SPRING/SUMMER 2020
SOAR
On Eagles Wings Soaring despite the pandemic 3 Rising to the Challenge 6
Together in Faith & Hope
11 Fly, Eagles, Fly CONWELL-EGAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
FEATURES
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Rising to the Challenge CEC students and faculty seamlessly transitioned to online learning amidst the pandemic.
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Leaving the Nest How the Class of 2020 rose to the challenge of quarantine, virtual learning, and a socially-distanced graduation.
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Congratulations, Class of 2020 Recognizing the graduates of the Class of 2020.
ON THE COVER: Students got creative with their caps at the Class of 2020 Graduation parade in May. Photo: Chuck Ginter
SECTIONS 1 Message from the Principal 2 Admissions 3 Academics 5 Student Life 6 Campus Ministry 7 Fine Arts 8 Center for Student Leadership
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11 Congratulations, Class of 2020 19 Athletics 21 EAST
11 STAY CONNECTED. FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL!
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Friends of CEC, The 2019-2020 school year was an experience that no one would have predicted back in September. The impact of COVID-19 cannot be understated. Our students and teachers were sent home for what ended up being the last four months of the school year. Virtual learning became the norm overnight. Spirit Night, spring sports, and the musical (Seussical) were all canceled. Zoom became our most common form of communication. The Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercises went virtual, while the graduates in the Class of 2020 were awarded their diplomas during a car parade through the CEC parking lot. There were so many experiences and celebrations taken away by the pandemic, but CEC pushed forward. Our students showed resilience and persistence. Our teachers showed adaptability and creativity. CEC continued to soar in the face of unprecedented circumstances. Our momentum continues to build as we move toward the 2020-2021 school year. Construction on our state-of-the-art turf soccer/lacrosse field began in mid-June. We expect the project to be completed in its entirety in September. Our Counseling Center and Chemistry lab were completely renovated in the past month. We will continue to invest in our facility because we firmly believe that our students will thrive in an environment that raises expectations and promotes success. We are excited to announce the launch of the CEC STEEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
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EAST, Mathematics) program. Engineering courses will be taught on campus by Brian Wurtz ’84, who recently joined the Danaher Lynch Family Foundation (DLFF) as the Director of STEM Programs after a successful career in the tech industry. Our ultimate goal with this STEEM program is to provide our students with more opportunities in order to accomplish our mission of preparing them to make informed and confident decisions regarding college and career upon graduating from CEC. We have also recently established an exciting partnership with The Franklin Institute (TFI). Our initial program with TFI will include professional development for our teachers around understanding the brain and teaching with a STEM mindset. We are hopeful that these summer months have allowed you to safely reconnect with family and friends. Please keep our team in your prayers as we charter new waters in preparation for the 2020-2021 school year. #SOAR
Sincerely,
Matthew Fischer ‘04 Principal
SOAR SPRING/SUMMER 2020 ISSUE 2 | VOLUME 1 DESIGNER/EDITOR Brittany Kane Director of Marketing Services, DLFF PROOFREADERS Joseph Adler Joshua Bower Sue DiLisio Matthew Fischer Maggie Markmann 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
FROM THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE
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hen our Class of 2020 families made the decision four years ago to attend CEC, no one would have pictured their experience would come to a close the way it did. These students have shown perseverance and determination to make their mark, an impression that was felt school-wide. Despite these circumstances, we will never forget this class and the impact they have made on our CEC family. We in Admissions wish you all the best, and we know you will be successful, because we have seen you overcome these challenges and soar! When a family decides that CEC is the right choice for them, our mission is to uphold the promises that were made by us – to offer students a well-rounded education, based on principals of character, excellence, and commitment. Families make a commitment to CEC, and we commit to providing the best high school experience for their children. We pride ourselves on the promise that they will learn not just about their academics, but also learn the importance of morality, respect, kindness, and accountability. We know the investment our families make in CEC, and we strive to return that investment into our students. The Class of 2020 has helped pave the way for a new future of learning at CEC. They have helped us learn that experiences, such as opportunities to show leadership, exposure to real-life stories of learning, and diversity in the classroom are invaluable to the entire high school experience. These opportunities have prepared our students for their next endeavor after CEC, and we know the Class of 2020 is ready.
VISIT US ON THE WEB www.conwell-egan.org PLEASE SEND COMMENTS OR CORRECTIONS TO:
E NEWS@CONWELL-EGAN.ORG
As we talk about our school to prospective families, we truly believe we are making a promise to deliver, and asking families to trust us. The families we will welcome in the fall have not only believed in us, but have stood behind us already, in working with us to prepare for their arrival despite the unprecedented times we all face. Their excitement for the future is powerful, and we know the incoming Class of 2024 is equipped with a newfound determination to make the most of their time at CEC.
P 215-945-6200
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ACADEMICS
RISING TO THE CHALLENGE From virtual concerts to classes, CEC students and faculty seamlessly transitioned to online learning
By Joshua K. Bower Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs
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he Office of Academic Affairs made a smooth transition to a virtual model in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both teachers and students continued to SOAR. CEC students did not miss a beat when it came to attending many Zoom sessions and completing school work remotely. An additional 22 students achieved Honor Roll during the past semester despite the transition to remote learning. When comparing the 2019-2020 academic year to the 2018-2019 school year, there
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was a 70% overall decrease in school year course failures. We can attribute this success to an increased focus on early intervention and additional academic support for students. Our teachers took the transition to remote education in stride and continued to deliver top-notch lessons. In spite of working offcampus, they were as committed as ever to improving their craft through professional development. The teachers attended sessions virtually with colleagues in their professional learning communities and participated in faculty meetings. Kudos to both our educators and students on their commitment and academic excellence. CEC’s after-school tutoring
program, through the Academic Resource Center (ARC), also transitioned from in-person to virtual in the midst of the global pandemic. Tutoring remains free for all CEC students, and tutors will continue to support the CEC students virtually at the start of the new school year. The Academics team is also excited to announce the addition of CEC’s new STEEM program. The acronym is CEC’s unique spin on STEM/STEAM learning and stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, EAST and Mathematics. Some exciting elements of the STEEM program include the reinstatement of CEC’s Robotics team, which has continued virtually throughout the past several
months, thanks to Mr. Brian Wurtz. CEC will also offer a new engineering course to students this coming fall. The course will simulate a real-world model in which students are able to collaboratively problem-solve and design solutions. In addition to the new STEEM program, a brand new freshman seminar course will begin for all incoming students this fall. The purpose of the course is to introduce and encourage early college and career exploration. Similar to this past year’s sophomore
"...comparing the 20192020 academic year to the 2018-2019 school year, there was a 70% overall decrease in failures"
seminar program, the class will include weekly rotations, each focusing on various career paths and related college programs. Considering the circumstances, we are very proud of the way we finished the academic year. We are hopeful to return to some normalcy during the 2020-2021 school year, and we look forward to building upon the achievements of our students.
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STUDENT LIFE
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN STUDENT LIFE
By Mr. Christopher DiLeonardo Assistant Principal for Student Life Overall, it was a successful year with the implementation of the new Code of Conduct. We will revisit and revise the Code of Conduct during the summer. Unfortunately, the second half of the year was quiet for Student Life due to the pandemic. Student Life kept busy at the end of the year with cleaning out the contents of each student's locker as well as distributing the locker contents along with yearbooks to each student in a car pick-up line. If any graduating or current students have uniforms that are in good condition and would like to donate them, we would greatly appreciate it. Donations can be dropped off at the front desk on weekdays from 9-3. Senior Portrait dates are set for September 1, 2, and 3. A representative from LifeTouch will email senior parents to set up portraits by appointment only. The LifeTouch representative will also be providing directions on what to wear and location of portraits.
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Student Life will be accepting parking permits for students that would like to park on school property. Permits will be accepted closer to the beginning of the school year and permits are FREE! Please visit the CEC website to download a Permit Application and complete the proper requirements for getting a permit. Any student that had a permit last year must reapply. Permits will be given out on a first come, first serve basis. As we look to the new school year we will also be looking to add new clubs and activities. If anyone has any suggestions, it would be greatly appreciated. While we will be navigating a new normal this fall, we look forward to growing and learning together, however it may look. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me at cdileonardo@ conwell-egan.org/ Enjoy the remainder of your summer, Eagles! #SOAR
CAMPUS MINISTRY
TOGETHER IN Faith & Hope By Ashley Bennett Campus Minister
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hile the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year was not what we had planned nor expected for Campus Ministry, we saw that “grace overflowed all the more” (Romans 5:20) in the midst of this unprecedented time. In February, we were grateful to welcome Fr. Kyle Adamczyk to the Campus Ministry team as our Chaplain. Fr. Kyle is the Parochial Vicar at St. Andrew Parish in Newtown and is a member of the Archdiocesan Task Force for Youth and Young Adult Ministry. Fr. Kyle has assisted us to provide more encounters with Our Lord through the reintroduction of Daily Mass, weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and weekly Confessions. He also provides spiritual guidance for both students and staff alike. Fr. Kyle is also working to develop a Rite of Christian Initiation program and will be collaborating with School Ministry to further develop the Campus Ministry program. Before we shifted to virtual learning, plans were put into place to complete the process of the renovation of the Chapel, which will be dedicated to the patronage of St. Francis of Assisi. The process of the Chapel renovation started in the 2017-2018 school year. This process was spearheaded by the ideas and creativity of two EAST students, Carly Bonfig ‘18 and Kerry Morris ‘18, with the support and encouragement of Mr. Josh Beauchamp, EAST Department Chair. As Mr. Beauchamp recounts, these two students “assisted with the initial design concepts of the Chapel and created 3D models that were used for planning and to garner initial support for the project.” After these designs were finished, Mrs. Melissa Schiavone, Director of Visual Arts, stepped in to bring these plans and designs into reality. She, along with a few volunteer Fine Arts students, spent most of the summer of 2018 in the Chapel piecing together the cross mosaic that now sits behind the High Altar and the Tabernacle. During this school year, we celebrated the arrival of our new statue of St. Francis of Assisi, which was
blessed on his feast day, October 4, by Fr. John Bednarik, OFM Cap. In the next few months, we will see the arrival of a new altar, high altar, and pulpit. The next step will be the commissioning of new murals depicting events from the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. It is important for the Campus Ministry team to place the Chapel at the center of all of our ministry efforts, because even though it may not be in the literal center of our school, the Chapel houses “Jesus, the leader and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). With the beginning of virtual learning came virtual Campus Ministry. Every day, the Ministry Office would lead the school community in prayer via videos posted to her YouTube channel. During Unwind Wednesdays and other Holy Days, we held Virtual Campus Ministry events such as live streamed Masses, Bible Studies, and Question and Answer Sessions. Special thanks goes to Mr. Dan Tarrant, Director of Faith for Life at St. Andrew Parish, for supporting us to livestream our Holy Week and Ascension Thursday Masses for the whole school community. Fr. Kyle celebrated the Baccalaureate Mass in the Chapel, with the Class of 2020 joining virtually. Congratulations to the Class of 2020, and we look forward to what the 2020-2021 school year has to offer! God Bless you and your families!
Above: The recently renovated CEC Chapel that was designed by CEC EAST students.
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Anne Gutherman '20, AP Art
FINE ARTS
CONNECTING WITH
creativity By Mr. Thomas Kuchler Director of Performing Arts
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n the heels of a successful grand opening of the brand new Grace Danaher Performing Arts Center and a sold-out standing room only Christmas concert, the Fine Arts program at CEC is thriving. As 2020 began, Fine Arts students were well into developing their portfolios and art show submissions, as well as deep into the rehearsal cycle for Seussical the Musical, set to debut at the end of March. It was at the conclusion of one of those rehearsals, exactly two weeks before opening night, that the cast, crew, and directors sat down to discuss the future of the show. The announcement had just come that school would be closed for the next two weeks - a dream scenario for some, but a total nightmare for the cast and crew who were right in the middle of the most intense part of the cycle. The decision was made that the show would be postponed until a later date, and ultimately cancelled, which devastated the students and teachers who had worked so hard on this production. In the face of such unfortunate circumstances, the students in the Fine Arts program, while disappointed, would not allow this to define their school year or their work. While the musical, art show, and concert would all be cancelled, arts instruction would still continue. One of the first art projects for remote learning was to express through art the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a project that produced chilling, spectacular pieces of art which were shared with the community through social media. The students in chorus came together to create a
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Virtual Choir, pulling off a wonderful rendition of their annual traditional piece Like an Eagle, which was released the week that the spring concert would have taken place. In conjunction with the Virtual Choir video, students in all levels of art submitted pieces for a Virtual Art Show. Both of these virtual projects were received extremely well by the students, parents, and the entire CEC community. The students’ ability to produce such high quality art and music during such limiting circumstances speaks to their passion and dedication to the fine arts. The Fine Arts program has no intention of slowing down, despite the current events in the world. In the past five years, graduates of the Fine Arts program have gone on to prestigious institutions including Westminster Choir College, The University of Delaware, Boston University, and Berklee College of Music to study musicrelated fields; as well as Parsons, The New School, The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Tyler School of Art at Temple University, and Pratt to study art-related fields. In 2017, the Concert Choir had 19 students participating, and that number now exceeds 80. CEC sent one student to All-Catholic Chorus four years ago, and sent 16 students this past year. This tremendous growth is indicative of the hours of hard work, practice, and dedication that the students in the Fine Arts program consistently pour into their craft. The future is bright for the Fine Arts program at CEC, and we are all looking forward to the day that we can gather again in our beautiful new Performing Arts Center to appreciate and recognize the tremendous work that our students do.
VALUABLE CAREER EXPOSURE The CSL continues to deliver on its mission to provide our students with knowledge and advice from professionals across a variety of industries. The following guests joined us in the second semester: • LAW ENFORCEMENT Bill McVey (Bensalem Twp. Deputy Director) • FIREFIGHTING Bob Hedden '77 • CHEMICAL/BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING Kristen Manton '13 • NEUROLOGY Dr. Emil Matarese (Capital Health) • PHYSICAL THERAPY Theresa Horn '10 John Murray '12 • ENGINEERING (VIRTUAL) Ryan Pepito ‘13 Renee Eastburn ‘14 Bobby Garneau ‘13 Brian Garneau ‘14 Matt Costanzo ‘17 Jim Nixon • 'BUILDING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND" (VIRTUAL) Matt Macnamara ‘12 Francois Duris ‘12 Patrick Long ‘12 • EDUCATION (VIRTUAL) Matt Fischer ‘04 Steve Liedtka ‘87 Molly Fitzpatrick ‘12 Samantha Tallarico ‘13 Chuck Ginter Kathy Fitzpatrick '87 Tony Goodman (pictured at right)
CENTER FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Staying the Course By Mr. Jordan Schiavo '13 Director of Center for Student Leadership EC did not let the impact of Covid-19 stop the momentum of the Center for Student Leadership. The CSL made a full transition to a virtual platform for the remainder of the second semester and held a number of professional speaking engagements via Zoom. We’d like to say a special thank you to Michael Barkann for an inspiring video message to our students. When safety limitations prevented him and his wife Ellen from visiting CEC, Michael didn’t hesitate to step up and reach out to motivate our
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students virtually. CEC and the CSL are looking forward to partnering with the Barkann Foundation next year, along with several new speakers using our virtual technology. Looking forward to the 20-21 school year, the CSL plans to increase our number of student interns, speakers and workshops to offer even more to our Eagles. We plan to continue to use our new virtual tools to host speakers who are unable to physically attend school. We plan to have 30+ interns working in 2020-2021, and look forward to hosting brand new workshops including “How to Ace an Interview”.
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LEAVING
THE NEST By Stephanie McBeth '20
How the Class of 2020 rose to the challenge of quarantine, virtual learning, and a socially-distanced graduation.
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T
o say the CEC 2019-2020 school year ended in an unexpected way would be an understatement. When we left school because of the Coronavirus for two weeks, we had no idea it would turn into two months of cyber learning. As the saying goes, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” We all planned for this year to be “normal.” We were going to attend classes, participate in school activities; be the winning Spirit Night team, the stars of Seussical, the championship sports team. It can be easy to look at the current situation and be upset, to feel like some of the most memorable and most anticipated months of our high school career were stolen from us by this pandemic. It is important to not focus on everything that seems to be going wrong, but to be thankful for the time we had together at our school. It is important to take this time of uncertainty as a gift from God and use it as a chance to remember what is truly important. As Mr. Mac always reminds us, “Nothing is permanent but God’s love.” If this experience has taught us nothing else, it has shown us how true this quote actually is. All of the activities that once filled our days - sports and practices, drama rehearsals, club meetings, Spirit Night practices, spending time with friends - all suddenly came to a halt. And what was left? The CEC community, heartbroken, yes, but united and more resilient than ever. We will forever be known as the students that overcame, stuck together, remained hopeful, and persevered through months of social distancing, because we know that light awaits us on the other side of this period of darkness. We cannot let fear of the unknown overtake us. We cannot lose sight of all the good we have yet to achieve and all the happy times to come. God has great things in store for all of us, and we, the Conwell-Egan Catholic High School community, are prepared to soar.
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Congratulat
CLA
111
GRADUATES
$10.1 MIL
IN SCHOLARSHIPS EARNED
Stephanie McBeth
Christian Witness Award
For a student who is open and joyful in the sharing and expressing of the Faith
Delaney Lindberg
Conor Dougherty
Alumni Award
Administration Award
For outstanding community service
For a student who embodies the CEC motto of Character, Excellence, and Commitment
tions
ASS OF
o t
Stephanie McBeth
Valedictorian
2020 Delaney Lindberg
Salutatorian
Riley Johnson
John Rygalski
Seungjin “Tommy” Lee
Faculty Award
President’s Award
Principal’s Award
For outstanding service and loyalty to CEC
For outstanding servant leadership to CEC
For a student who best exemplifies scholarship at CEC
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Congratulations CONWELL-EGAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL class of 2020
FINAL DESTINATIONS & TOTAL SCHOLARSHIPS EARNED Joseph Albano Bucks County Community College
Caianna Noelle Crespo Levittown Beauty Academy
Ethan Ashcroft Bucks County Community College
Angel Marie Crowell Holy Family University $80,000
David Ballah Bucks County Community College Cole Belinsky Pennsylvania State University at Abington $80.000 James Bickel Gwynedd-Mercy University $290,000 Rachel E. Bolton Pennsylvania State University at Altoona $286,000 John Michael Brennan Pennsylvania State University at University Park $80,000 Jenifer Breslin Rider University $112,000 Nicholas Calderone Temple University Alexandra Chalmers Ursinus College $112,000 Michele Chamberlain Bucks County Community College Ricardo Jorge Chavarria Bucks County Community College
Skylar Cross-Dalton Buck County Community College Gia Marie Dalessio Temple University Adam David Pennsylvania State University at Brandywine Kareeme Anwar Davis Impact Ballers Academy Daniel DeFelice Workforce Kenneth Peter DiFilippo Immaculata University $278,000 Conor James Dougherty Pennsylvania State University at University Park $281,716 Ronaldo Dubon Mercer County Community College Melanie Dykes Pennsylvania State University at University Park Alyssa Fagans La Salle University $96,000
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Samantha Elizabeth Feltri Rutgers University at New Brunswick $192,500
Riley Johnson Bucks County Community College $88,000
Connor J. Ferry Bucks County Community College
Cori Jones University of Hartford $104,000
Angelina Gallagher Rider University $120,000
Kayla Jones Holy Family University $68,000
Angela Christine Gesualdi Bloomsburg University $96,000
Michael Kerr Pennsylvania State University at Abington
Leroy Charles Gipson Bucks County Community College
Sean Thornton Kleinfelder Widener University
John William Glynn Bucks County Community College
Matthew R. Kliniewski La Salle University $44,000
Mason John Goodwin Ursinus College $556,000 Anne Gutherman Saint Joseph’s University $152,000
Erica Lanzetta Bucks County Community College
Todd Xavier Hartman Lock Haven University
Kwan Soo Lee SUNY Albany
Olivia Headley Gwynedd Mercy University $317,000
Seungjin Lee Villanova University
Marisa Ann Hellmuth Thomas Jefferson University $544,240 Rebecca E. Hollenczer Bucks County Community College $4,000 Jeonghu Hwang Zhejiang University Luke Ryan Jackson Monmouth University
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Tyler Kuhl Arcadia University $148,000
Christopher Light Ursinus College $112,000 Delaney M. Lindberg University of Pittsburgh $586,000 Kyle Liu Drexel University $181,756 Emily Logue Pennsylvania State University at University Park $29,000
Connor Lowry Temple University $716,000
Joseph Lee Nolan Kutztown University $20,000
Christopher Majors East Stroudsburg University
Jillian Ann Osborne Indiana University of Pennsylvania $268,500
Matthew Thomas Marlin Ursinus College $160,000 Kylie Maroney Pennsylvania State University at Altoona $156,000 Jaclyn Marie Martello Temple University Lindsay Nicole Mastronardo Thomas Jefferson University $148,000 Stephanie McBeth La Salle University $894,880 Colin McCarty Bucks County Community College Margaret McCay Cabrini University $320,000 Savannah McFadden Bucks County Community College $66,000 Amy Susan Mealey Vet Tech Institute Gabrielle Micucci Jean Madeline Aveda Institute Tristan Misnik Bucks County Community College
Jadielys Pagan-LaPalombara Workforce Kiyann Peterson Bryn Athyn College Emily Catherine Potts Temple University Cole Michael Rabena Pennsylvania State University at Abington Sean Reilly Delaware Valley University $56,000 Joseph F. Rivells Apprenticeship Nina Rodas East Stroudsburg University Ethan Rosemond Mercer County Community College Andrew Rosenblatt Apprenticeship Meghan Elizabeth Roundtree Bucks County Community College Jordan Andrew Russell Bucks County Community College Frank Anthony Russo Apprenticeship
Julianna Maureen Moore West Chester University
John Rygalski Temple University $264,000
Matthew Naylor Pennsylvania State University at Abington
Devyn Jade Savage Rowan College at Burlington
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Christopher Sax Pennsylvania State University at Altoona Niklaus Schneider Bucks County Community College Connor Scholl Arcadia University $155,000 Rachel Schu Pennsylvania State University at University Park Samuel James Schurr Gettysburg College $188,000 Janys A. Scott Bucks County Community College Kaylee June Seslar Temple University Ronan Shaw Pennsylvania State University at University Park $158,000 WonJong Shin University of illinois at Urbana-Champaign Elizabeth Irene Shire Neumann University $557,600
Gracie Terry Pennsylvania State University at Abington $124,000 Anna Jeane Trimble University of Pittsburgh $8,240 Brady Robert Trimble Gwynedd-Mercy University $52,000 Paul Anthony Tucillo Innovate Beauty Academy Andrew Vandiver Pennsylvania State University at Abington Angel Viskinda Pennsylvania State University at University Park $48,000 Dylan Vlassenko Holy Family University $74,000 Isabella Volponi East Stroudsburg University $64,000 Hannah Taylor Ward Bucks County Community College
Anthony Joseph Smith Immaculata University
Amari Wiggins Pennsylvania State University at Abington $68,000
Joseph Snyder Bucks County Community College
Rylee Jaye Worthington Mercer County Community College
Madison Spor Bucks County Community College
Dawson Roger Zadnik Bucks County Community College
Sara Stintsman Gwynedd-Mercy University $241,000
Keyllien Zuniga-Urgiles La Salle University $321,500
Jessica Swope Florida Atlantic University
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SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | 18
ATHLETICS
By Mr. Pat Donlen '74 and Mr. Rich Papirio '69 Athletic Department
FLY, EAGLES, FLY
SPRING SPORTS ROUND UP
BASEBALL
Second-year Head Coach Steve Carr was truly looking forward to his team’s performance in 2020. Now that he has the full reins of his team, he felt strongly that CEC would be very competitive in the PCL. Behind the strong arm of Brady Trimble and senior leadership of Jack Brennan, Connor Lowry, Anthony Smith, Andrew Rosenblatt, and Matt Naylor there was a feeling of confidence amongst the team players. Sporting new uniforms, the boys would have played as well as they looked. Coach Steve Carr can be contacted at baseball@conwell-egan.org.
SOFTBALL
The 2020 Softball season started with much hope, optimism, and surprisingly decent weather. We were off to a good start and excited after our first scrimmage against Villa Joseph Marie, when news came from PIAA that high school seasons were being cancelled because of COVID-19. We were looking forward to seeing this team compete and allowing the seniors to have the year they deserve. When our student-athletes get back to the classroom and the playing field, we are hopeful that they will be humble, passionate, inspiring, kind, thankful and know they are cared for by family, friends, teammates, and coaches.
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Coach Sandy Hart is entering her 28th season at CEC and she can be reached at softball@conwell-egan.org.
BOYS LACROSSE
After going 3-0 in our scrimmages this year, we were prepared to carry the program to the PCL playoffs. This is a senior class that will surely be missed. Thank you for changing the culture over your four years. Coach Tom Reed can be reached at boyslacrosse@conwell-egan.org
GIRLS LACROSSE
Let’s go back to March 3rd, the first day of lacrosse tryouts, and we could already sense that these girls had what it takes to shake up the Catholic League again. We had 8 strong returning players from last season - all seniors – and we had no doubt that the girls would have returned to the PCL playoffs. As for the talented incoming class and returning players, the future is bright for the CEC Girls Lacrosse team. There will be a new head coach for the team in 2020-2021. Reach the new coach at girlslacrosse@conwell-egan.org.
OUTDOOR TRACK
The team was poised for a very competitive outdoor season. The team is graduating 3 boys and 3 girls this year and we are very sad they weren’t able to compete in their final high school season. We wish them great success in the future. The team will be returning a strong group of underclassmen and it looks as though we have a very talented incoming freshmen class to help us build towards the future. Coach Brian Wurtz can be reached at outdoortrack@conwell-egan.org.
FALL SPORTS UPDATE
CEC student-athletes returned to the practice fields on July 1, 2020, with restrictions. CEC is abiding by the State of PA, PIAA, and the PCL on how we will approach the return to play. By now you've seen the bulldozers excavating the soccer fields for the new turf field. New bleachers will be installed in the gym along with an exhaust system to help cool it off during the summer months. This exciting news is just the beginning of what we have planned for our athletes and teams!
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EAST
EDUCATION ACCELERATED BY SERVICE AND TECHNOLOG
Top Left (A.taylor scatterplot) - Aaliyah Taylor's scatterplot showing the relationship between health and economic performance in various regions of the world (color). Bubble size indicates the UN happiness score for each country. Top Right (A.pustay r studio) - Aidan Pustay's R Studio workspace shows his code as well as one of the visualizations he created comparing 8th grade math testing data by gender and the education level of students' parents for students across Pennsylvania. By Mr. Josh Beauchamp EAST Facilitator The students in CEC's EAST program adapted well to the remote learning program this year, using the time to build skills and learn new techniques for working as part of a team, even when they were not able to be in the classroom. EAST students spent the time developing skills across a wide range of areas including filmmaking, design, GIS, data science and machine learning, working with industry leading tutorial platforms and following their interests in a way that made them responsible for the work they were doing. Using primarily open-source and cloud-enabled tools, the
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students had an opportunity to use the same tools that are in place in industry and higher education while focusing on building critical thinking skills and solving problems. “This environment was a challenge for the kids,” said EAST facilitator Josh Beauchamp, “but they really rose to the occasion. We worked on sharing things with each other via a Google Plus Community, and it was great to see them ask and answer each other’s questions about the tools they were using and show off their work.” The culmination of this work was an individual final project in which students applied their newly developed skills to a real-world situation, working with material that sparked their interest. For example, Aaliyah
Taylor ‘21 used Python libraries and data from the UN to analyze the happiness index for nations around the world and created an interactive notebook detailing the process and results. Aidan Pustay ‘24 used the statistical programming language R to explore the relationship between various demographic factors and test performance amongst Pennsylvania students. These projects challenged the students to work with realworld data, showing them the context in which the skills they studied are applied and the techniques that can be used in coming up with useful questions and answers outside of the classroom.
LET'S GET VIRTUAL
GY
FOOD PANTRY MAP: COLLABORATING TO HELP THOSE IN NEED By Rylee Joyce '24
Three EAST students have developed a map designed to display the nearest food pantry to a given location. Inspired by the Covid-19 pandemic, Tessa Smiley, Colton Jiorle, and Rylee Joyce collaborated remotely to create this digital map that would accommodate the needs of their community. In light of the recent national emergency, the students were concerned about food security for those in need. This motivated Tessa, Colton, and Rylee to use the digital mapping skills they developed in CEC's EAST program to create this convenient tool that will still be beneficial even after the pandemic dissolves. “Although the idea for our project initially sparked from the onset of COVID-19, we soon realized that this was a resource which could be utilized even after the pandemic so long as these pressing issues continue to exist in our community," said Jiorle. The EAST program encourages students to develop skills in technology that they can then use to help solve issues within their community. Speaking on how his students have worked to put this project together, EAST facilitator Josh Beauchamp said, “The fact that they [Tessa, Colton, and Rylee] accomplished all this while in quarantine and away from each other speaks volumes about how they have learned to deal with the challenges of working and collaborating in new situations." The map features food pantries across the Philadelphia and Bucks County area, and it allows users to input their desired location so they are able to determine which food pantry is closest. The map can be accessed by following this link: http://bit.ly/2Zv4mUO.
A number of EAST students explored the idea of remote collaboration to benefit their community. Ava Hawthorne ‘24 and Natalie Connor ‘24 continued their work from the classroom, creating a virtual tour of CEC for prospective families that showcases panoramic images of various spaces in the school and describes the programs and activities offered. SPRING/SUMMER 2020 | 22
2020-2021 REOPENING PLAN WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO OUR MOST IMPORTANT OBECTIVE:
Ensure the health and safety of our school community while continuing to provide an innovative and Catholic valuesbased educational experience in accordance with CDC and PA Department of Health Guidelines.
A HYBRID INSTRUCTION MODEL
THE SCHOOLOGY LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
To allow for the recommended six feet distancing in classrooms, cafeteria spaces, and other locations, only half the students will attend school in person each day. On alternating days, students will participate in the same class live from home using a learning management system and classroom cameras.
CEC will utilize a learning management system with Zoom technology, so that students can participate in live instruction from home on alternating days. Now, Schoology will also allow students to access resources, to collaborate with each other and to have one log-in access to hundreds of widely used educational resources.
COHORTING
SCHEDULING CHANGES
As recommended by health organizations, students will be cohorted as much as possible in rostering. If a case of COVID-19 were to surface with a cohort, we would then move to virtual learning at home with just the identified cohort for the 14-day quarantine period. The rest of the school would continue to operate with in-class instruction.
School schedules will be adjusted to allow more time between classes so that all of the students are well spaced apart in the hallways. Where possible, CEC will increase the number of electronic books to reduce the need for students to go to their lockers.
STRICT SAFETY PROTOCOLS CECs will strictly follow recommended protocols for safe distancing, daily screening of students and staff, requiring face coverings, reducing large gatherings and restricting visitors.
ENHANCED CLEANING An additional maintenance person has been added to the day-time staff to help provide ongoing cleaning/ disinfecting of high-touch areas and bathrooms. Electrostatic disinfecting process will occur nightly. Frequent hand washing will be encouraged and hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building.
IMPROVED VENTILATION
TRAINING
Ventilation systems have been checked and enhanced and teachers will be encouraged to open windows to circulate fresh air whenever possible.
Students and staff will receive training on new procedures, software systems and technology. Handbooks will also be updated to reflect new policies.
Published August 2020. These plans are subject to change. Please visit www.conwell-egan.org/reopening-plan-2020 for the full details of the reopening plan.
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Conwell-Egan Catholic High School 611 Wistar Road Fairless Hills, PA 19030