9-11-26 Focus on Fenwick

ISSUE 2

FOCUS ON

FENWICK

9/11/26

THIS WEEK AT FENWICK

WELCOME BACK!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

STUDENT LIFE ANNOUNCEMENTS

CLASS OF 2027 SCHOOL AND COLLEGE COUNSELING

CONSELOR’S CORNER

9/11 REMEMBRANCE

ST, MARY’S SPOTLIGHT

HOMECOMING

A MESSAGE FROM DR. VOLONNINO One of the joys of a vocation in education is having a “new year” each September. There’s a unique excitement that only comes with turning the page, but in my 25 years in this profession, I have never experienced a start to school quite like my inaugural year as President of Bishop Fenwick High School and St. Mary of the Annunciation.

It has been a privilege to participate in so many moments, both small and large, that fill me with joy and hope: seeing our elementary students run through the doors on the first day, excited to see their new classrooms; watching old friends and new congregate in Crusader Square with smiles on their faces before the homeroom bell rings; and hearing a room full of our students, from Pre-K to Grade 12, chant “God is good… all the time” after Mass at St. Mary’s and at our Fenwick Pep Rally.

Across both campuses, our school leadership team is embracing this year of transition to listen and reflect while maintaining the traditions of our community. Together, we are challenging students at every grade level to become leaders and help chart our vision for the future. With the steady encouragement of our dedicated faculty and staff, we are pushing our Crusaders to take risks, step out of their comfort zones, and mature into the young men and women the Lord is calling them to be.

Of course, we are only getting warmed up. The fall calendar is full of events, highlighted by Homecoming in a couple of weeks. I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming days and months, and I renew my invitation to meet with any family who would like to share their FenwickSt. Mary’s story. The conversations I have had already have begun to offer a glimpse of where we can go as a community. I am deeply grateful for the generosity of time and support everyone has offered me.

Simply put, it is a great day to be a Crusader. We are so blessed to have all of you in the FenwickSt. Mary’s family. As St. Julie Billiart said, “Oh, how good is the good God!” Bonitas et Fidelitas, Dr. V. Michael R. Volonnino, Ph.D. President

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER Welcome Back!

We’re keeping things short and sweet in the Principal’s Corner this week as the school year gets fully underway – but there is plenty ahead. In the coming weeks, look for updates, reflections, highlights, and important information from Mr. Canniff as the year begins to take shape. Consider this a brief opening note before the bigger stories begin!

School Year Kick-off Presentation Mr. Canniff’s presentation from last month’s parent meeting can be found on the MyFenwick Resource Boards or by clicking here.

School Pictures If you plan on purchasing the school pictures that were taken at the start of school, please return your order form and payment by Wednesday ( 9/16/26). The downloadable form can be found on the class resource boards on MyFenwick.

QUICK LINKS

School Calendar

Lunchtime Payment Athletic Calendar SCHOOL CALENDAR

MyFenwick

Spiritwear Store

Student Life Announcements Involvement Fair We’re excited to host our annual Involvement Fair on Friday, September 18, during the last block of the school day!

This is a great opportunity for all of our students, especially those who are new to our school or transferring in, to learn more about the 30+ clubs and activities we have to offer. Students will have the chance to meet club leaders, explore their interests, and find ways to get involved and connect with our school community.

We look forward to helping our students discover new passions, make connections, and find their place at school!

Freshman Class Elections We’re excited to give our freshmen an opportunity to step into a leadership role by running for 9th Grade Class President or Vice President!

While our upper grades will be selecting members for their Homeroom Advisory Committees, our 9th graders will have the chance to represent their class, share their ideas, and help make a difference in the freshman experience. This is a wonderful opportunity for students who are interested in leadership to step up, have a voice, and become more involved in our school community.

We encourage any student who is interested in making a positive impact to consider running!

HAC Elections We are excited to announce an opportunity for students to get involved with our Homeroom Advisory Committee (HAC), an extension of the Student Activities Council (SAC), beginning next week with grades 10-12!

Students interested in joining will complete an application packet and, if selected, will help create engaging community-building activities for our Friday Fenwick Connect blocks.

Committee members will also have the opportunity to participate in and help lead a variety of student-led events throughout the school year.

We are looking forward to seeing our students take on leadership roles, share their ideas, and help strengthen our school community!

Our football theme for Friday, September 18 is a BLACKOUT! Students may earn spirit points at the spirit table for their grade level by wearing BLACK.

9/11 Remembrance

Remembering 9/11: Faith, Reflection and 2,977 Names This week, Fenwick students marked the anniversary of September 11 in a way that made history personal.

Through their Theology classes, students participated in a campus-wide remembrance honoring the 2,977 lives lost on September 11, 2001. Each student was entrusted with the names of individuals who died that day and helped place a small American flag on campus in their memory.

But the project was about more than creating a powerful visual.

As the flags were placed, students read the names of those they were remembering and paused in prayer.

Name by name and flag by flag, the familiar number 2,977 became something more tangible: 2,977 individual people, each with a family, a story and a life that mattered.

For current Fenwick students, September 11 is an event they know only through history books, photographs, videos and the stories of parents and grandparents.

This remembrance offered them an opportunity to encounter that history differently — through reflection, prayer and an act of service.

The project also gave our Theology classes an opportunity to connect faith with remembrance: praying for those who died, for their families and loved ones, for the first responders, and for all those whose lives were forever changed that day.

The resulting field of American flags serves as a striking reminder to our entire community.

Twenty-five years later, we remember not simply a date or an event, but the people behind every name.

9/11 Reflection We will always honor the sacrifice of those who gave “the last full measure of devotion” and when called upon, raced into the fire.

I am so proud of how our school community honored the heroism, sacrifice, and loss for the 25th Anniversary of 9-11.

As someone who grew up in New Jersey a few blocks from where one could see the Twin Towers on a clear day, this tragedy is deeply personal.

If not for a change in economic circumstance, Sept. 11, 2001 would have been one of my first days as a management consultant in an office not far from where they stood. Instead, I found myself trying to comfort an 8th Grade at St. Michael School, just a few blocks from the train to the City while floundering to make sense of the day.

It was simply surreal driving home on an empty, eerily quiet Garden State Parkway with the airspace closed, knowing the only planes overhead were fighter jets. The smoke lasted for days.

Twenty-five years later, I was deeply grateful to be able to plant a flag in the Fenwick lawn in memory of my high school classmate, Paul Battaglia, who died that day. I was moved by the reverence in which our students read aloud the names of those for whom they planted a flag in their honor. I was overwhelmed by how our St. Mary’s students, not just too young to remember, but some too young to fathom what happened, stood in the Gym in silence and offered an Our Father to those affected – and still affected – by the events of that day.

Fenwick and St. Mary’s will never forget. We will always honor the sacrifice of those who gave “the last full measure of devotion” and when called upon, raced into the fire.

Eternal rest grant upon them, O Lord.

Michael R. Volonnino, Ph.D, President

FENWICK SCHOOL & COLLEGE COUNSELING

School & College Counseling by Class Year

Looking Ahead

Every year of high school brings a different set of questions, decisions, and opportunities. Whether you are just beginning your Fenwick journey, exploring interests and possibilities, preparing for the college process, or making final plans for life after graduation, our School & College Counseling team is here to help. For this week, here’s what students and families in in the Class of 2027 class should have on their radar right now.

Seniors We hope you had a restful summer and are ready for a great senior year! We’re excited to reconnect with you, hear about your summers, and continue our conversations about your college plans.

Over the next couple of weeks, counselors will be meeting in small groups with seniors during some Fenwick Connect time slots to share important information, review upcoming deadlines, and make sure everyone is aware of their responsibilities throughout the college process.

Standardized Testing Be sure to check the standardized testing requirements for each of your colleges.

If you still need to take the SAT, either for the first time or again, you can register through Collegboard.org When registering, enter the Bishop Fenwick High School code: 221723 Fall SAT Dates: October 3 – Registration deadline: September 18 November 7 – Registration deadline: October 23 December 5 – Registration deadline: November 20 If you are planning to take the ACT, register through ACTstudent.org When registering, enter the Bishop Fenwick High School code: 221723 Fall ACT Dates: October 17 – Registration deadline: September 11 December 12 – Registration deadline: November 6

Common App Create your Common App account at commonapp.org Please note that counselors will be helping students with this process.

When creating your account, be sure to use a personal email address.

Your College Application To-Do List use the handout distributed on 9/10/26 in the Fenwick Connect Meeting Update your résumé/activity list and provide a copy to your counselor.

If you have not already done so, complete the Student Questionnaire Part 2 and return it to your counselor.

Follow up with your teachers regarding your letters of recommendation and be sure to let them know your earliest college application deadline.

Schedule an appointment to meet with your counselor.

Important Dates Senior Parent College Night: October 8 at 6:30 p.m.Parents and seniors are encouraged to attend.

Financial Aid Program: October 26 at 6:30 p.m.Parents and seniors are encouraged to attend.

Ithaca College Greater Boston Area Information Session: September 14, 6:00–8:00 p.m. at Framingham Public Library.

Please see your counselor for registration details.

College Visits Counselors reviewed the process for college visits with seniors on Thursday, September 10. Upcoming visits are listed in Scoir, included in the morning announcements, and posted outside the Counseling Office.

If you would like to attend a college visit, please sign up in Scoir and obtain a pass signed by the teacher whose class you will miss. Passes can be picked up in the Counseling Office after you sign up for the visit.

This must be done prior to the day of the visit.

College visits begin Friday, September 18: 8:00 – Wake Forest University 8:45 – University of Saint Joseph 10:00 – Salve Regina University 1:00 – Miami University 1:45 – Eastern Connecticut State University

We’re looking forward to working with you throughout your senior year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your counselor with questions or to schedule a meeting.

We’re here to help!

FENWICK SCHOOL & COLLEGE COUNSELING

COUNSELOR'S CORNER

Starting the Year with Routines The first few weeks of school set the emotional tone for the rest of the year. Predictability – knowing what to expect from the day – is one of the simplest ways to lower a teenager’s stress, even before anything goes wrong. A few things that make a real difference at home right now:

Consistent Sleep and Wake Times Keeping a steady sleep and wake schedule, even on weekends, matters more than most families realize. A large study of adolescents found that irregular sleep timing and greater night-to-night variability in bed and wake times were linked to lower grades and a higher likelihood of school-related behavioral problems, independent of total hours slept (Mathew et al., 2024). The American Academy of Pediatrics has similarly emphasized that chronic sleep loss in teenagers is closely tied to declines in mood, attention, and academic performance (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2014).

A Wind-Down Routine Before Bed A consistent routine before bed – ideally with phones out of the bedroom – supports both falling asleep and the quality of sleep afterward. A systematic review of screen use among school-aged children and adolescents found a consistent association between screen time before bed and shorter, more disrupted sleep (Hale & Guan, 2015). The transition itself, more than the specific activity, is what signals to the body that the day is ending.

One Predictable Connection Point A reliable moment of connection each day – dinner, a car ride, a few minutes before bed – is protective for adolescent mental health. A large study of Canadian adolescents found that more frequent family dinners were associated with fewer emotional and behavioral problems and greater life satisfaction, regardless of a student’s age, gender, or family income (Elgar et al., 2013). Consistency of the routine mattered more than its length.

TRY THIS INSTEAD OF “HOW WAS SCHOOL?”

“What was one good part of today, and one hard part?”

It’s harder to answer in one word, and it signals that both are okay to talk about.

Our Door Is Open Building these routines takes time, and no family gets it right every night. Students are always welcome to stop by the School and College Counseling Office – for an academic question, a college planning question, or just a hard week. Families are welcome to reach out any time.

St. Mary’s Spotlight The start of school is so exciting for the Pre K - 8 students. This week we welcomed 365 students into our classrooms and it has been wonderful to see them all settling in!

This week we held our our first Casual for a Cause benefiting People to People Food Pantry in Danvers.

Today we commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks by coming together in Prayer and a Moment of Silence. Throughout this week, students engaged in grade specific projects reflecting on Unity and Faith - honoring those whose Heroic action saved lives.