MCCHS FRIDAY FOCUS
93rd Edition: November 23, 2018
Pilgrims on the Way of Truth
Or should we call this our "Sunday Source"?
Our first annual Hurricane Day really picked up momentum as the day went on! It was wonderful to see the social media posts from so many alumni and current students - and it really hit home just how special Marian Central is to so many of us. We here at Marian Central are called to protect and continually improve this school and all it represents.
WEEK AT-A-GLANCE November 24 - 30 , 2018
7:45 am: Daily Mass in Chapel
4th - 6th pds: Confessions in Chapel
7:45 am: Daily Mass offered in Chapel
4th - 6th pds: Adoration in Chapel
2:30 pm: Confession in Chapel
2:45 pm: Musical Crew Interest Meeting in Auditorium
7:45 am: Daily Mass in Chapel
3rd pd: Cosmetology & Spa Academy - Crystal Lake rep in Guidance
2:30 pm: Confession in Chapel
4th - 6th pds: Adoration during all lunches in Chapel
8th pd: Army/ROTC rep in Guidance
5:30 pm: Girls Soph Basketball vs Joliet Catholic
7:00 pm: Girls Var. Basketball vs Joliet Catholic
7:00 pm: Theatre 2 Showcase in Auditorium
Check out our detailed Athletic Calendar for all practice times, team dinners, and "Away" games for this week!
For a detailed calendar of all MCCHS Clubs & Organizations meetings and events, please see our Clubs & Organizations Website!
Making the Shortened Schedule Count!
March for Life! January 16-20, 2019
Juniors and Seniors are also welcome to ADD this very important event in addition to their grade-level spiritual retreat!
Please see Father Twenty or CLICK HERE for all the registration information!
Yes, Marian...there IS a Santa Claus!
Details and Rules for the contest will be in our next Friday Focus - so stay tuned!
Register your 6th - 8th Grader for our 9th Annual RISE UP Leadership Development Conference!
Calling all 6th - 8th Graders!
Unlock your LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL by attending our annual Rise Up! Conference at Marian Central!
WHAT: 9th Annual Rise Up! Leadership Development Conference
WHERE: Marian Central Catholic High School
HOST: MCCHS National Honor Society
WHEN: Saturday, December 8, 2018 from 9am - 3pm
DETAILS: Lunch provided
Past participants have gone on to become some of Marian Central's most influential, successful student leaders! Come make new friends who share a passion to make a difference in the world, and learn immediately applicable leadership skills to take back to your middle schools!
LATE REGISTRATION is welcome (t-shirt may not be guaranteed)
$10.00 per student
(checks payable to Marian Central Catholic High, please note "Rise Up!" in memo area!)
Email riseup.marian@gmail.com with registration form, or any questions!
DOWNLOAD the 2018 Rise Up Registration Form and bring your friends with you for an amazing, informative day!
College Counselor's Corner
Sometimes, a writer needs to take a break and let others do the talking. That’s what I’m going to do for two of the next four installments of the “College Counselor’s Corner.”
These next four posts will focus on the theme of college majors and major selection. Here are some fun statistics, courtesy of the University of Cincinnati’s Center for Exploratory Studies, about college students and their academic plans:
- 80% of college-bound students are undecided about their major selection
- 50% of college-bound students who enter college with declared majors switch majors. Many do so 2-3 times during their college careers
- Up to 75% of all college students change their major at least once
Choosing a major is a hot topic in my conversations with students and their families. Yet, I feel like it often takes a back seat to other concerns like admission and financial aid. It’s important, to be sure. But I always remind students and families that college is a time for self-discovery; a time when students identify their strengths and passions and find meaningful and realistic ways to link both. Students are often surprised to learn that a student who majors in Chemistry could teach English as a Second Language in Korea, that an English major could become a Psychotherapist, or that a Broadcast/Electronic Communications major could wind up as the first full-time College Counselor in Marian Central Catholic High School’s history.
The first installment of this four-part series is a story that I’ve held on to for years, looking for an opportune time to share it. It came from the Spring 2014 edition of a newsletter published at St. Norbert College by that school’s Program of Faith, Learning, and Vocation. The story in question was written by an author named Will Weaver. At the time I saw this story, Weaver was teaching creative writing and literature at Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minnesota. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in English, then headed to California and the Stanford Writing Program. He completed his M.A. in Creative Writing at Stanford, focusing on short stories, the genre that launched his career as a writer. His short story collections and novels have earned the praise of reviewers from coast-to-coast.
I’ll let Weaver’s story stand on its own as the “meat and potatoes” of this week’s post. Next week, I’ll offer a reflection on Weaver’s story and how it so perfectly articulates the anxiety so many of our young people feel these days when considering their lives after high school.
The full text of the story can be found at: https://goo.gl/M43QBJ
Qapla’!
Jim Stamatakos
College Counselor
815-338-4220 x120