Sunday Evening News 10.12.2020
October 12, 2020
MONDAY EVENING NEWS
Your first thought in the morning should be “thank you.”
CONGRATULATIONS!
WE MADE IT
$32,373
Peace and Greetings:
Our annual Walk-a-thon/Oktoberfest student fundraising drive was a HUGE success while impressively shattering recent goals. THANKS to everyone for your enthusiastic participation and generous support!
EVENING REFLECTION & PRAYER
In the Gospel this weekend we heard the words: “Many are called, but only a few are chosen.” Let us always remember we receive a constant invitation from Jesus to his holy house every weekend to be nourished with the Eucharist, the bread of heaven. We have been called, chosen, and sent by God for a special purpose in this life in order to live with him forever in the next. Let’s not miss the amazing opportunity to hear God call each us by name as his beloved sons and daughters in Jesus Christ. We are invited by Jesus to a life of purpose, fulfillment, and holiness.
Let us pray.
May your grace, O Lord, we pray, at all times go before us and follow after and make us always determined to carry out good works. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
May God bless us and give us his peace.
Have a great week everyone. Fr. Glen, Chaplain
SCHOOL CALENDAR (Week of October 12 –16)
Monday, (Holiday); Tuesday, (Day 1); Wednesday, (PSAT Test); Thursday, (Day 2) and Friday, (Day 3)
PSAT TEST – October 14
The College Board PSAT test will be administered at St. Paul on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:45 am for all sophomores and juniors. Upon completion of the test there will be a noon dismissal with buses available.
Seniors – no school. This is a good day to visit colleges for those offering on campus visits this fall. Freshmen – no school either so get ahead or caught up on any missed assignments.
VIRTUAL PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Wednesday, October 14 1:30pm – 7:30pm
This year we will hold our parent/teacher conferences virtually. Please discuss with your child(ren) their schedule, teacher, and academic standing in each of their classes. Click on the button below and there you will find an alphabetical listing of our faculty. Click on their name and choose a time (10-minute appointment) that works best for you to meet virtually through Zoom. As you can imagine, there is not a sufficient amount of time for
every teacher to visit at length with every parent. Should you need additional time, please email the teacher directly.
Our school counselors, Mrs. Mancini and Mrs. Glynn are also available to meet virtually by appointment. You can also find this listing on our website at https://spchs.com/parentteacherconference/
WEEKDAY MASS – DATE CHANGE
Our weekday Mass tomorrow, Tuesday, October 13 at 7:15 am will be offered for the special intentions of the Girls Volleyball team. Students and faculty/staff are invited. Please enter St. Gregory the Great Church by the side parking lot entrance.
ADMISSIONS NEWS
Appointments are now being scheduled for our next Open House on Saturday, October 24 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm. Do you know any prospective 7th or 8th grade or transfer students that might be interested in attending St. Paul? Prospective students can also contact Mr. Crowley, mcrowley@spchs.com or Ms. Mone, cmone@spshs.com to schedule a virtual tour.
Our first Placement Exam for the Class of 2025 is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 8:00 am.
SCENES FROM OUR 2020 OKTOBERFEST
CONGRATULATIONS & THANK YOU! St. Paul’s biggest student-lead fundraiser, Walk-a-thon/ Oktoberfest 2020 was a rousing success! Special thanks to Mrs. Kendrick and Student Government for your tireless and enthusiastic hard work as well as to the faculty and all the students who made achieving our goal possible. We celebrated with pizza, ice cream, socially distant class activities and earned Super Bowl Monday off!
COPING WITH COVID: Adapting to Stress and Change During these Viral Times – Zoom Session on October 21, 7:00 pm
COVID-19 has resulted in difficult changes on many social, academic, emotional and physical levels. These challenges have led many of us to feel anxious, depressed, lonely, confused, and struggling to balance our time and responsibilities. “Coping with COVID” is an opportunity for a virtual group conversation with Dr. Tom Finn, a clinical psychologist, with the goals of increasing our understanding of how COVID-19 has impacted us and learning how we can better manage the stress we all feel. The Zoom session will be held on Wednesday, October 21 at 7:00 pm and will also include an opportunity for questions. The meeting link will be sent out as the date approaches.
Dr. Finn has over 35 years of clinical experience and works as a licensed psychologist at the Franciscan Life Center in Meriden, CT, as well as in private practice in Southington. He also served as director of LEAP Adventure Programs, an experiential team-building and leadership training service for personal, organizational and spiritual development conducted through the Franciscan Life Center. Dr. Finn has led seminars in the U.S. focused on anxiety management, parenting, marriage, human sexuality and spirituality and teaches the Pastoral Counseling seminar at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy. Dr.
Finn received Masters and Doctorate degrees in Clinical-School Psychology from Hofstra University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Fairfield University.
GUIDANCE NEWS
VIRTUAL COLLEGE REP VISITS
College representatives virtually visiting St. Paul this week include:
| Tuesday, October 13 | Roger Williams University | A period |
| University of St. Joseph | B period | |
| Thursday, October 15 | Texas A&M University | A period |
| Emmanuel College (Boston) | B period | |
| Friday, October 16 | Sacred Heart University | A period |
| Merrimack College | B period |
Please sign up on Naviance by the end of school the day before the visit to attend.
PEER TUTORING
Any students interested in being a peer tutor, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/ADTckGowdmjdGuC47. If you are in NHS please remember you are required to provide tutoring service and should fill out the form.
COLLEGE EARLY ACTION
Seniors, just a reminder that if you plan to apply to college by the November 1 Early Action deadline you need to fill out this Transcript Request Form by October 15. https://forms.gle/sCnKgpy9yrQ8GVJX9
ATHLETIC NEWS FALL SCHEDULES
- Fall Schedules can be accessed via the St. Paul website by using the following link: https://spchs.com/sportscalendar/. JV soccer & freshman soccer games are still being scheduled and will be added as soon as they are confirmed.
- Another good resource to access fall schedules is ciacmoblie.com which can be downloaded onto your phone as an app.
FAN ATTENDANCE AT GAMES
A strong reminder that the Naugatuck Valley League (NVL) announced that the attendance policy for the fall season is for the allowance of HOME FANS ONLY. Please respect and cooperate with this policy, thank you.
PERFORMING ARTS – Matilda
St. Paul Catholic High School’s performing arts students look forward to mounting their production of the Tony Award-winning musical “Matilda.” Packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs, children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination. Matilda was tabled just weeks prior to its scheduled opening night last spring due to the COVID-19. Unfortunately, tentative plans to reschedule the show in January 2021 will likewise not be possible. We are hoping this production will get its chance to open early this summer.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Thank you to all the participants of our Trivia Night Competition. After a three round battle the winners were: Brianna Woods, Serena Hansen and Billy Lyder! Please see Mrs Kendrick for your prize.
Coming attractions:
- Halloween Costume Movie Night on Friday, October 30 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the auditorium. This is a limited space event with a Google form sign-up which will be sent out later this month.
- Thanksgiving Bingo on Friday, November 13 at 7:00 pm
FOCUS ON CLUBS
Blue Key Club is a Student Ambassador group that act as hosts and hostesses for incoming families at our Open Houses, Placement Exams and other school events. As a Student Ambassador you help our Admissions Office to represent St. Paul Catholic High School in the best possible way through visits, tours, phone calls and much more!
Book & Movie Club meets the second Friday of the month. We will be selecting books and movies based on a list of challenges. All selections must be appropriate for school and submitted to Mrs. Zillich ahead of the meeting. Nathaly Garcia is Club president.
The Chess Club meets every Friday after school. In the current environment students play by using chess.com.
Motivated by and committed to respecting and loving the world that God has given us, the Care for Creation Club hopes to help make a difference in the protection of our planet. Last year, students kicked off their mission with a recycling program and installment of a new recycling bin in the cafe, customized with founding students’ names. Students plan to properly recycle the bottles and cans they have collected and will meet to plan how to use these funds. Some ideas include planting a small garden at school or purchasing reusable silverware and water bottles to sell to students. The Club meets as-needed.
The St Paul Drama Club is designed for students interested in learning more about the aspects of theater. This includes acting skills, set building, and costumes/makeup design. There are two productions a year, a dramatic play in the fall and the spring musical. For students interested in working backstage drama club has many opportunities in technical theatre. Drama is open to all students.
If you have an interest in Comics, Superhero movies/TV shows, games, and much more, you might want to consider joining the Everything Comics Comic Book Club, and attend one of our discussions on Wednesday afternoon. Discussions do not last more than an hour and will be starting at 2:15. If you have an interest in the MCU, Star Wars, Dc Comics, or anything else pop culture related sign up. We are looking to expand the club’s potential, so if you have any ideas
or questions please feel free to address Mr Landin in room 215 or Mr. Perrier in room 108. All ideas are welcome. A trip to Terrificon is in the making for the summer. Due to the Virus it was put on hold last year, but it may be a possibility this summer.
Kids Kicking Cancer Club is a club dedicated to raising awareness and helping those impacted by cancer in a variety of ways from fundraisers, spreading awareness, donating items, and sending support. We meet on the first Tuesday of the month
The SPCHS Math Team is designed for the strong math students looking to challenge themselves. We participate in monthly contests which this year are almost all virtual. We also discuss challenging mathematical problem-solving technics.
Mission Club meets the third Monday of each month in the dining hall to pack meal kits for Zion Lutheran’s Meals for Neighbors program, type books that will be converted to Braille for the blind, making items for various school auctions and other charitable works. Matt Maglio is club president, Martina Joung is vice- president and Nate DeFranco is secretary. The club is currently seeking another student to serve as a member of the leadership team.
The Philosophy Club meets on Mondays after school for the reading and discussion of philosophical texts. The club has recently been discussing Thomas Hobbes’ “Leviathan”.
The St. Paul Respect for Life Club is excited to begin this year’s initiatives. Started by Chloe Ferraro ‘19, the club has helped to raise awareness on many pro-life issues beyond abortion, such as capital punishment, euthanasia, and human trafficking. Last year, students presented monthly during Monday Morning
Assemblies, sharing phases of fetal development and building upon students’ knowledge of the pro-life movement. Students also participate in the March for Life, attending Mass with the Archbishop and enjoying world-renowned public speakers. Some students were even able to give interviews to local news sources.
With 2020 providing a variety of challenges, Respect for Life students are committed to finding new ways to spread love and positivity. The Club usually meets monthly on Wednesday after school.
Sewing Club meets on the last Friday of the month. We make items that help others including blankets for Project Linus, school auction items, senior quilt blocks, Days for Girls and more. Students also make items for fun and as fundraisers. No previous sewing experience necessary.
Social Media Task Force is a dynamic group who promotes using the tools of social media in a positive, motivational and uplifting manner. They work on programs and activities to show how social media can be used to create a positive environment that contributes to effectively getting your message across in a digital world.
The Spanish Club is for anyone interested in learning about the cultures, history, and languages of Latin American countries, including Spain. During our meetings we will learn about fun holidays, typical foods, interesting facts, games, and much more. We will also watch short cultural videos and create art projects related to different countries. All students are welcome.
Student Government is an active club that works towards building community among students by planning and executing student events, programs and activities. This includes but not limited to planning and executing community service projects such as can drives, blood drives and organizing a BARC prom every year! The group of representatives meet every Thursday on a zoom meeting to coordinate events and brainstorm ideas.
The original student newspaper, The Sword, is being resurrected this fall by an ambitious group of students who are committed to getting literary tradition back off the ground! Interested students should contact Olivia Lanteri, Sammi Bray or Amanda Cansdale.
This year the Data Analytics Team merged with the TED-ED team to become the TED-ED DATA Analytics Team to broaden the reach and scope of our work. TED-ED and Data Analytics meet on ZOOM on Tuesdays and Data Analytics meets alone on Thursdays. This group will tackle real-world issues along with other schools around the globe. This is your chance to have a voice and impact on important topics.
Yearbook Club gives students experience in print media publishing. Being in the Yearbook Club allows students experience in photography, computer design and writing creatively that combine to create a yearbook that captures the memories of our school year.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes go to: Lila Alderete, Isabella Dauphinais, Ryan Lodge and Dominic Oakes.
FINAL WORD
Last week, I announced that the original St. Paul student newspaper, THE SWORD, is being resurrected this fall by an ambitious group of students who are committed to getting literary tradition back off the ground!
The link to the first new edition of the St. Paul Sword is https://stpaulsword.weebly.com/. Congratulations
and thank you to all involved.
#spstrong
Game plan to stay in school – 3 W’s
Wear a mask, Wash your hands and Watch your distance, all of us … all the time!
Our Walk-a-thon achievement was an inspiring #spstrong witnessing what can happen when everyone is working towards the same goal. Let’s continue to stay vigilant and committed to our game plan to combat the spread of the coronavirus by caring for ourselves, our families, teachers, classmates and teammates.
St. Paul, pray for us!
Cary M. Dupont ‘72 President/Chief Administrator
