Principal's Newsletter

Principal’s Newsletter Holy Cross High School 587 Oronoke Road Waterbury, CT 06708 203.757.9248

September/October

2012 Inside this issue

Dear Families, Another summer has come to an end and the new school year is off and running. While there is always a reluctance to let go of those wonderful warm and lazy days of summer, students and staff have welcomed the return to a daily routine with eager enthusiasm. We are off to a great start and are looking forward to a productive and enjoyable 2012 – 2013 school year.

Valuable information pertaining to school activities and events can be found in the pages of this newsletter. September and October are jam-packed with opportunities for students and their families to get involved and become active members of the Holy Cross community.

It’s terrific to watch the campus come to life after the quiet days of July and August.

Our Welcome Back Evening for all parents will be held on Wednesday, September 12th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. This affords the parents a chance to put a face with a name of their children’s teachers. On this evening you will follow your child’s daily schedule and be presented with a brief overview of each class. This has always proven to be a very worthwhile evening. If your schedule permits, I would encourage you to attend.

Athletics Campus Ministry Campus Tours Entrance Exam Open House Student Activities Student IDs Student Insurance Testing Day New Faculty/Staff

Enclosures: AHERA Letter Mothers’ Club

Monthly Happenings September 7th Magazine Drive 10th Mothers’ Club 12th Student

September brings with it warm days and cool nights to enjoy as we ease into the crisp days and chilly nights of autumn in New England.

I wish all of our families a peaceful and beautiful season!

God Bless,

Peg Leger Principal

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Athletics The Fall Sports season will begin on September 11th with 300 student athletes involved in the seven fall sports and cheerleading. Schedules for all teams can found on the CIAC and Holy Cross websites.

Our teams will compete on the Freshman, JV, and Varsity levels in Football, Boys and Girls Soccer, and Girls Volleyball; on the JV and Varsity levels in Boys and Girls Cross Country; and on the Varsity level in Girls Swimming and Diving. We have also added a Dance Team to the athletic program. They will perform at games and compete during the winter season.

Our boys and girls varsity soccer teams will host 6 night games at Municipal Stadium this year. The girls swim team will swim its home meets at 7:00pm at Kennedy HS, and the volleyball team will play its home games at 6:00pm in the HC gym. Our cross country teams will run once on the HC campus on Tuesday, October 2nd.

We invite you to attend as many of this year’s athletic contests as you can. It should be a great year.

Monthly Happenings October 1st Mothers’ Club 3rd Fathers’ Club 6th SATs 8th Columbus Day 13th Campus Tours 17th PSAT Testing Day 11:00 a.m. dismissal No School for Seniors 21st Halloween

Campus Ministry A retreat is defined as a place of refuge, seclusion, or privacy. It is a time when we can meditate and reflect on our own self, our relationships, and the importance of God in our lives. At Holy Cross, a retreat is part of the whole educational experience. It begins Freshman year with a retreat about Basil Moreau and the Holy Cross tradition. During Sophomore year the focus turns to developing a better understanding of Jesus Christ. Junior year builds upon their understanding of Jesus and introduces them to discipleship and what it means to be a teen disciple. Senior year focuses on taking all the information they have learned from previous retreats and applying it to the new chapter they are about to begin in their life after high school.

Campus Tours Saturdays: September 29th, October 13th, and November 10th 10am & 11am No pre-registration required.

Prospective students and families are invited to join us for an informal presentation and campus tour. Visit our classrooms and labs, library, gym, fitness center, chapel, music rooms, digital classrooms, art studios, and much more!

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Open House Sunday, October 28, 2012 2:00pm-4:00pm No pre-registration required.

Prospective students and families are invited to take an in-depth look at Holy Cross by taking a tour of campus, attending panel presentations, and interacting with members of the faculty, administration and student body. Come experience for yourself why Holy Cross is Different Where It Counts!

Entrance Exam Saturday, November 3, 2012 8:30am-12:30pm No pre-registration required. Exam Fee $25 All interested eighth grade students are invited to take the entrance exam. Holy Cross administers the STS High School Placement Test. It is a required portion of the admissions process.

Lawn Sign Advertising Campaign Do you live on a well-traveled road or own a business in a high traffic area? Please consider assisting the Holy Cross Admissions Office's efforts to advertise the Open House and Entrance Exam this year by placing a lawn sign on your property! Our Lawn Signs made such a high impact the past two years that we have expanded the program for this year's recruitment season.

Each 18"x24" lawn sign is double sided- advertising the dates/times of the Open House and Entrance Exam. It is to be staked in a visible location for drivers and passersby to see for a period of approximately 3 weeks around the dates of those events- October 15th-November 3rd.

Student Activities News Student Activities are in full swing and planning for a Fall full of exciting events is well underway. On Thursday September 13th, the Holy Cross Student Government will travel offcampus to participate in our annual Student Leadership Conference. The school community will celebrate International Day of Peace on September 21st with a variety of special events to mark the occasion. Each year Holy Cross opens its doors in service to elementary school students from the Tinker and Mt. Carmel elementary schools. On Sunday, October 21st, Holy Cross will present Halloween Happening 2012 and again transform hallways and classrooms, courtyard and cafe into a Halloween extravaganza. All Holy Cross students are encouraged to participate.

The freshmen class will elect its class officers on October 22nd. Any freshman interested in running for office should see Miss Dwyer in Room 20 sometime in September or early October.

Among the many service commitments made by Holy Cross students during the months of September and October are trips to Apple Rehab, Abbott Terrace, Children’s Community School, and Waterbury Area Retarded Citizens. Over thirty-five clubs have begun their weekly meetings. Club membership is open to any Holy Cross student at any time during the school year. Information about the wide range of Student Activities open to all students in the Holy Cross community may be found on the daily announcements page posted on Edline, by viewing the Student Activities page on the Holy Cross website, and by contacting Ms. Dwyer, Director of Student Activities x280.

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Student IDs For those who missed the original date, picture retakes will be Tuesday, October 9th.

Student Insurance Please be aware that we have added a link on our Edline page for those who might be interested in purchasing supplemental student insurance. United Healthcare offers a number of different choices for coverage for your child during all school activities and athletics.

Testing Day – Wednesday, October 17th On Wednesday, October 17th, all classes, except seniors, will be taking standardized tests.

Juniors will be taking the PSAT (Preliminary SAT). The testing fee is $20.00. Juniors will be dismissed when they complete the test, approximately 10:30am. Sophomores will be taking the PLAN test. The PLAN testing fee is also $15.00. Fees for both tests should be paid to the room proctors on the day of the test. 9th graders will be attending “Freshmen Foundation sessions covering topics such as study skills, note taking and test taking. Freshmen and sophomores will be dismissed at 11:00am. Waterbury busses will be at Holy Cross at 11:00am.

This year sophomores will have the option of taking the PSAT, instead of the PLAN test. Since research has shown that students who have taken geometry usually have the best chance of success on the PSAT, we ask you to consider this option carefully. This option will be available to sophomores in algebra 2 first. Any space remaining will be offered on a “first come, first serve” basis. Your child should contact his/her guidance counselor by September 28th if he/she is interested in the PSAT. Seniors will not have school on this date.

Welcome to 2012-2013 new faculty We welcomed three new members to our faculty and staff this year. Ms. Maureen Malley has joined us in the Math Department, Mr. John Rodriguez in the Social Studies Department and Mr. Matthew Smolley will serve as our permanent substitute teacher.

Each of these individuals brings with them a wealth of knowledge and energy and we are excited to welcome them to our Holy Cross community.

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