MCCHS FRIDAY FOCUS
137th EDITION: December 6, 2019
From the Desk of Mr. Vito C. DeFrisco
Dear Parents,
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas, patron saint of sailors and children.
December 1 marked the start of this year’s Advent season. Advent is the beginning of the Church’s Liturgical Year. Advent, (from, "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas. Advent is a time of hope, joy and patiently waiting for the coming of the Lord. Thank you for allowing me to share this wonderful Advent and Christmas season with you.
This past month, we have been busy looking at ways we could improve our athletic fields, replacing some equipment in the cafeteria kitchen, and finalizing the roof repairs. To date, we have signed a contract with a landscaper to remove some trees and shrubs in an effort to improve the drainage at the Field of Dreams. They will also be removing some tall grass in various areas of the property. Once this has been accomplished, we will be conducting some excavating to improve the drainage. We are hopeful that these improvements will be completed before the spring sports season.
Over Christmas break, we are having the cafeteria dishwasher (which is now approaching 60 years old), replaced. It has served us well. Finally, we are working hard to replace the steel support beams in that portion of the roof that was hit by lightning. We are confident that these improvements will be completed in a timely manner.
As we wait joyfully for the Christmas season, I am including a favorite scripture passage and a link from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This link includes a number of Advent and Christmas resources you and your family might benefit from.
http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/advent/index.cfm
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High” Luke 1:30-32
Once again, on behalf of the Marian faculty, staff, and administration, we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year!
Sincerely in Christ,
Vito C. DeFrisco
Tuition Reminder
Semester exams begin December 18th. Please be sure your tuition account is at least half paid per the tuition policy below. Thank you.
TUITION PAYMENT POLICY: No student will be allowed to take first semester exams unless his/her tuition is current. Therefore, a minimum of one-half of the family tuition must be paid prior to the first semester exams. No student will be allowed to take second semester exams unless his/her tuition and any other fees are paid in full. In the event a family finds itself in an extraordinary circumstance, a request for an exception to the first semester payment policy can be made to the Superintendent. The written request is to include an explanation of the extraordinary circumstance accompanied by a payment plan. The Superintendent has the authority to make such an exception if it is deemed appropriate and the payment plan is acceptable. A family’s payment history will be examined in making such a decision. There are no exceptions to this policy at the end of the second semester. Once two weeks of a quarter are completed, the full quarter's tuition is required.
Freshmen Placement Test
Attention Future Hurricanes - Class of 2024
Please join us for our placement test
Saturday, December 7, 2019; 8:00 am
No pre-registration necessary
If your student is unable to attend on the 7th, we are offering an alternate date
Wednesday, December 18th; 12:00 noon
If you plan to bring your student on the 18th,
please call our Guidance Office at 815-338-4220 x115 to register.
Access to Grades
Underclassmen Photos - Retakes
DeWane Studios will be back to take underclassmen portraits (retakes or absences) on Wednesday, December 11th. These are the photos that will be used in the annual yearbook - so it's very important that we have all students take their portraits!
Should you wish to order photos, download this Photo Order Form, and send in with your student with payment (checks payable to DeWane Studio) on December 11th.
All photos will be taken during lunch periods - so students can sign out of the cafeteria to get their portraits done quickly in the Main Commons!
Sounds of the Season
Christmas Choral and Band Concert
Featuring Band, Choir, Madrigals & Rolling Tones
Wednesday, December 11th; 7:00 pm
Bring your entire family
Enjoy beautiful songs of the season
Admission is free
Gift Idea - "The Shirt"
Need some stocking stuffers for Christmas? Well, we have a deal for you! We still have some of "The Shirts" left. We are slashing prices to only $10 per shirt but there is very limited stock left. The sizes available are listed below and there are no 2XLs. If you are interested, please email Laura Littner at llittner@marian.com to reserve your shirt. Then, simply bring in your money and pick up the shirt. It is as easy as that!! Remember all money raised goes to support the Don Penza Scholarship Fund. Thanks for your support!!
Sizes Available
6: 3XL
8: XL
18: Large
2: Mediums
3: Small
More Gift Ideas - Spirit Wear Sale
Everything will be on sale!! On Target is offering a sale on Marian Central spirit wear with discounts of 15% - 25% off regular prices. All sales are subject to stock on hand. Representatives will be on site at the athletic events listed below. Don't miss out on a great gift for your Hurricane!
Friday, December 6th (tonight!) - Boys basketball vs. St. Viator, games at 5:30 and 7:00 pm
Thursday, December 12th - Girls basketball vs. Carmel; games at 5:30 and 7:00 pm
Monday, December 16th (Ugly Christmas Sweater Game) - Boys basketball vs McHenry; games at 5:30 and 7:00 pm
College Corner
The fourth and final installment of Mr. Stamatakos’s “Direct Admission” series is here!
Save the Date: Marian Dinner Auction!
We are excited to announce that Marian Central's Annual Dinner Auction will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2020, at the Starline Factory in Harvard. We anticipate over 400 Marian supporters enjoying a casual, social evening, featuring great food and fun activities, as we surpass our goal of raising $100,000 for our school. More details to follow. We look forward to celebrating the school's 60th Anniversary with you!
St. Nick's Essay Contest
Students received a candy cane from our Parent Association during their lunch period today to celebrate the Feast of Saint Nicholas. For the next couple of weeks, students will be listening for St. Nicholas trivia questions over the intercom. Today’s trivia question was:
Where was St. Nicholas born?
a) Denmark
b) Greece
c) Turkey or
d) The North Pole
The correct answer is . . . “C”, Turkey!
And, just a reminder, if students want a chance to win $50 cash, they can email 100 words or less to Assistant Principal Price for the St. Nicholas Essay Contest, “Be Like Nick”. 2 contest winners will be announced and each awarded $50 cash on Friday, December 20. Details are on Marian’s social media and on flyers throughout the school. Remember . . . #BeLikeStNick!
https://twitter.com/MarianCentral
https://www.facebook.com/MarianCentralCatholic/
https://www.instagram.com/mariancentralcatholic/
Dates to Remember
Wednesday, December 18th - Exams periods 1 & 2; 10:45 am dismissal
Thursday, December 19th - Exams periods 3,4-6, 7; 12:05 pm dismissal
Friday, December 20th - Exams periods 8 & 9; 10:45 am dismissal
Monday, December 23 through Friday, January 3rd - Christmas break; no classes
Monday, December 23rd through Wednesday, January 1st - office closed
Thursday, January 2nd and Friday, January 3rd - office open 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Monday, January 6th - Classes Resume