MCCHS FRIDAY FOCUS
128th EDITION: September 27, 2019
Pilgrims on the Way of Truth
From the Desk of...
It’s hard to believe that we have already been in school for six weeks! (can’t really count our impromptu “fall break” due to the lightning!) To put it in perspective, in only about three weeks we will be at the midpoint of the first semester! For those of you who were here in years past, that time would have met us with preparations for quarter exams. This year, however, we are working on a two-semester calendar, which will allow more continuity in instruction and a smoother pacing through the coursework. Instead of the arbitrary quarter exam midway through the semester, the teachers are better able to continuously assess their students based on the content covered and measure mastery of units when they have received the necessary instructional experiences.
What does that mean for students and parents? This means that when you check the portal and look at the grades, you should see a wider variety of assignments leading to more consistent and predictable assessments. When our students are provided the necessary classwork, labs, discussions, homework, and projects they are better able to show growth and achievement on their summative assessments.
Research shows that when students make a habit of progress-monitoring (checking their own grades and determining where they need additional assistance) they begin to set personal academic goals and begin planning out steps to achieving those goals. Parents can model that behavior and build this skill with their own student through the use of the grades portal. It not only gives you the current grade your student had earned at any given point, but it also provides information on whether there is any missing work, which assignments they may be struggling on, and whether they have taken advantage of remediation, extra credit, or taken care of make up work. When looking at the portal, please take special notice of any zeros. If the student has a zero it could be that the students did not hand in an assignment or the student was absent the day it was due. Either way, it is important, once identified, for the student to take care of those missed opportunities for learning, and make it right as quickly as possible so it does not continue to effect their overall grade or even eligibility to participate in an extracurricular activity or sport. Through this practice, students will start to self-regulate and take greater responsibility for their own learning.
Our faculty is always willing to help any student who may be struggling, needs to make up work, or just needs an extra nudge. We always encourage our students to be the first to reach out to the teachers for help, but we also understand that some students need additional guidance. In that case, any teacher can be contacted via email or phone call at your convenience and will respond within 2 business days. They are more than willing to meet one-on-one before or after school with any student who needs additional help. We also have both math and writing labs open daily during lunch hours, NHS tutors available, and an Academic Resource program for those who need additional accommodations.
I am really pleased with the forward momentum that is occurring in all the classes this year. The variety of learning experiences and unique projects our students have been engaged in is phenomenal! Thanks to all the teachers for their tireless work, and thanks to all of the families that support not only their own students, but Marian Central Catholic High School. I am thankful that At Marian, Christ Lives!
Ms. Debra Novy
Principal
Homecoming Preparations - The Excitement is Building!
Decorating the Halls for Homecoming
All students are invited to help their Student Council representatives decorate the hallways for Homecoming. The juniors are decorating today after school and the freshmen, sophomores, and seniors are decorating on Saturday morning from 10 am-12 pm. Help your class win the best decorated hallway!
Homecoming Dance Donations and Volunteers
Thank you to Marian families who have committed donations to the Homecoming dance. Please drop off your donations to the school office by Wednesday, October 2nd. We are still in need of a few volunteers to help with decorating on Saturday, October 5 from 8-11 am, set up from 5:30-7 pm, and helping at the dance from 6:45-10:15 pm. If you are available to help with any of these Homecoming dance preparations, please sign up here.
Homecoming Parade - convertibles needed!
We are bringing back the tradition of the Homecoming parade! Our students, clubs, organizations, and athletic teams will show their Hurricane pride with the parade around the Woodstock Square on Thursday, October 3 at 3:30 pm. Come cheer them on throughout the parade route. For more information about the parade, click here. If you have a convertible that you would be willing to drive two members of the Homecoming Court in the parade, please contact Mrs. Bordeaux at kbordeaux@marian.com.
Spirit Points
The class that earns the most spirit points by the end of costume judging on Friday morning will be announced at the end of Friday's pep rally. The winning class will receive a SPIRIT DRESS DOWN DAY ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 7TH!
Spirit points will be awarded next week for:
- Best hall decorations
- Helping with hall decoration
- Dressing up for theme days
- Winning daily costume judging contests in the cafeteria before school
- Donation of food items at the Powder Puff game
Homecoming Timeline
MCCHS SEMI/FORMAL DRESS CODE GUIDELINES
HOMECOMING CELEBRATION TIMELINE:
Sept. 30th (Mon.) – Seniors meet with Jostens 3rd period for a cap & gown presentation in the Auditorium. Seniors will vote for Homecoming King/Queen after the presentation.
Oct. 3rd (Thurs.) – 3:30 pm Homecoming Parade on the Woodstock Square
Oct. 3rd (Thurs.) - 7:00 pm POWDER PUFF GAME! (Personal Care Item Donation or $2 at Gate!)
Oct. 4th (Fri.) -
· 8:55 am: All School Mass in Landers Pavilion
· 1:34 pm: PEP ASSEMBLY in Landers Pavilion
· 5:00 pm: Frosh/Soph Football Game vs Carmel
· 6:15 pm: Homecoming Court & their parents report to Father’s Club Pavilion
· 6:45 pm to 7:00 pm: HOMECOMING KING/QUEEN ANNOUNCED (on the field)
· 7:30 pm: Homecoming Varsity Football Game vs Carmel
Oct. 5th (Sat.) 7:00 - 10:00 pm - HOMECOMING DANCE in Landers Pavilion
Please note: we will not allow students to ENTER the dance after 8:00pm. Students are NOT allowed to bring bags/backpacks or outside food or drink to the dance. Also, Marian Central cannot “hold” students until a designated time; however, if students leave the dance, they are not allowed back in. Please make sure you know your students’ plans for the evening.
Tuition Payment Due
Did You Know?
Athletic Boosters
The Marian Central Athletic Booster Club has been formed! Congratulations to the board members who were voted in at the meeting this week:
President - John Schwalbach
Vice President - Chuck Kramer
Treasurer - Theresa Yegge
Co-Secretaries - Jeni Hopp & Nikole Burke
Directors - Shelly Schwalbach & Janelle Nichols
All meetings will be held at 7:30 pm in the cafeteria and all are welcome to attend.
Thursday, October 17
Wednesday, November 13
Wednesday, December 18
Wednesday, January 15
Wednesday, February 12
Wednesday, March 18
Wednesday, April 15
Wednesday, May 13
Parent/Teacher Conferences
REMINDER: Although we had originally scheduled our parent/teacher conferences for Friday, Oct. 25 from 8am to 8pm, we recently realized that this may not work, given there is a home football game that same night. In an effort to ensure that both teachers and parents have ample opportunity to meet and discuss their students' academics, we are revising the conference days and times.
Conferences will now be
Thursday, Oct. 24th from 5pm to 8pm
AND
Friday, Oct. 25th from 8am to 2pm
The parent portal to schedule your conferences will be open from 8:00 am on Monday,
October 14th through 3:00 pm on Friday, October 18th. You will be provided directions on how to log in and schedule your conferences soon.
We hope that this adjustment is not too inconvenient; rather that it will be a welcomed adjustment so teachers and parents will be able to both have engaging conferences as well as enjoy the Friday night home game!
McHenry County College Events
On October 16th, MCC will have one-hour sessions that include tours and information planned for seniors who are looking for post secondary information. MCC would welcome the opportunity to share their facilities and answer questions. Here is a link to this event: https://www.mchenry.edu/dayoff/
November 13th is MCC Night from 5:30-7:30, where seniors can go in and apply to MCC with no application fee. They will also be giving financial aid, activities and athletics presentations.
Calling all Hurricane Fans!
What? It's free?
Yes, free! Tutoring is available to all Marian Central students at no charge for all subjects through Marian Central's National Honor Society. Please click here to print the sign-up form.
March for Life
SCOIR Application Introduced to Juniors
Mr. Stamatakos is pleased to announce that we met with the Junior class on 9/19 during the extended homeroom period to introduce a new system called SCOIR which will help you and your student navigate the college selection and application process. During the meeting, students gained access to SCOIR and can now send you an email invitation so that you can link to their account. As a parent, you will be able to view their profiles, see their college list, conduct your own college searches, and suggest colleges for your student to consider. SCOIR also provides parents with financial tools so that you can get a better sense of the cost of attendance at various colleges during the selection process.
We are excited to be able to provide SCOIR to our students and families, and we feel confident that you will find it helpful and easy to use. Before you get started, please take a few moments to watch the brief videos below to help you become familiar with how to use SCOIR:
Parent Overview: https://vimeo.com/347378232
Student Overview: https://vimeo.com/327074907
Standardized Testing for Freshmen, Sophomores & Juniors
All Freshmen and Sophomores will be taking the PreACT test, and all Juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT here at Marian Central (start time 8:05 a.m.) on October 16. This will be a shortened school day and all buses will run according to the shortened schedule. Test results will be distributed to and reviewed with students as soon as they're available in either December or January.
We encourage all students to take the test seriously as the results provide valuable information to be used to prepare for ACT and SAT tests and resources to aid in the career/college planning process. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Guidance Department. To familiarize yourself with the tests, please click on the following links:
PSAT: https://parents.collegeboard.org/college-board-programs/psat-nmsqt
PreACT: https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/PreACT_WhyTake.pdf
College Counselor's Corner
Practice ACT
4 Seats left for Practice ACT in the Library
The Marian Central Catholic H. S. Library is offering an opportunity for Juniors to take a complete practice ACT test, spread out over two after-school sessions. The testing will take place on October 9 (2:30 - 5:00) and October 10 (2:30 - 4:00). These are official practice tests from ACT, and students will receive scaled scores for each test section and subsection. This is an opportunity for Marian students to get an idea of the types of questions they will be seeing on the real test. They will also experience the ACT testing environment, complete with proctored instructions, ACT rules, and more than one test in one sitting. Test seating is limited to the first 25 students to register. If you are interested, please print the form linked below, complete the signature block, and return it to the Marian library no later than October 7. You will be notified by e-mail once your form has been received. Watch the Marian website for up- to-date information on the number of seats available.