reply to the colleges. Once again, we ask that the seniors
bring in copies of their decision letters (good and “bad” news)=
to
us along with any financial aid award letters. Seniors still have many scholarshi=
ps to
which they can apply in the month of April. If parents/students have any quest=
ions
about the financial aid award letters, need information about Waiting List
status, and /or have any random questions, please get in touch with your
son/daughter’s guidance counselors immediately. Remember there are no stupid quest=
ions! Let us help.
Peo=
ple
frequently hear me say, in referring to Spellman, “we’re
blessed”! We are. I see indications of this every=
day.
On
Thursday, March 26th, at our Academic and Religious Dimension
Program for our incoming freshmen and their parents, this was again
evident. As part of the progr=
am,
four seniors: Sarah Anderson of
Rockland, John Hagerty of Abin=
gton, Joffrey Nichols of Brockton, and =
Reilly Poirier of Dennis presente=
d,
from their perspective, the highlights of the Academic and Religious progra=
ms
at Spellman. Their presentati=
on was
real and factual. Better stil=
l, it
was spirited and dynamic. The=
ir
interactions with one another were spontaneous and relaxed. In the words of one parent: “=
;I
couldn’t believe the poise and professionalism of the students—=
and
the rapport they shared!”
=
&nb=
sp; =
“
The=
n, Ms.
Jenson Chairperson of the Religious Studies department and Ms. Davis, Assis=
tant
Principal, further developed the scope and depth of our programs. We are so happy to welcome student=
s of
the Class of 2013 and their parents.
--S=
r.
Patricia Lynch
Dir=
ector of
Admissions
Advancement
Happenings
GOLF CLASSIC
A r=
eminder
that the annual Cardinal Spellman High School Golf Classic will be held on
Monday, June 22nd at LeBaron Hills in Lakeville. The player fees=
are
$160 per person and a foursome for $640. The day begins with registration, =
the
driving range and lunch. The shotgun start is 11:30am and the day ends with=
the
Chip-Off, dinner and awards. Sponsors are welcome. There are Tee/Hole Spons=
ors
for $150. Register online at www.spellmanalumni.com/2009GC
or call the Advancement Office at 508-584-3004. Proceeds from the tournament
benefit Spellman’s athletic programs. We are also looking for volunte=
ers
to help during the day of the tournament.
Conor McDonough ’09 as Joseph in Spellman’s
March production of “Joseph =
and
the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat”
Bra=
vo to
all who supported our ad program book for Joseph and the Amazing Technic=
olor
Dreamcoat! The ad program book helps pay the costs of the royalties,
orchestra, decorations, set design and other miscellaneous expenses. For th=
ose
who attended this wonderful production, you saw the level of professionalism
expected by Mr. McEwan and staff. Thank you!
Sophomore Justin Brazier of Ra=
ndolph
was selected as Norfolk County's third prize winner of AAA's 65th annual
Traffic Safety Poster Contest. The themes for this year’s contest for
grades 9-12 were: distracted driving, drunk driving, and speeding.
Justin's work was sent to AAA's national office to be considered for a nati=
onal
award.
The photo at left was taken by senior Nicole
DaSilva.
&=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; --Mark
Lynott
Cyber Time Sharing &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp;
It&=
#8217;s Research
Paper time. Put aside some time monthly to be with your son or daughter=
on
the computer and designate it as “Cyber” sharing time. Have them
take you to the EBSCO database online. They can access this site thr=
ough
Spellman.com where the user name and password are listed. You can also acce=
ss
EBSCO directly from your home page. Spellman purchases access to this
excellent web site just for them to use.
=
EBSCOhost service provides full tex=
t for
over 460 general interest and current event magazines. (In addition to
scholarly journals general interest magazines such as Consumer Reports,
Business week, People, Time, and many others are included). A second component, HealthSource P=
lus,
provides full text for nearly 280 health periodicals, over 1,100 health
pamphlets, and 20 health reference books. Newspaper Source provides selected
full text articles from 154 U.S. and international newspapers. This site will provide the student=
with more
accurate responses than they receive when using the Google.com website.=
EBSCO is used for research thro=
ughout
the high school years and during their college years and beyond. Try it! If=
you
have any questions regarding
technology, please email me: jmarston@spellman.pvt.k12.ma.us
Sports
Reilly Poirier =
217;09 and Paul Pitts ’09 were recently
named as Winter All Scholastics athletes by The
Brockton Enterprise. In addition, Reilly Poirier was named All Scholast=
ic
by The Boston Herald.
All spring teams have just finished up tryouts and have not played a game to
date. Softball, baseball, and tennis teams begin their seasons on Wednesday,
April 1 and track begins the following week.
--Mike
Gerrish
Athletic
Director
<=
/span>
Senior Happenings
While=
there
are no plans for April events, we are beginning plans for the senior prom a=
nd
grand march. The students are polling their classmates to choose a the=
me
for
these events. The deposit for the prom will be due in April with
the balance due in May. The prom is being held at the Venezia
Restaurant in Boston.
--Lisa Briggs
Parent Connection
Matt
Albanese, a Spellman graduate and attorney, was the guest speaker at o=
ur
March meeting. He spoke to parents about estate planning. Matt followed his
presentation with an informative question and answer session.
We will not have a meeting in April. Our May meeting, which will consist of=
a
Prayer Service led by Deacon Joe, will take place on Wednesday, May 6 at
7:00pm. Please join us.
As the school year winds down, we are looking ahead to the 2009-2010 academ=
ic
year. If you have any suggestions for future meeting topics, please let us
know.
-Laureen Ballard laballard33@gmail=
.com
Harriet Young dillis10@aol.com