MCCHS FRIDAY FOCUS
123rd EDITION: August 23, 2019
Pilgrims on the Way of Truth
From the Desk of...
I am so happy to be starting another school year here at Marian Central Catholic! We are excited to be welcoming in the Class of 2023 and new transfer students as well as seeing our returning students walking the halls again!
The entire faculty is primed and ready for a great school year. To prepare, our faculty participated in a full inservice day August 12, focusing on interdepartmental collaboration, policies and procedures, and school goals. All academic departments are continuously updating and improving the quality of instruction and student engagement in order to ensure that the education that we deliver is of high quality and rigor. More specifically, our teachers are working on developing and honing lesson plans that provide students with a variety of approaches to their learning so that students construct their own knowledge, develop critical thinking skills, and become real world problem solvers.
In addition to our continuous improvement with existing curriculum, we are very excited to be offering our IDEA (Innovative Design and Entrepreneurial Application) class as a dual credit class, in conjunction with McHenry County College. Now students in all our Government classes and IDEA will be earning high school and college credit at the same time!
In order to ensure that your student has a successful year here at Marian, here are a couple pieces of valuable information! By now, all parents/guardians should have received an email instructing how you can log into the Parent Portal. When you log in you will find that you have real-time access to your students’ grades and attendance records. If you have concerns or questions about grades or any other classroom issue, please always go to the teacher first, as they have the most direct knowledge about what is going on in the classroom and their specific classroom policies and procedures. You can find teacher contact information and webpages on the Marian website at www.marian.com. Students who find themselves struggling in any classes have several resources to assist them. These include utilizing their teachers’ Google Classroom, OneNote, or Canva platform, lunchtime math and writing labs with student tutors, or signing up for NHS tutors through the Guidance office. The Guidance Counselors, the Academic Resource Department, Father Twenty, and the entire Administrative team are also there to assist students with any issues! We are proud to work as a team to provide your students with what they need to succeed socially, emotionally, spiritually, and academically.
Finally, please be sure to read the information below on our annual Back to School Night, coming up this coming Tuesday, August 27 at 7pm. We look forward to seeing you at Marian Central Catholic as you walk through your students’ daily schedule, meet the teachers and converse with Administration.
As I said earlier, I am very excited for this school year, stepping into the classrooms to see students grow and learn, and become the self-sufficient individuals we know they can be! Please know that my door is always open for your students and all of you.
Prayers for an amazing school year!
Ms. Debra Novy
815-338-4220 x105
Uniform - Hair Regulations
As you know, we have been working hard to enforce uniform and behavioral codes from the first day of school. We are now coming to the third week, and for the most part, the students are really doing a great job respecting the school and its policies! Thank you, parents, for helping us with this! Shoe issues are decreasing, and the students' uniforms are looking much better!
We have, however, been warning quite a few young men about their hairstyles not conforming to the code. During today's end-of-day announcements we reminded them that if their hair is not within the uniform code limits and/or they are not clean shaven, we will start issuing detentions beginning Monday, August 26th.
Please review the following, directly out of the 2019-20 student handbook and help us ensure that all students are looking their best as they represent Marian Central in the classrooms and on the fields.
Boys Hair must always be neat and combed and no longer than the eyebrows in front, top of the collar in the back, and top of ears on the sides. Neither should hair fall forward covering the student’s eyes or cheeks. Hair must be of the student’s natural color. Ponytails, shags, multi-layered cuts are not acceptable. Spiked (hair height exceeding 2” at any area of the head) or bleached hair is not acceptable. Severe styles (including shaved part(s) of the head) are not acceptable. Hair restriction devices (headbands, rubber bands, etc.) are prohibited.
Girl's Hair must be neat, combed, and of the student’s natural color. Severe styles (including shaved part(s) of the head, including shaved designs) are not acceptable. Bleached or colored (pink, blue, etc.) hair is not acceptable.
Thank you for your support!
Attention Sports Fans!
Cheer for your favorite Hurricanes at this year's
Red & White Scrimmage Football Game
Friday, August 23rd
JV at 6:00 PM
Varsity at 7:15 PM
Please bring a non-perishable food item
Please remember the rules below when attending ANY Marian athletic events…
1) Students must have their school ID with them, or may be subject to paying admission.
2) No backpacks or outside food or drink are allowed in the football stadium or either gymnasium.
3) Please remind your students, they are ALWAYS representing our school; shorts and skirts should be at fingertip length and bare midriff and strapless shirts are not allowed. If a student arrives in clothing that is unacceptable, they will be refused entry until it has been corrected.
Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and appropriate environment for our families to enjoy athletic events. Come cheer on your football team Friday night and have some fun!
Deadline extended -- there is still time to order football spiritwear!
Please submit orders to the Athletic Office no later than Monday, August 26th
Click here for the order form.
Back to School Night
Please note that in preparation for this event, students will be dismissed at noon on August 27th.
Need Marian Central Spiritwear? On Target, our spiritwear provider, will be on site with Marian Central spiritwear items to purchase during Back to School Night. Wear your Hurricane pride!
Yard Signs
If you did not pick up your Marian Central yard sign, please do so no later than Monday, August 26th. Contact Mrs. Bordeaux for additional information.
Join the Fine Arts Boosters
The Fine Arts Boosters are a parent organization that supports the students and teachers involved with art, band, choir, and theater groups. We have talented students with talented parents. We are responsible for refreshments at all Fine Art events, as well as meals for theater rehearsals. Do you like to sew, paint or build? The Fine Arts committee helps with costumes for the musical groups and theater. We also are in need of artistic and talented parents who like to create, build and paint. We fundraise at the theater performances to help support the arts programs and auditorium improvements. Come and join in the fun getting involved with very talented parents for our very talented students!
Our First Meeting:
Tuesday, September 3 at 6:30 pm in the Annex
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact:
Amy Birkhoff, President (815) 385-8853 tatabirk@hotmail.com
Patty Meyers-Kita, Secretary (847) 650-8671 pbmeyers@sbcglobal.net
Terese Paulson, Treasurer (815) 337-7633 terese.paulson@sbcglobal.net
Parents Association - 1st Meeting of the Year
The first meeting of the Parents Association will be Wednesday, September 4th at 7:00 pm in the Annex. Come learn more about the events hosted by the MCPA and ways you can help! If you cannot attend and still wish to help, please email Mrs. Bordeaux so we can keep you on email communication.
Athletic Boosters Club
The first meeting will be on Thursday, September 5, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the Marian Central Cafeteria. Please join us and learn ways to support your Hurricanes!
Say "Cheese"
FALL SPORTS TEAM PICTURE SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 12
2:45 PM Girls Golf
3:00 PM JV Boys Golf
3:15 PM Varsity Boys Golf
3:30 PM JV Girls Tennis
3:50 PM Varsity Girls Tennis
4:10 PM Dance/Pom
4:30 PM Cheerleading
Senior Photos
The 2019-20 school year is underway and it is time to think about Senior Pictures! Each year, these pictures are taken for the senior composite, which is hung in the Commons area and printed in the yearbook. Copies of the photographs may be purchased from DeWane Studio in Woodstock if desired. If you know that you will have special circumstances that preclude your student from participating in pictures at the time or on the day assigned to them, please notify Mrs. DiSilvio at 815-338-4220, ext. 107 or email at ldisilvio@marian.com. Schedules will be posted prior to picture days.
Please remember that these photos are the traditional yearbook “portrait” that features each student’s head and upper torso, which is why we require ALL students to wear dress pants or uniform pants and appropriate shoes.
Senior Women:
...will be photographed on Tuesday, September 17th. Appropriate attire on this day includes dress pants or uniform pants and a blouse or sweater that covers the shoulders. Dresses/skirts are not allowed. No nose rings/studs, facial piercing, and no more than two earrings per ear will be permitted on girls. Since students are expected to follow a full day of course scheduling, appropriate and comfortable shoes are recommended. High heels are discouraged.
Senior Men:
...will be photographed on Wednesday, September 18th. Suitable dress on this day includes a white shirt and tie, a sport coat or suit coat, and dress pants or uniform pants. No nose rings/studs, facial hair, facial piercing, and no earrings will be permitted on boys.
Hair for girls and boys must conform to Student Handbook guidelines.
Thank you for your cooperation and your support of the dress code listed above.
Congratulations as we celebrate this exciting milestone!
College Corner
Financial Aid Information Night will be held on Tuesday, September 24th 2019 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. in the Auditorium. This program will provide families with an understanding of how families’ financial need is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile and how colleges use that information to award need-based financial aid. This year’s presenter will be Susan Teerink, the Associate Vice Provost for Financial Aid and Enrollment Services at Marquette University. This program is open to students and parents from all grade levels, however junior and senior families are strongly encouraged to attend.
Drivers Education
Classes will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45 - 4:45 pm beginning Thursday, October 3rd. Classes end November 26th and students must be 15 by the last day of class. Top Driver offers several programs to choose from.
To enroll or for further information, please call Top Driver at 800-374-8373 or visit www.topdriver.com.
12 graduates of Marian Central are currently members of our staff. Can you guess who they are? Check next week's Friday Focus for a list, and see if you were right!