Monday Evening News 1.18.2021
January 18, 2021
MONDAY EVENING NEWS
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Peace & Greetings,
EVENING REFLECTION & PRAYER
John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he had said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi …, where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.”
Many say that seeing is believing. Thanks be to God that we have seen the face of the Father’s mercy in Jesus Christ. At every celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we come into the presence of Jesus – we are washed clean and redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. We see heaven open – and we are invited to share in this fountain of salvation.
May we also use our eyes of faith to see injustice around us – the offenses against human life from conception to natural death. The offenses against love and truth. With the eyes of faith may we respond to these needs around us so we can see God’s mighty hand working in our lives. It is in Jesus that we live, move, and have our being.
Let us pray,
May we also pray for our Nation this week – for peace to reign in the hearts of all people.
Almighty ever-living God, who govern all things, both in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the pleading of your people and bestow your peace on our times. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Have a blessed and peaceful week, Fr. Glen, Chaplain
SCHOOL CALENDAR
Week of January 18 – 22, 2021
Monday, (No School); Tuesday, (Day 2); Wednesday, (Day 3); Thursday, (Day 1) and Friday, (Day 2)
END OF FIRST SEMESTER/SECOND MARKING PERIOD
Just a reminder that the First Semester/Second Marking Period ends this Friday, January 22, 2021. Students are strongly encouraged to see their teachers or school counselor this week to make-up any missed assignments that will adversely affect your grades.
WEEKDAY MASS
Our weekday Mass this week will be held on Wednesday, January 20 at 7:15 am. While all are invited, student house and advisory leaders are asked to represent the school body as we pray for our nation on inauguration day. Please enter St. Gregory the Great Church by the side parking lot entrance.
MARCH FOR LIFE DAY – JANUARY 29
St. Paul Catholic High School’s participation in the annual Archdiocese of Hartford March for Life Pilgrimage to Washington, D.C., has grown in recent years, reaching a record of 150 student pilgrims in January 2000. However, it was recently announced that the pandemic has resulted in the national March for Life becoming virtual in 2021. “In light of the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic which may be peaking, an in view of the heightened pressures that law enforcement officers and others are currently facing in and around the Capitol, this year’s March for Life will look different.”
The Archdiocese and St. Paul Respect Life Club student leaders planned not to travel to D.C. for some time instead organizing events in Hartford and on our campus on Friday, January 29, 2021, to coincide with the now virtual national March for Life. In addition to many events that day, we are pleased to announce that Archbishop Blair has agreed to address our pilgrims in a live virtual Q&A session that morning.
Students received information in religion class on this year’s March for Life campus schedule. Those interested were asked to submit the application to participate and return to Sister Marie Benedict Elliott, smbenedict@spchs.com by last Friday, January 15. Last call: tomorrow will be the last day to sign up, if interested, so our plans can be finalized.
ADMISSIONS NEWS
Our next Open House is scheduled for Saturday, January 23, 2021 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm and the next
Placement Exam is Saturday, February 6, 2021 at 8:00 am. For in-person or virtual appointments visit https://spchs.com/openhouse/ or https://spchs.com/placement-exam-registration/.
We also have a Virtual Informational Session on January 27, 2021 at 7:00 pm for anyone interested in learning more about St. Paul – a virtual tour around the school and a Q&A session at the conclusion of the tour. Please share these dates with your family, friends, co-workers, etc. Questions? Please reach out to our Admissions Office: mcrowley@spchs.com or cmone@spchs.com.
2021-2022 TUITION ASSISTANCE
St. Paul Catholic High School uses an independent consultant, FACTS Grant & Aid, to evaluate financial need. Anyone who wishes to be considered for tuition assistance for the 2021-2022 school year will need to apply to FACTS Grant & Aid. The online application, FAQs and more detailed information about the process can be found at www.spchs.com/parents/tuition-assistance. Applications for returning students, must be submitted to FACTS Grant & Aid by February 5, 2021, with the required documentation and application fee of $35.
GUIDANCE NEWS
Class of 2022, please complete the Junior personal reflection survey in Naviance! This must be completed before your counselor can schedule your junior planning meeting!
The Perry Initiative is offering a Virtual Experience that is a free, 2.5-hour, interactive online experience for high school and college-aged women who are interested in pursuing careers in orthopedic surgery and engineering. Participants will hear from women leaders in these fields and dive into online orthopedic simulations and biomechanics experiments. Additional information can be found on their
website: https://perryinitiative.org/pve/
Virtual college fair! BigFuture Days brought to you by the College Board. Register for these exciting events to learn about a variety of different college experiences and options. https://pages.collegeboard.org/big- future-days
CONGRATULATIONS to the following Seniors on their recent college acceptances:
Alecia Barbieri Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Joshua Silva Providence College & Russell Sage College
Seniors are reminded to notify their school counselor if they want their college acceptances to be acknowledged.
ATHLETICS
START OF WINTER SPORTS SEASON
The CIAC 2021 Winter Sports Plan was approved and released on Thursday, January 14, 2021. It can be viewed at the following link – https://www.casciac.org/pdfs/CIAC_Approved_Winter_Sports_Plan_v1-14- 2020.pdf
Basketball
A reminder that basketball practice for Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores will begin on Tuesday, January
- Girls planning to participate will receive information from the coaching staff about which cohort they will be placed in. Girls basketball conditioning practices this week are 2:30 – 3:30 pm & 3:45 – 4:45 pm. Saturday’s time is TBA. Boys interested in participating will receive their cohort assignment today. Time for boys basketball conditioning practices this week are 5:00 – 6:00 pm & 6:15 – 7:15 pm. Saturday’s time is TBA. Be sure that your physical is up to date and that all of your paperwork has been completed.
A reminder that an additional piece of paperwork – a COVID-19 Waiver Form – can be found on the school website at, https://spchs.com/registrationandinformation/ “APPENDIX III – NOTICE OF RISKS, INFORMED CONSENT AND WAIVER REGARDING INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS DURING
COVID-19.” The COVID-19 Waiver must be brought with you to practice on Tuesday. If any of your forms are missing or your physical is expired you will not be allowed to start practice.
The start of Boys’ and Girls’ Freshman basketball conditioning sessions and tryouts will be announced later this week.
Cheerleading, Indoor Track and Wrestling
Cheerleading, Indoor Track and Wrestling will begin their modified season workouts and practices the week of February 1. More specific details regarding these sports and the plan for their season will be announced in the next two weeks.
Boys Swimming
We are awaiting word from the Bristol BOE regarding the Bristol Boys Swim Co-op but anticipate that practice will begin sometime this week.
Baseline Concussion Testing
There will be a Baseline Concussion Testing Session on Tuesday, January 19 at 2:20 pm in the CAD Lab for any Freshman or Junior boys’ basketball players who have not yet taken a test this year. Baseline testing sessions for other winter sports teams will be announced next week.
Please contact Mr. Dennehy, ddennehy@spchs.com, with any questions.
MEALS FOR NEIGHBORS COLLECTION
The Galatians House and the Sophomore Class will sponsor the Mission Club’s initiative to collect personal care toiletries and kid-friendly snacks for Zion Lutheran’s Meals for Neighbors program. For years, the Mission Club has assisted in preparing/serving a monthly dinner for those less fortunate. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year St. Paul is helping in different ways.
Donations can be placed in a collection box outside the Main Office starting Tuesday. January 19. Students will also collect donations at the front and back entrances on Monday, January 25. All donations will be delivered to Zion Lutheran at the end of the school day.
A list of suggested items includes:
Personal Care Top 5 Kid’s Snacks
Toothpaste Cookies
Toothbrush Chips
Floss Crackers
Shampoo/conditioner Pop tarts/cereal bars
Body soap Fruit snacks (individually packaged) Medical face masks
See Sister Marie Benedict, Mrs. Pisani or Mrs. Zillich for more information.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY (January 18 – 24)
Happy Birthday to Jonathan Passander, Abigail Patterson, Shaun Remillard and Jackson Sullivan.
FINAL WORD
Keep it up … it takes all of us!
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we are asked to pause, reflect and BE challenged as individuals and as a school community to open wide our hearts and BE a source of “light” and “love” respecting everyone as a unique child made in the image and likeness of God.
We are reminded that this attitude and behavior begins with me, with you … with us. For we’re either part of the darkness or part of the light. We are either part of the hate or part of the love. We’re either part of the problem or part of the solution in making this a better school … better world! #bethelight
Stay well … BE KIND, take care of yourself and take care of each other this week.
St. Paul, pray for us!
Cary M. Dupont ‘72 President/Chief Administrator
COVID-19 REMINDERS
MANDATORY PRACTICES FOR IN–PERSON LEARNING
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- Every student, faculty and staff member MUST submit the mandatory online BBHD Daily Morning Health Self-Assessment before arriving at school. Students who do not complete the daily health survey will lose in-school privileges. Remote learners do not need to complete the daily survey.
- PLEASE REMAIN HOME IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL. Stay home if you have symptoms associated with COVID-19 including a fever, shortness of breath, muscle aches, sore throat, unexplained loss of taste and smell or a headache. Do not assume you have a cold, allergies, etc. You should not return to school until your symptoms have improved or you submit a doctor’s note indicating that your symptoms are not COVID-19 related.
- If you, a family member or a “close contact” test positive for COVID-19 (or even is experiencing symptoms and is waiting for test results) you MUST stay home from school and notify the St. Paul health room immediately.
- Practice mitigation health strategies (i.e. wear a mask, frequently wash hands, practice physical distancing, etc.) beyond the normal school day (i.e. evenings and weekends) to leave the virus outside our borders.
RETURNING FROM OUT-OF-STATE TRAVEL QUARANTINE PROTOCOL
Given the current high rates of COVID-19 throughout the United States and internationally, Connecticut continues to strongly discourage all nonessential, interstate travel at this time as the risks are too severe. Effective December 19, 2020, pursuant to Governor Lamont’s Executive Order No. 9S, anyone traveling into Connecticut from a state or territory, other than New York, New Jersey, or Rhode Island, or from a country other than the United States, is directed to self-quarantine for a 10-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state or country.
If travelers get a negative test (PCR or Antigen) within 72 hours after returning, they may submit a copy of those results to our health office: Elizabeth McGuire, elizabethmcguire@bristolct.gov or Ann Marie Pahl, apahl@spchs.com for consideration of an early end to their travel quarantine. However, even if you receive a negative COVID-19 test result, you will be required to remain home and reduce non-essential activities for a full seven days after travel before returning to school.
