MCCHS FRIDAY FOCUS
129th EDITION: October 4, 2019
Pilgrims on the Way of Truth
From the Desk of Rev. Jared Twenty
I can’t believe it’s already Homecoming! I can’t believe it's already October! I can’t believe they’re already playing Christmas music!
It’s a common thing we all talk about during this season. After finally settling in to the beginning of a new school year, October always seems to catch us off guard. It’s a reminder for us to take a step back. To not take things for granted. To remember that life is short.
It’s fitting, then, that in the life of the Church, October is especially devoted to the Holy Rosary. In that beautiful prayer we prayerfully and intentionally repeat the Hail Mary, over and over again. This is no vain repetition of meaningless words. Rather, it is a way of entering ever more deeply in to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, with and through the loving guidance of His Mother. Each time we recite it, we ask her to “pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.” We are acknowledging at the spiritual level something we all recognize at the cultural level. Time flies by. Life is short. Far from feeling defeated by this inevitable truth, through the Rosary we are assured that every moment in this life until the very end can be filled with purpose and hope, knowing that our loving Mother is always right by our side.
Every day in October at Marian Central, we are meditating on a different mystery of the Rosary in our morning prayer. I invite everyone reading this to please consider praying the Rosary this month. I’d like to be so bold as to challenge you to join me in praying the Rosary every single day. It only takes 15 minutes!
Every day too much for you? Try once a week. Still too much? Pray it once. A great day would be on Monday, October 7th, on the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary. Pray it with your family. Pray it on a run or a walk. Pray it in the car or on the train to work. Whatever works for you, just try it!
Sure, it might be difficult at first. But I promise you, the more you pray the Holy Rosary with patience and trust, you will be amazed at how beautiful a prayer this can be, and how helpful it is in growing closer to Jesus. You will also see, if you keep your eyes of faith open, that it is a powerful prayer of intercession. So please pray it for yourselves, pray it for your loved ones, pray it for Marian Central, and while you’re at it - please pray it for me!
If you’d like to learn how to pray the Holy Rosary, here’s a helpful resource:
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm
May the Blessed Mother always lead you to closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and may she keep you and your families in the loving arms of her protection!
God bless,
Fr. 20
Chapel Schedule
Fr. Twenty will be attending a retreat.
The Dangers of Vaping
As you may be aware, the news has highlighted more and more the dangers of teen vaping. Many parents and other family members are becoming concerned and want additional information about what these devices look like and its effects on the human body. The Illinois Board of Education shared a simple guide from the Illinois Department of Health that will help you stay informed, with links to more information, if you choose to learn more.
Please click here for additional information regarding e-cigarettes and vaping.
Did You Know?
The week also brought the fun of a Friday night bonfire rally, a snake dance and a jubilant football victory over St. Francis. Half-time festivities sponsored by the Student Council included the ever popular hula-hoop contest and a strength defining tug-of-war.
The week ended with the Homecoming Dance, complete with refreshments, balloons, streamers and excited students. The coronation of the first Homecoming King and Queen reflected the radiant spirit of the weekend!
How exciting it is to know that the tradition of the Marian Central Homecoming lives on!
Principal's Coffee
Caps, Gowns & Tassels
It’s hard to believe, but preparations are already underway for graduation! A representative from Jostens met with our seniors on Monday to present information regarding ordering caps and gowns. A packet of information was sent home with each senior that describes the ordering process and also offers additional items that are available for purchase.
Regardless of whether you are interested in purchasing any additional items, the order form must be returned indicating the student’s height and weight in order to receive a cap, gown and tassel. Please note that each student will receive a cap, gown and tassel. You do not need to pay for these items as they are included in the graduation fee that you have already paid. You only need to pay for additional items as you so choose.
Our Jostens representative will be back at Marian on Thursday, October 10th to collect the orders directly from each senior. The cap and gown order must be turned in at this time. Thank you! We look forward to a very special graduation event in May!
Uniform Sale
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. Please watch your mail for specific directions on scheduling conferences. Letters were mailed to each home yesterday.
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.
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