Online
Newsletter
Text Only Version
June 2009 Vol. 32
/No. 9
Dear
Parents and Friends of Spellman,
As t=
he
final edition of this year’s Newsletter gets ready to make its appear=
ance
online, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of our Spellman
parents for entrusting your sons and daughters to our care and guidance dur=
ing
the past year. You and your
children have been a blessing for this school.
S=
ince
this will be my last “official” letter to each of you, our Spel=
lman
families, I want to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your
dedication and your friendship over so many years. As I have mentioned before, being
principal/president of
Tog=
ether,
over the past several years, we have established a significant endowment fu=
nd
of over 1.7 million dollars. It is my deepest wish that this fund will cont=
inue
to grow so that a Spellman education will be affordable for all dese=
rving
students. Together, we have introduced new academic, athletic and
extra-curricular programs; our student enrollment has grown significantly; a
new governance structure has been implemented; student services have been
enhanced; fundraising and friendraising have both flourished; the fine arts,
drama and outreach programs have expanded and continue to enrich our
educational program; and we have implemented many plant and campus updates =
and
renovations. Clearly, Spellman has never been as strong as it is today.
I trust that I spe=
ak for
all the parents, and even for the students, when I extend our Spellman
gratitude to the faculty and staff of this school. Their example of loving concern fo=
r each
Spellman student, their fidelity and their dedication all combine to make <=
st1:place
w:st=3D"on">
In
closing, I ask that you keep our entire Spellman family in your thoughts and
prayers and that you commit yourselves to continuing your efforts to advance
the mission of this wonderful school and to collaborate with one another in
weaving our proud past into a powerful future. Know that I am counting on y=
our
prayers too, as I begin a new chapter in my life.
May you all have a=
very
relaxing, happy and peace-filled summer!
Happy Father's Day=
to
all our Spellman Dads!
Peace!
Sister
Thomasine Knowlton, CSJ
President
The=
final
day for students will be on Tuesday, June 16th. On this day, students will have an
opportunity to buy and sell their books to other students. Freshman students will be able to =
pass
in their books with their names, homeroom and cost of the book on a post it
note. These books will be col=
lected
and used at the used book sale, Tuesday evening from 6-7pm. Students whose books are sold
will receive a check for these books made out to the parents. These checks will be mailed out by=
the
end of June.
I e=
ncourage
all of you, parents of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to contact any of =
us
at Spellman when you have questions or concerns. As always we appreciate any feedba=
ck
that you can give us.
I w=
ould
like to thank all of you who have been a support to Sr. Thomasine, Mrs. Dav=
is
and me. We depend on your con=
tinued
support.
Hav= e a safe and happy summer!
M=
s.
Dorothy Lynch
Principal
Summer Hours
Mai=
n office
will be open throughout the summer
Mon=
day
– Thursday 9:00-3:00
Exc=
ept for
the week of July 26th
Par=
ents,
please take careful note of the following information pertinent to final
examinations for all students.
·
Final
exams will begin on Thursday, June 11 and end on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.
Thursday &nb=
sp; MODS
A and B
Friday =
MODS
C and D
Monday =
MODS
E and F
Tuesday &nbs=
p;
MOD =
G and APPROVED MAKE UP EXAMS
·
All
students are required to take final exams in every subject unless they have
been exempted from ONE exam be=
cause
of perfect attendance and punctuality or no office detentions and/or ONE=
exam if they have been on the honor roll for the first three terms.
·
Each
exam is seventy-five minutes long and is preceded by a twenty-minute reading
period in the exam room.
7:45 <=
/span>Opening
prayer &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; 7:45 Opening prayer
7:55 &=
nbsp;
Report to first exam &nbs=
p; 7:50<=
span
style=3D'mso-tab-count:1'> Homeroom duties
8:15 <=
/span>First
exam begins &n=
bsp; =
; 8:50
9:30 <=
/span>First
exam ends &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; 9:10 Exam begins
9:35 <=
/span>Report
to second exam &=
nbsp; 10:25 Exam ends
9:55 <=
/span>Second
exam begins
=
10:25 Announcements
·
Students
with outstanding tuition and/or comprehensive fee will not be eligible to s=
tart
exams until all financial responsibilities have been settled. Students not
eligible to take exams at this time may only make them up before June 30
·
All
students must wear the uniform tennis shirt and will follow the guidelines =
in
the handbook (page 19) to complete their dress down attire.
·
On
each exam day all students will report to homeroom at 7:40 and be ready to
begin morning prayer at 7:45.
Dismissal on Thursday, Friday and Monday for all students will be at
11:15. Dismissal on Tuesday w=
ill be
at 10:30.
·
Early Dismissals are not permitted o=
n exam
days.
·
Students who may be absent from exams for extreme reasons <=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial'>may only be excused and eligib=
le for
make up exams by speaking with the Principal or Assistant Principal.
·
All students
are expected to be in school on Tuesday for an extended homeroom period.
ACADEMIC FAILURE
If a student is in danger of f=
ailing
a course for the year Ms. Davis, Assistant Principal, will contact you duri=
ng
the first week of June regarding details.
Onc=
e again
we would like to remind you of the long-standing policy regarding academic
failure. A student who fails =
one or
two subjects for the year must remove the failure(s) by successful completi=
on
of those courses during Summer School in order to return to Spellman in the
fall. A student who has failed
three or more subjects for the year must continue his/her education
elsewhere. No summer session =
can
adequately compensate for such an extensive academic deficiency.
Inf=
ormation
on summer school programs offered by several of the surrounding communities=
is
available in the CSHS Guidance Office.&nbs=
p;
Spellman does NOT offer=
a
Summer Session.
For=
the
coming school year all students will order textbooks on line at www.varsitybooks.com. We will be sending spe=
cific
instructions to parents in June and these instructions will also be availab=
le
on our website www.spellman.com .<=
span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Students should try to purchase us=
ed
books from other students before purchasing them on line. Juniors had the opportunity to pur=
chase
used books from seniors on Wednesday evening, May 27th.
Fre=
shmen
and sophomores will be given the opportunity to purchase used books from
sophomores and juniors on Tuesday, June 16th if they haven’=
;t
made arrangements for private sales beforehand. Students will be called by class to
report to the cafeteria during the homeroom period to sell/buy books. Students should be prepared to hav=
e cash
on that day if they wish to purchase books.
There are only a few books ava=
ilable
for sale at Spellman in September.
We urge you and your child to
arrange to buy used textbooks.
Stu=
dents
who wish to sell books to the Incoming Freshmen, Class of 2014, may pass in
books (provided they are in excell=
ent
condition) to their subject teachers at the beginning of their exam.
USED BOOK
The=
re will
be a used book sale for the class of 2014 on Tuesday evening June 16th=
from 6:00 -7:00pm.
TEXTBOOK BUY BACK
We =
will
have a representative from Varsity Books on campus Tuesday evening, June 16=
th
from 5:30 – 7:00pm to buy textbooks from students who have been unabl=
e to
sell their textbooks on their own.
Parents/students will be issued a check or a credit with Varsity Boo=
ks
for all purchases. There will=
be no
money exchanged at this event.
&= nbsp;
Ms. Susan Da=
vis
Assistant Principal
Correction! <=
/span>=
It has come to our attention that there was an importan=
t miss-print
in the newspaper regarding the 2009 Class Valedictorian. Cardinal Spellman’s 2009
Valedictorian was Michaela Immar.
Congratulations Michaela, job well done. We wish you the best of luck at
Religious Studies and Campus Ministry
=
The
Parent Prayer Group will
be holding its last meeting for this school year on Wednesday evening, June=
10th
at 7 p.m. in Room #104. All
parents, teachers, and mentors of our students are invited to join us as we
pray for the intentions of the entire community. Mrs. Margi Mannke, a power=
ful
pray-er and parent of a Spellman alum, has done an outstanding job of leadi=
ng
this group for its second year.
Heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Margi! We look forward to her continued
leadership for another year beginning in the fall.
The
newest members of Prayer Posse B recently held an evening of retr=
eat to come together, pray, and share
social time with refreshments. All
other senior ministry students will have similar opportunities at the begin=
ning
of the new school year.
=
Members
of the Religious Studies and Campus Ministry Department would like to extend to stude=
nts,
faculty, and families many blessings for a safe, healthy, and holy summer
vacation!
Guidance
As =
the
Seniors leave
=
The
counselors have been very busy working with the members of the Junior Class
both individually and in groups.
The College Information Program on April 14th was well
attended, and the two speakers, Brian Murphy from
In =
order to
create a college admissions partnership among students, parents, counselors,
and teachers, the Guidance Counselors mailed to each student’s
parent/guardian a “Brag Sheet” for families to complete. Once returned this information will
assist the counselors in not only guiding the paths for the students, but a=
lso
will provide us valuable insights that we can use in writing our letters of
recommendation.
=
&nb=
sp;
Stu=
dents
have also received a Student Portfolio Questionnaire that we would like the=
m to
complete and return to us prior to the close of the school year. If the students put time and thoug=
ht
into filling out this worksheet, they will be more prepared to answer quest=
ions
on applications and in college interviews.=
The juniors also received “Request for Teacher
Recommendation” forms to be filled out and distributed to teachers pr=
ior
to the end of this school year.
Fin=
ally, if
you plan to visit colleges this summer, check the colleges’ websites =
or
contact the admissions offices for information on tours or interviews. All juniors have been given unoffi=
cial
transcripts, and those, along with the junior year report card, could be
informally used at interviews, but not with college applications.
Dur=
ing the
months of February and March in their Computer Application class, sophomores
were introduced to a software package, My Road. This program helps students to dis=
cover
their personality traits so that they can research careers, college majors,=
and
colleges that match their needs.
Although members of the senior and junior classes have had access to
another College Admissions software program, Naviance, the sophomores have
not. At the beginning of June=
, we
created accounts for each member of the Class of 2011 in the student’s
Computer Application class, and the students can now access Naviance at
home. This program will allow
students to do college searches, keep track of their applications, sign up =
to
meet with the college representatives who will be visiting Spellman, and
compare their GPA’s and SATs to the students were accepted at each
college. For parents who want=
to
get a head start on the college admissions process, use the College Board
website at www.collegeboard.com.
Fin=
al exams
are fast approaching. The gui=
dance
counselors shared advice and helpful hints with the freshmen last January on
how to prepare for Midterms. =
The
teachers’ input is applicable now and might be helpful to all of our
students in preparation for finals.
Students are reminded to start preparing now using extra exercises in
the text books, chapter reviews, completed assignments, and previous test a=
nd
quiz materials. Many teachers=
will
provide worksheets, study guides, or give a verbal outline of the final to
assist in preparation. Studen=
ts can
also form study groups, exchange notes and get extra help from teachers.
Advancement
Happenings
The
Advancement Team would like to extent a sincere thanks to all of those facu=
lty,
staff, parents, alumni, students and friends who helped to make this, our 5=
0th
Anniversary year, so very special.
Your time, talent and treasure created a celebration that will forev=
er
be a part of the history of Spellman.
Sister Thomasine,
We will miss you dearly! Your =
legacy
at Spellman is unparalled. Rest assured Spellman’s future is bright a=
nd
that your legacy is safe in our hands. Enjoy retirement!
Your Advancement Team
Thank
you to all the students and parents who participated in the “Empty Yo=
ur
Pockets” day for Sister Thomasine. You raised $1,346.63 for the Sister
Thomasine Knowlton, CSJ Scholarship!
Golf
Classic-June
22, 2009
The=
annual
Cardinal Spellman High School Golf Classic will be held on Monday, June 22<=
sup>nd
at LeBaron Hills Country Club in Lakeville. The player fees are $160=
per
person and a foursome for $640.
&nb=
sp;
The=
day
begins with registration, the driving range and lunch. The shotgun start is
11:30 AM and the day ends with the chip-off, dinner, auction and awards.
Sponsors are welcome. You can register online at www.spellmanalumni.com/2009GC=
or call the Advancement Office at 508 584-3004. Join us for a day of sun, fun and competition!
V=
olunteers
are needed to help with the Golf Tournament. Please contact Susan Ashtonat
508-504-3004 or email her at sashton@spellman.pvt.k12.ma.us.
<= o:p>
Join us for a day of sun, fun and
competition! Once again, all
proceeds from the tournament will benefit Spellman’s athletic program=
s!
Volunteers
We wish to thank all of our volunteers who contin=
uously
give of their time and efforts to work on Spellman’s many programs.
Advancement Summer hours=
:
Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m. R=
11;
3:00 p.m.
Drama
The=
Annual
spring musical entitled&nbs=
p;
“Fifty Years of Tradition” will be held on Friday, J=
une
5th at 7:30pm and Sunday June 7th at 2:00pm. Tickets for the jubilee =
show
will be sold in advance for $7.00 and $10.00 on the day of the performance.=
Sports
Con=
gratulations
to all our athletes for their hard work, and thanks to our fans for their
steady support. We had a great
spring season and are looking forward to the fall season! Have a safe and healthy summer.
Boys
Track
The=
y boys
track team won the Catholic Central League Championship. They finished the year undefeated =
with
the record 6 – 0. This was their first track league =
title
in 15 years!
Girls Track
The girls track team <=
/strong>won the Catholic Central League
Championship. They also finis=
hed
the season undefeated with one tie, record
5 - 0 -1.
Softball
The
Spellman softball team won the Catholic Central League Championship. This is the third straight title a=
nd 7th
title in the last eight years. Their season record: 17 - 3.
Tennis
Bes=
t of
luck to the Spellman tennis team!
They need to defeat Abington twice to get into the State Tournament =
for
the 3rd straight season. (
Baseball - =
Con=
gratulations
to the baseball team. They fi=
nished
this season with the following record:
7 wins - 14 losses
Mike Gerrish
Athletic Directo=
r
=
Parent Connection
We =
would
like to thank everyone who attended the parent connection meetings this sch=
ool
year and look forward to next year. Thank you to all of the parents w=
ho
donated their time so generously helping out at school events. A big
thank you to Harriet Young for serving as Co-Chair - Harriet's son Douglas =
is
graduating and she will not be with us next year. We would like to
welcome Elizabeth Foster-Nolan who has graciously agreed to serve as Co-Cha=
ir
of the Parent Connection with Laureen Ballard. Once again - Thanks for
everything that you have done Harriet - you will be missed.
For=
many,
the academic year is coming to a close.&nb=
sp;
Hopefully, it has been a good year for your son or daughter and that
he/she will prepare well for finals!
For
admissions, there really is no ending.&nbs=
p;
The calls and e-mails keep coming.&=
nbsp;
We have some wonderful young men & women applying and hoping to =
be
part of the Spellman community.
We =
are
beginning our Big Brother/Big Sister Program. Current juniors and seniors are in=
vited
to consider being a BB/BS. On=
ce
again, we have more volunteers than freshmen. This speaks so well for our
students’ welcoming spirit for the Class of 2013. Students had the opportunity to re=
quest
to be a BB/BS if they knew an incoming freshman. If not, the list of incoming fresh=
men
was posted at 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26th. By 7:50 a.m. every freshman=
had a
BB/BS. Students signed up qui=
ckly
and with great enthusiasm. Th=
e only
difficulty is the disappointment for those students who went to sign and gu=
ess
what? Every student already had a BB/BS!&n=
bsp;
Now, their phone calls of welcome begin and plans for summer gatheri=
ngs
will emerge. Hopefully, all will go well.
CLUB NEWS
The Peace Club ended its year =
with
the resounding success of the Peace Prayer Concert after school Friday May
1. Three Spellman, or connect=
ed to
Spellman, bands played to the great enjoyment of all.
Club members baked cookies, th=
ere
was popcorn and soda which added to the fun and defrayed the costs. Special
thanks to the faculty members who came, Sister Norah and Mrs. Gangell.
The Recycling Club has=
been
working hard all year keeping the drinking cans and bottles out of landfill=
s.
We have a very efficient group who usually have the five barrels emptied, c=
ans
and bottles sorted and redeemable items and rinsed by 2:40. This spring we changed our meeting=
days
to Wednesday so members of the track team could get to Recycling. We are always looking for new memb=
ers
and new ideas. Keep recycling over the summer. Thanks.