FALL/WINTER 2020
SOAR Joyful Noise Transforming the Arts at CEC
3 Shifting the Mindset for Student Support 6
Faith in Action
11 Athletics Updates CONWELL-EGAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
FEATURES
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Shifting the Mindset for Student Success How the new Academic Resource Center (ARC) is helping improve student outcomes.
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Joyful Noise With the Grand Opening of the Grace Danaher Performing Arts Center, the Arts at CEC have undergone a transformation.
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Making an Impact How EAST students are helping the local community, and how Tessa Smiley ‘21 is making a mark at the 2020 EAST Conference.
ON THE COVER: CEC President Tom Lynch ‘72 and wife Patty Danaher Lynch ‘72 watch as the CEC Chorus sings during the PAC Dedication Ceremony on Thursday, November 26. Photo: Chuck Ginter
SECTIONS 1 Message from the Principal 2 Admissions 3 Academics 5 Student Life 6 Campus Ministry 7 Fine Arts 9 Center for Student Leadership 10 Guidance
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11 Athletics 13 EAST 15 ICYMI: News & Notes from the First Semester 17 Advancement/Alumni
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STAY CONNECTED. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL!
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Friends of CEC, The first half of the 2019-2020 school year was an exciting time for the CEC community. We have been continuing our mission of providing our students with an exceptional educational experience while preparing them to meet the challenges of post-high school life with energy and excellence. Here are some highlights: • Grace Danaher Performing Arts Center When we began removing the seats from the old auditorium in May 2019, we were confident that the renovated space would be an improvement, but the final product turned out greater than we ever expected. The dedication ceremony in November followed by the Christmas Concert in December proved to be outstanding opening events in our new space. We believe this transformation represents the momentum and excitement that CEC will carry into the next decade. • Academic Resource Center (ARC) In our attempt to more effectively monitor academic progress and provide a more structured tutoring program for our students, the Academic Resource Center was established. Through the ARC, we are able to closely monitor academic progress and provide ongoing communications with parents of atrisk students. Free tutoring is available for all CEC students after school Monday through Thursday. The ARC is also open before school and during all lunch periods.
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• Expanded Counseling Services Based on the challenges of being a teenager in a world with technology/social media and the pressures of the college process, we believed it was necessary to invest in our counseling services. While the national average student to counselor ratio is 482:1, the ratio at CEC is now 110:1.
We have enjoyed some early victories during 2019-2020 school year: • Our First Quarter failures were down 51% from the 2018-2019 school year. • Our First Semester daily lateness numbers were down 69% from the 2018-2019 school year. • Our Christmas Concert was nearly standing room only. This is just three years removed from having less than 100 people attend the concert. CEC will be represented by 16 singers in the AllCatholic Choir next month. • The Center for Student Leadership has 22 students placed in internships with local schools, townships, and businesses. As we journey into a new decade, we remain committed to being the best high school in Bucks County. We will break ground in May on a new turf soccer/lacrosse field along the Queen Anne Drive side of the property. The expected completion date is August 1, 2020. During the summer, our counseling center will be transformed into a college-like guidance facility. We will continue to review and update our academic programming in order to challenge our students and best prepare them for college and career in the 21st Century. #SOAR
Sincerely,
Matthew Fischer ‘04 Principal
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FROM THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE
FALL/WINTER 2020 ISSUE 1 | VOLUME 1 DESIGNER/EDITOR Brittany Kane Director of Marketing Services PROOFREADERS Matthew Fischer Maggie Markmann Joshua Bower PHOTOGRAPHY Chuck Ginter Brittany Kane Submitted
SOAR is an official publication of ConwellEgan Catholic High School, 611 Wistar Road, Fairless Hills, PA 19030. SOAR is published twice a year (Fall/Winter, Spring/Summer) for students, parents, alumni, and friends of CEC.
By Mrs. Kate Rice '04 Director of Enrollment
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arental feedback fuels so much of what we do in the Office of Admissions. Whether it be during the first steps of signing up for a shadow day, to welcoming our enrolled families at our "Future Freshmen" night, we take our families input on our processes into all that we do here at CEC. Our goal in the Admissions office is to: • Be knowledgeable and responsive. Know the answers to every question about the school, campus, costs, loans, scholarships, etc. If we are asked a question that we don’t have an answer for, we do our best to respond quickly. • Demonstrate a sincere interest in the student. Get to know the prospective student and family and understand their particular needs, preferences and motivations for making a high school decision. • Connect the student to people, places and activities that will create excitement about the school (i.e. coaches, teachers, notable alumni). Making sure parents have all of the information they need to make an informed decision is our number one priority. That is part of the reason we make sure CEC is well represented in the local community. Through First Fridays in Bristol Borough, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Levittown, and more, our students are active in local events to ensure that the CEC spirit is felt by all. Our parents have gone the extra mile to get involved in our community on CEC's behalf, and we would not be seeing the impact of their positive support without their help. Catholic education is an investment, and our parents invest in their children. CEC thrives in part because of their time and dedication to spreading our message.
VISIT US ON THE WEB www.conwell-egan.org PLEASE SEND COMMENTS OR CORRECTIONS TO:
E NEWS@CONWELL-EGAN.ORG
The upcoming St. Patrick's Day Parade will feature the CEC Dance Team. Coordinated by one of our CEC parents, we are so excited to be involved again this year, and continue to thank our CEC parents for their support and involvement in advancing the mission of CEC.
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ACADEMICS
SHIFTING THE MINDSET FOR STUDENT SUPPORT How the brand new Academic Resource Center (ARC) supports student success By Joshua K. Bower Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs
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ime flies when you’re #soaring! The Office for Academic Affairs is proud to announce the grand opening of the Academic Resource Center. This new study space, commonly referred to as the ARC, is conveniently-located and accessible to all CEC students. Students can utilize the ARC to access resources online, print academic materials, work with peer tutors, and attend individualized afterschool tutoring sessions. The ARC is open to students Monday through Thursday, from 6:30 am to 4:30 pm and Friday from
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"Academic failures, as compared to this time last year, have been cut in half..." 6:30 am to 2:15 pm. In conjunction with the addition of the ARC, our brand new afterschool tutoring program, which started this fall, has been a great success. Academic failures, as compared to this time last year, have been cut in half! The mission of the CEC after-school tutoring program is to unleash the potential of our students by offering additional
support in academics, organization skills, and time management strategies. Through early intervention and individualized lesson plans implemented by contentspecific tutors, students gain important tools to elevate their academic performance. Even better? Tutoring sessions are free for all CEC students! As educators, we realize that it often takes a
village to provide students with a well-rounded, values-based education. I am consistently impressed by our teachers and their dedication to helping our students discover their personal strengths, in particular through exposure to new experiences. As one new addition to the academic program this year, we have partnered with the Langhorne Peace Center to allow our Sophomore Seminar classes the opportunity to experience T.H.R.I.V.E., a program that allows students to trust, heal, respect, inquire, value and empathize within a small group environment. Through small group activities, discussions, and storysharing opportunities,
Left: The ARC sits on the first floor, just outside the cafeteria, making it accesible for students any time of day. Right: Students meet to study in the ARC before, suring, and after school. students learned how to create stronger classroom community through a wide-range of topics and exercises including: identifying and managing strong emotions, maintaining healthy relationships, gender harassment, diversity appreciation, and practicing respectful dialogue and communication skills. Student feedback from the program was overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to growing our partnership with the Peace Center.
Some other notable academic affairs from the first semester include participation in the Eastern PA Academic Decathlon, the resurgence of the Robotics Club at CEC, and more recently, the Winter Writing Contest. The 201920 Academic Decathlon theme was In Sickness and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness. Eight of our CEC students participated in the event at Souderton Area High School, competing in a range of subject areas including art, economics, literature, math and music.
We walked away with a second place finish in the Super Quiz Relay! CEC Robotics is back in action this year after a several year hiatus. Under the coaching expertise of Mr. Brian Wurtz, an engineer by profession, we are excited to see the Robotics program take flight! Finally, CEC’s Winter Writing Contest is open to all students. The goal is to expose and publish student work in the upcoming edition of the CEC Literary Magazine. Categories include short
fiction, poetry and essay writing. Stay posted for the winner of this exciting competition! We are proud of our students’ academic accomplishments thus far in the first semester of the 2019-2020 school year. Provided the many talents, intelligence, and great potential CEC students possess, we hope to continue and expand upon such accomplishments as we enter the second semester.
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STUDENT LIFE
NEW YEAR, NEW RULES CEC's new Assistant Principal for Student Life leads the charge for the new student code of conduct By Mr. Chris DiLeonardo Assistant Principal for Student Life
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t has been a huge pleasure to have such a great impact on the school community and climate since being promoted to Assistant Principal for Student Life. I enjoy interacting with the students on a different level and maintaining a vision for student life and activities that is consistent with the CEC's mission and values. After careful consideration this past summer, the CEC administration, faculty, and staff decided to move away from the traditional demerit system to a detention-based system. It was evident the existing structure of the code of conduct was not as effective as it could have been. The three most important character traits that we have tried to focus on for the students at CEC are personal responsibility, accountability, and professionalism. The implementation of the new Code of Conduct has helped create an atmosphere that is conducive to those characteristics. Improving communication regarding infractions was a top priority. We have created a process that automatically generates emails to students and parents/guardians whenever an infraction is processed. The reason for this is two-fold: it keeps all parties aware of infractions and it helps the students take ownership of their conduct and consequences. Due to these changes, we've seen overall infractions go down, including a 69% decrease in latenesses as compared the first semester in 20182019. We're so proud of our students for their ability to adapt to this new system and respond in a positive way. We believe these types of improvements will only continue to drive CEC forward and create a more respectful, mindful school culture.
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CAMPUS MINISTRY
FAITH IN ACTION By Miss Ashley Bennett Campus Minister
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rayer is vital to our relationship with God and our students are provided many times to pray throughout the day. We begin each day with meditation and a verse from sacred scripture and by joining as a community to pray the School Prayer. Our teachers lead our students in prayer before classes and the students pray together before eating lunch. Our Theology teachers bring our students to the Chapel to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament during their classes. This semester, we joined together for Mass to celebrate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of CEC; to remember our alumni and faculty gone before us; to thank God for the blessings that He has provided; and to welcome the Coming of Christ as an infant. Our students participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Advent Season and were encouraged to seek God’s mercy in their lives. Many thanks are necessary to our local Pastors and Parochial Vicars, as well as Bishop Deliman, for assisting with the Sacraments! The students also celebrate their faith through days of retreat. These days are designed to help students to pull back from their busy lives and their schoolwork in order to focus on God and their faith. The Senior Class had their retreat on October 16, which was led by international Catholic speaker and musician Bob Lesnefsky. Students bonded together as a class and reflected on God’s mercy and the Call to Holiness that is extended to every Catholic. Forty-five Junior and Senior students participated in Kairos XXXI, a four day retreat that focuses on building relationships with God, with others, and with themselves. This retreat is organized and guided by a group of carefully selected student leaders who are supported by a team of CEC Faculty. Recently, students listened to a presentation in their Theology classes from Generation Life, a
Philadelphia-based non-profit organization that aims to educate young people on the sanctity and dignity of human life. Students from Theology classes also participate in field trips, such as the March for Life and visits to the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. Our Catholic faith calls us to action. We are called to not just be hearers of God’s Word, but to be “doers” of God’s Word (cf. James 1:22). As St. Peter emphasizes in Sacred Scripture, we are called to use our gifts and talents to serve others and to serve God (cf. 1 Peter 4:10). In the first semester of the 2019-2020 School Year, our students used their gifts of humility, leadership, generosity, and compassion to serve the local community that surrounds CEC. Our students participated in over 50 service events with various organizations and local parishes. Local community partners that our students volunteered with included Habitat for Humanity, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, ERA Food Pantry, Levittown Library, and many others. Students were engaged in serving meals, sorting donated goods, working with children, working outside, among many other activities. In the 20182019 School Year, students logged over 10,000 hours of Christian Service, and we are hoping to not only meet this goal this year but to surpass it. Above: Delaney Lindberg ‘20, Madison Chapman ‘21, McKenzy Garcia ‘21, Ryan Arleth ‘21, and Francis Spaide ‘21 make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at Our Lady of Grace Parish’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
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FINE ARTS
WITH THE GRAND OPENING OF THE GRACE DANAHER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, THE ARTS AT CEC HAVE UNDERGONE A TRANSFORMATION.
JOYFUL NOISE By Mr. Thomas Kuchler Director of Performing Arts
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onwell-Egan’s Performing Arts program is off to a fast and furious start in 2019-2020, including a sold out three-night fall theatrical production, the annual Christmas festival concert, and highlighted by the grand opening of a brand new Performing Arts Center. With the auditorium under construction, the Theatre program took to a different stage for its fall production, hosting its second annual haunted house. This year’s
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show, titled Code Blue: A Haunted Hospital, took place in the hallways and classrooms throughout the first floor of CEC. Student actors played various doctors, nurses, and patients in an original script, with the intent of entertaining, thrilling, and sometimes frightening the audience. The show enjoyed a successful weekend of three sold-out performances in late October. In December, the Performing Arts Program hosted its annual Christmas Festival concert, complete with a tree lighting and s’mores social afterward. The
concert featured the curricular ensembles, as well as extracurricular performance groups. The Concert Band and Concert Choir include all students enrolled in a performing arts class, while the Faculty Chorale, A Cappella Group, Chamber Choir, and the debuting Elementary Choir featured teachers and students grades 4-12 who participate outside of school hours. Notably, the Concert Choir now has over 90 voices, which is up from 19 in 2017. It was the first official concert in the brand new Grace Danaher Performing Arts Center, and was performed to a
standing-room only audience. The fall performance season was highlighted on November 26 with the grand opening and dedication ceremony for the Grace Danaher Performing Arts Center. A project that has been in talks for many years, CEC was finally able to celebrate the realization of this massive undertaking thanks to the generosity of the Danaher Lynch Family Foundation. Its namesake, Grace Danaher, was a church musician and choral director for many years at Immaculate Conception Parish in Levittown, PA. According to her daughter, Patty Danaher Lynch ’72, “Her music made you want to sing – it just made you feel good.” It is this idea and spirit that the CEC Performing Arts program aspires to bring to life for many years to come. This space, complete with updated lighting, sound, video, seats, and acoustical treatments, gives students a facility into which they can grow and from which they can learn. Currently, CEC Performing Arts is in the midst of rehearsals for its next big project: Seussical the Musical, which hits the stage March 26-28. Students and staff are already enjoying the benefits of the beautifully renovated space, and are very much looking forward to the first full-scale musical production to be performed on this stage. 3The Grace Danaher Performing Arts Center has seating for 800 guests.
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CENTER FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Discovering Potential By Mr. Jordan Schiavo '13 Director of Center for Student Leadership he mission for the Center for Student Leadership (CSL) in 2019-2020 is to provide the students with ample opportunities for growth and exposure to different fields of study. We had a very busy first semester working towards our goal! Starting with our internship program, juniors and seniors are given the opportunity to gain professional experience in their respective areas of interest. At the close of the first semester, we have a total of 14 interns actively working, with another 8 scheduled to start in the first few weeks of the second semester. Our interns are
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working in the following industries: Early Childhood Education, Pharmacy, Accounting/Finance, Human Resources, Business Development, Government and Creative Arts (pictured below). We plan on finding even more internship opportunities for our students in the second semester. Finally, the CSL aims to instill the school’s core values in our students through speakers in an assembly format. During the first semester we have hosted the following: • Innovation: James Levins ‘99 • Leadership: Travis Manion Foundation • Excellence: Carli Lloyd • Character: Patrick Kiley ‘03
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS Part of the mission of the CSL is to provide our students with knowledge and advice from professionals across a variety of industries. We have had the following professional speakers thus far: • ENTREPRENEURSHIP Ian Monagle ‘11 James Levins ‘99 • TRADES Nick Finore • MILITARY James Hanover ‘13 • COMPUTER SCIENCE Eric Gee ‘12 • LAW Allison Barker ‘11 Paige Delia ‘13 • PSYCHOLOGY/SOCIAL WORK Jeri Lynn Oscovitch ‘15 Cailin McGuire ‘15 • MARKETING Carly Wenderlich ‘11 Jackie Calkins ‘10 • NURSING Patrick Kiley ‘03 • PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS Joe McEwing ‘90 Carmen Tyson-Thomas ’09 • FINANCIAL LITERACY Fortis Institute
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• HIGHER EDUCATION Bucks County Community College Admin Team
GUIDANCE
"EVERY STUDENT DESERVES A COUNSELOR" How the CEC Counseling Center is raising the bar By Mrs. Elaine Fitzgerald Wright Director of Guidance
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he CEC Counseling Center has exciting news to share this year. We are fortunate to have a team of four school counselors providing services to the students at Conwell-Egan Catholic High School. We offer a 110:1 student to counselor ratio which is four times the national average. We have a unique opportunity to increase our direct services in an individualized way to our students well above the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) recommended ratio of 250:1 for optimal support and services. After an extensive needs assessment, we have redefined our roles based on the talent, interest, and experience of each counselor in line with a tiered system of referrals from basic to intensive intervention for those students who need additional support. We have implemented two new systems to ensure efficacy and accountability in the Counseling Center. 1. Counseling Services: Google Form system of direct services provided to our students by each counselor for each quarter. 2. Students At-Risk: Google Form referral system for
teachers to report students who are presenting signs of stress or exhibiting concerning behaviors in the classroom. We have also redefined grade level guidance lessons in accordance with a comprehensive, developmental model recommended by ASCA. For example, collaborating with teachers in the classroom: 1. 9th grade collaboration with the Enrichment Class, guidance lessons and groups discussion on topics such as grief, well-being and friendship. 2. 10th grade collaboration with the Sophomore Seminar Class – guidance lessons and group discussion on topics such as social media, social media anxiety, mental health, and career assessments in Naviance. In addition, streamlining our college preparation program for all upper classmen: 1. 11th grade intense college preparation, which includes Naviance Career Assessments, resume writing, and career research. 2. 12th grade comprehensive, individualized, and group counseling on the college process from applications to acceptances.
We are looking forward to the “Minding your Mind” school-wide assembly to be presented during National School Counselor’s week in February. The Counseling Center is planning a series of promotions for that week including sharing our counselors favorite quotes. This year’s after-school student clubs include two that are directed by a pair of our counselors - The Peace of Mind Club with Ms. Emily Transue and our new Healthy Cooking Club with Mrs. Jenny Diamond, both sponsored by 21st Century Learning Center. These clubs are actively engaging our students in community service, mindfulness practices, and healthy eating. In February, we are excited to have The Princeton Review speak to the junior class and their parents for an interactive presentation on preparing for the SAT’s vs. ACT’s. The goal of the Princeton Review is to help students get into their dream schools and to share their expertise with CEC families. This year’s department goal is to increase direct services interaction time with our CEC students to 80% - employing best practices in every area of academic achievement, personal/ social development and college/ career readiness.
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ATHLETICS
GO EAGLES By Mr. Pat Donlen '74 and Mr. Rich Papirio '69 Athletic Department FALL SPORTS Boys Soccer: The team completed a successful season by making it to the PCL Quarterfinals. The team lost to first place LaSalle to finish 9-10 overall. Coach Barry Roxberry is looking forward to the 2020 season with an influx of young talent entering CEC. Field Hockey: The Lady Eagles closed out the season with a 2-0 shutout of St. Hubert. The team finished with a 7-win season, a 6-game improvement from last season. First-year Head Coach Jennifer Walsh has the team heading in the right direction and they will be a team to be reckoned with in the 2020 season. Girls Volleyball: The squad finished with 4 wins, 3 more than last season. Coach (and CEC parent) Bill Anderson truly believes in his team and is confident they will compete for a playoff birth in 2020. Football: Coming off an undefeated season in 2018 and a PCL Blue Division
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Championship, Coach Jack Techtmann and staff knew they would have a bullseye on their backs. Recent transfer Tyler Barry threw for a school record 289 yards during the Bishop McDevitt game. Although the team finished 0-7 PCL and 2-8 overall, they are looking forward to bringing back their high-powered offense to the 2020 season. Girls Soccer: The girls once again made it to the PCL Quarterfinals but were eliminated in a hard fought loss to Archbishop Wood. The girls went on to the District 12 championship game and came home with their eighth straight District 12 Title with a 3-0 win over Philadelphia Academy Charter. Unfortunately, they lost the opening round of the PIAA State playoffs 2-1 to Calvary Christian. Coach Andy Adameic is excited for his team and expects better results in 2020. Cross Country: Coach Brian Wurtz worked with a small squad this year but still sent two runners, Angelina Lyons and Mackenzie Wickham, to the State Championship in Hershey, PA.
A RECAP OF THE 2019-2020 ATHLETICS SEASONS AS OF FEBRUARY 1, 2020
Golf: Congratulations to Seniors Colin McCarty and Brady Trimble for earning All Catholic Honors. Both boys finished with very respectable scores in the PCL Individual Championship. Coach Mark Tingle was excited to have two of his golfers move on to the PIAA District 12 Championship. WINTER SPORTS Wrestling: CEC wrestling is back on track with a very productive season. They currently are 14-4 overall and 1-3 in the PCL. They earned a bid to the PCL playoffs and lost to powerhouse LaSalle in a close battle. They compete in the PIAA Districts on February 1 at Upper Dublin. Hunter Mays leads the team and is ranked #1 in District 12 and fourth in the State. Coach Connors looks forward to seeing his wrestlers make their way to a state championship. Girls Bowling: The Lady Eagles are once again at the top of their game. The girls are currently sitting at first in the PCL with a 7-1 record and have two games remaining. Coach Patrick Donlen has his team working hard and having
fun. From years of being at the bottom of the league, the Lady Eagles made it to the PCL Championship in 2019. The girls have high expectations for our squad in both the 2020 PCL Playoffs and 2020 PIAA State Tournament played in Lancaster, PA. Boys Bowling: Rookie head coach Aaron Jones is working hard with his Eagles to compete in a very competitive PCL. The boys are 3-7-1 in PCL play and are looking forward to a strong finish. Both the boys and girls teams will have representatives in the PCL All-Catholic Tournament coming up in February. Girls Basketball: Third-year head coach Chris Brennan is pumped with the results of his girls hard work. A four-game win streak during the season is the first since 2012. The team is 7-9 overall and 3-3 in the PCL. A redesigned PCL schedule has our girls playing competitive basketball. With a promising eighth grade class, our girls program is looking up and making waves. Boys Basketball: KJ Davis leads the team with a 20-point average
5 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING FALL ALL-CATHOLIC SELECTIONS
GOLF • Colin McCarty '20 • Brady Trimble '20 CROSS COUNTRY • Angelina Lyons '22 • Mackenzie Wickham '21 FIELD HOCKEY • Mary LaRosa '21 (Third Team) • Rachelle Pena '21 (Third Team)
GIRLS SOCCER • Alexandra Chalmers '20 (First Team) • Olivia Gentile '21 (Third Team) • Madison Chapman '21 (Third Team) BOYS SOCCER • Matt Kliniewski '20 (Second Team) • Luke Jackson '20 (Third team)
per game. Second-year coach Adam Bowen is determined to turn the program around with hard work and discipline. A strong eighth grade class will add position players to the squad. Good things are happening with the boys basketball program and the results will soon be realized.
Indoor Track: The squad continues to compete in the PCL and will soon be wrapping up their season. Coach Brian Wurtz continues to do a great job with the boys and girls indoor track team.
Cheerleading: Congratulations to the Competitive Spirit Team for earning a berth to the PIAA State Spirit Championship held in Hershey. Coach Lauren Tenaglia has her team in a more competitive spirit and is expecting to improve on their season with two more competitions coming up in February.
Baseball: Coach Steve Carr can be contacted at baseball@ conwell-egan.org for training and tryout information.
SPRING SPORTS SEASON STARTS MARCH 2, 2020.
Softball: Coach Sandy Hart is entering her 27th season at CEC and she can be reached at softball@ conwell-egan.org. Contact Coach Hart for training and tryout information.
FOOTBALL • Matt Marlin '20 (First Team) • Andrew Garwo '21 (First Team) • Chris Majors '20 (Second Team) • Sam Schurr '20 (Second Team) • Luke Jackson '20 (Second Team)
Boys Lacrosse: Coach Tom Reed can be reached at boyslacrosse@ conwell-egan.org for training and tryout information. Girls Lacrosse: Coach Barry Roxberry can be reached at girlslacrosse@conwellegan.org for training and tryout information. Outdoor Track: Coach Brian Wurtz can be reached at outdoortrack@ conwell-egan.org. We have been working on a new area of the CEC campus for a practice facility for the outdoor track team. This area should be completed by the beginning of the 2020 season.
HAPPENING IN THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT The Athletics Department is hosting a fundraiser on February 21 in the new Grace Danaher Performing Arts Center. Please join us as we welcome comedian Joe Conklin to our stage. Joe is the “man of a thousand voices” and can be heard on sports talk radio WIP. Tickets are available on the Conwell-Egan website or by going directly to: https://secure.acceptiva. com/?cst=YMgMq2. All proceeds benefit the Athletic program at CEC. Please come out for a fun night and help support CEC!
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EAST
MAKING an
IMPACT By Mr. Josh Beauchamp EAST Facilitator
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he first semester has been a busy one for EAST students at Conwell-Egan. Teams of students are working on projects that meet community needs that they think are important, treating the challenges that crop up along the way as opportunities for personal growth as they learn important technology and collaboration skills.
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Success for EAST students this year came even before the first day of school. In May, junior Tessa Smiley’s logo submission (pictured bottom left) was chosen from a national design competition to be the brand identity of the 2020 EAST Conference. That means that Tessa’s logo will be on everything from letterhead to water bottles and is featured prominently on the EAST Conference website. This honor has led to some new design opportunities for Tessa, giving her a strong foundation for her portfolio and a great experience of working with a client way outside of the school community. CEC students also worked with members of the EAST staff to share their stories at the International Society of Technology in Education Conference that took place in Philadelphia in June. Seniors Joe Nolan, WonJong (Jeff) Shin and Delaney Lindberg along with juniors Kabaila James,
Erin Beltle, Chris Smith, Dylan Fitzgerald, Tessa Smiley and sophomore Lily Dalton all gave presentations to educators from around the world on their EAST experience, talking about technology, self-direction, and partnering with their community in a variety of contexts. The EAST staff were wowed by all of our students, and we’re very grateful for the support as they put EAST on display at an international event. Many students this year are tackling projects that are local to CEC. Four freshman EAST students - William Nguyen, Dillon Farrell, Tyler Greco, and Thomas Selsavage - are working with the Office for Student Life to develop emergency procedure training videos, ensuring that students and faculty are wellinformed about what they need to do in any situation that might arise. Steven O’Connor and Chris Smith just had a meeting with Mr. DiLeonardo (our new
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The 2020 CEC EAST Conference Team looks forward to showcasing the hard work of the EAST students at Conwell-Egan. Front Row L-R: Aaliyah Taylor '21, Lily Dalton '22, Rylee Joyce '23 and Tessa Smiley '21 Back Row L-R: Colton Jiorle '21, Matthew Badman '23, Tommy Lee '20, and Kabaila James '21
about creating classroom access control devices, in order to monitor students’ whereabouts when they have left class. Sophomore Avis Viskinda and freshman Matthew Badman have been working on an interactive classroom locator that will enable parents and new CEC students to find teachers’ classrooms on conference nights and those first few days of school. Another team of students has helped them by creating hard-copy maps of the building (for those less technologically-inclined) that will be framed and posted in prominent locations as well as serving as tools for emergency responders to be familiar with the updated classroom and office locations within the building. This team of students - Liliana Dias, Aidan Pustay, Ahlana
Seslar, Maggie Walker, and Sam Terry (all freshmen) - have really embraced the EAST model, fearlessly jumping into technology and problem-solving as a team. There are teams of students working with partners outside of school as well. Tessa Smiley and Delaney Lindberg are finishing a long-term documentary project with the Smithsonian about the history of America’s oldest commercial pretzel bakery. Junior Josh Rifkin and freshman Jose Guiterrez are in the early stages of building a spatial database of food pantries, hoping to partner with Catholic Social Services in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Junior and first-year EAST student Colton Jiorle is finishing up a web map of parks in Bristol Township that shows location and amenities available at
each park. The range of projects and technologies showcase the interests of students within EAST so far this year. This is a class that allows for learning and growth to develop naturally, in an environment that stresses selfdirection and accountability. Each student in EAST has the chance to do something impactful, and so far this year students have been working hard on doing that, both in school and out. We are looking forward to more challenges and opportunities as EAST students grow in their technology skills, their approach to teamwork and the sophistication of their projects as they dig into issues important to them and their communities.
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1 Welcome freshmen! The Class of 2023 reported to school on September 4.
2 On September 25, juniors and seniors competed in the annual Powder Puff football game.
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3 The Royal Blue Gala & Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony took place on September 26.
4 On September 28, Gracie
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Terry and Jack Brennan were crowned King and Queen at the Homecoming Dance.
5 The Student Council
Induction Mass took place on October 4, welcoming a new group of leaders.
6 On October 18, the National
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Honor Society inducted its new members for 2019-2020.
7 CEC's Code Blue: A Haunted House was frightfully fun from October 24-26.
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8 45 Juniors and Seniors
participated in Kairos XXXI from November 14-16.
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9 The students came out on
top in this year's Turkey Bowl vs. faculty/staff on November 26.
10 CEC's Elves welcomed
almost 400 students at the annual First Grade Christmas Party on December 11.
11 The Community Service Corps helped 61 families in need at the Santa Sack Workshop on December 21.
11
12
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12 On January 3, the Winter Sports Pep Rally honored our athletes and pumped up Eagles fans.
13 Students warmed up
the dance floor at the Winter Formal on January 17.
14 31 students traveled to
Washington, DC to take part in the March for Life on January 24.
14 FALL/WINTER 2020 | 16
INDUCTEES
Kerilyn Cook Walker ‘97 (Field Hockey) • Matt Cusanno ’99 (Hockey) • Lois Mickles ‘83 (Softball) Kevin Schafer ’07 (Football) • Jen Jakubowicz ‘96 (Basketball) • William Kramer, ’81 (Football) Danielle Nagle ‘98 (Softball) • Pat Larkin ’70 (Football) • Scott Haws ‘90 (Baseball) Keith Armstrong ’82 (Football) • 1999 Conwell-Egan Field Hockey Team
CONW E LLEGA N C AT HOL IC HIG H S C HO OL
HALL of FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 6 P.M. - 10 P.M. Pen Ryn - Belle Voir Manor 1601 State Road Bensalem, PA 19020 For tickets and sponsorship info, visit www.conwell-egan.org or call 215-945-6200 Ext. 415
17 | SOAR
ADVANCEMENT
Driving Our Legacy Forward A
s we move forward in 2020, we would like to thank all the valued members of the CEC community for your support of our school. Whether it is through your time, treasure, or talent, giving of yourself to the success of the CEC community is something for which we are eternally grateful. It is through your continued support and participation in the CEC Drive that we can continue to drive our legacy forward and leave a lasting mark. Our school community is thriving in great part because of you. We raised over $2.2 million last year and are continuing to see an increase in alumni and community involvement here at CEC. We have seen great success so far this year, most recently with our 12 Days of Giving campaign in which we exceeded our goal of $12,000 and raised over $16,000 that will help our students in a variety of ways. Our EITC and OSTC funds are also thriving. These state tax programs enable local businesses to redirect their companies Pennsylvania state tax liabilities to CEC. The sole purpose of this program is to assist students with proven financial need. The success of our events throughout the year has also been a contributing factor to our fundraising achievements. We hope you are able to join us for our annual Sports Hall of Fame Induction on March 19 as well as our Annual Golf Outing on April 20 at Spring Mill Country Club. You can find details of these events on our website. If you are unable to attend, please consider joining us for our inaugural Food Truck and Family Festival on May 16 here at CEC. We again thank you for your support for CEC as we strive to fulfill our mission every day. Go Eagles! FALL/WINTER 2020 | 18
SOAR
Conwell-Egan Catholic High School 611 Wistar Road Fairless Hills, PA 19030
CONWELL-EGAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
G LF OUTING
SAVE THE DATE
Monday, April 20, 2020
Spring Mill Country Club For more information, contact the CEC Advancement OfďŹ ce at 215-945-6200 Ext. 415 or email bburns@conwell-egan.org