Parents Bulletin - August 2014

Archbishop Curley High School

August ‘14

Volume 24, Issue 11

Parents’ Bulletin Archbishop Curley H.S. Parents’ Bulletin “Quis ut Deus”

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From the President

As I return to Curley there is much that is familiar, but in many ways I feel like a freshman again. Not everything is in the same place in the building as it was when I left in 2001. There are many new people to meet and new names to learn.

There is a level of technology that has grown considerably during that time, and while my technology skills have grown, they have not grown exponen“...you are tially. The calendar is full, and a bit daunting, but I think I am ready to get unpart of derway. I also know there are people who will help when I have a question. the So if you feel a bit the same, eager but anxious, not sure of everything but Curley hopeful, then let’s take the plunge and begin. Whether you are a new or returnFamily,...” ing family, you are part of the Curley Family, and we are members of a family that will help one another. Please don’t hesitate to ask a question, and please do get involved. Involvement is not only good for the school and students, but it is good for the parents as well. Those parents who have been involved know they have found new friends, and some will truly be friends for life. There are parents whose sons graduated decades ago who still attend events, volunteer, and offer financial assistance, and they all say it is because of the relationships they have formed. Together we help the Curley Family to grow and excel.

This summer the two former East Coast provinces of the Conventual Franciscan Friars (who help to staff Curley) joined together and formed a new province, named “Our Lady of the Angels Province.” The name is from a title of Mary associated with the little church down the hill from Assisi where St. Francis felt so at home, where he welcomed St. Clare to the Franciscan way of life, and where he left this earthly life for eternal life. The feast of Our Lady of the Angels is August 2, and is also a day when we celebrate the mercy of our God who wants only the best for his daughters and sons.

A school year is a defined period of time, and it is therefore a very good one for goal-setting. As we begin again this month, let us ask our Heavenly Father, our powerful intercessor Our Lady of the Angels, and Saints Francis and Clare (her feast day is August 11) to help each of us reach our goals, that we may grow in knowledge and grace, that we may grow physically and spiritually, that our year will be one of blessings for all. Again, I look forward to meeting everyone in the weeks ahead.

– Fr. Donald

From the Interim Principal

Greetings Parents and Families, St. Francis once said, “Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” As parents and teachers we are called to work together to do what is necessary and possible for our young men so that they, in turn, can do the impossible. As we embark on a new beginning with this upcoming school year, I offer a few updates for your consideration.

This year, we are pleased to welcome back Fr. Peter Tremblay who will join our Theology Department. Fr. Peter served our community five years ago and comes to us having completed parish work in Connecticut. Fr. Peter holds a B.A. from The Franciscan University in Steubenville and a Masters in Divinity from Washington Theological Union. Joining him in the Theology Department is Fr. Chris Dudek, who will also teach in the Foreign Language Department. Fr. Chris comes to us from The Catholic University of America where he received a B.A. in Philosophy.

This summer Fr. Chris spent time working with the marginalized in Honduras. Another Catholic University graduate, Mr. Christian Grochowski, will join our English and History Departments.

Mr. Grochowski holds a B.A. from CUA and is pursuing a Masters degree at NDMU through Operation TEACH. Mrs. Angela Cogswell will be returning to us this year as a full time member of the Science Department. Mrs. Cogswell holds a Masters degree from Goucher, and will be (continued p. 2)

August ‘14

Volume 24, Issue 11

Archbishop Curley H.S. Parents’ Bulletin “Quis ut Deus”

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From the Interim Principal (continued)

joined in the Science Department by Mr. Liam Breathnach. Mr. Breathnach holds degrees in Biochemistry and Education, and comes to us having taught in Europe on the Secondary School level. Mr. Steve Streckfus, a Curley alum, holds an MBA and will return to his alma mater to teach Business and Algebra. In addition, Mr. Mark Muth, also a Curley alum, and graduate of Loyola University, will lead the transition of our Library to a Digital Media Resource Center. Finally, Mr. Zach Dziedzic will be serving as our new Assistant Principal for Students.

Mr. Dziedzic holds a B.A. from Georgetown University, and a Masters from Fordham University. Most recently he has served as a History teacher at Loyola Blakefield and AP US History grader for the College Board.

With Mr. Dziedzic’s arrival, we will also transition to a new discipline system. A copy of this detention based system will be sent home with your Curley Calendar. Please review it carefully and don’t hesitate to contact Mr. Dziedzic if you have any questions.

As always, your involvement in our community is tantamount to the success of our Curley young men. Consistent email communications with teachers, diligent checking of Edline, attendance at Parents’ Guild meetings and teacher conferences, and talking with your sons about life at school, will ensure that together we are doing “what is necessary...and possible.”

All three of my children attend Catholic school. I understand and appreciate the sacrifice that you make each and every day to work hand-in-hand with the faculty to educate your sons. You have placed your trust in this community and know that we welcome your sons and will guide them to answer the call of St. Francis to “...do the impossible.”

Enjoy the rest of the summer and I’ll see you soon!

News from the Peace and all good things, Brian Kohler Campus Store

Around the Campus

I hope everyone has enjoyed the summer. I would like to take a quick minute to review with you the importance of traffic safety on our campus. As the fall sports season begins and all of our students return to school, the pedestrian traffic increases tremendously.

Please use caution, reduce your speeds, and be observant when driving on our interior roads and parking lots.

Also, it is very important that you do not stop or park in the athletic circle at the gym entrance doors.

This circle is the connector loop to our academic and athletic parking lots. This has become a very serious problem. It creates an unsafe bottleneck if you stop your vehicle in that area.

Thank you for help and cooperation, and I wish everyone good luck in the new academic year.

John Kogler Vice President of Finance & Operations

Come be a part of another exciting year in the Curley Campus Store. New merchandise has already started to arrive. We will be open for business on Wednesday, August 13 for Freshmen Parent Orientation. For all those Under Armour fans we have doubled the size of the Under Armour collection this year!

The Curley Campus Store needs your help!

We are currently recruiting volunteers to help us staff the Campus Store this year. The Campus Store is a perfect opportunity for parents and grandparents to get involved in their son’s or grandson’s school. If you can’t help during the day but you are available to help during special events, please contact us as well.

Parents and Grandparents, if you are interested in working in the Curley Campus Store, please contact Stephanie Wolfe at 410-485-5000 ext. 280 or at swolfe@ archbishopcurley.org.

Curley’s Summer Reading List can be found on the web at www.archbishopcurley.org.

August ‘14

Volume 24, Issue 11

Archbishop Curley H.S. Parents’ Bulletin “Quis ut Deus”

Curley’s New Website

We are pleased to introduce Curley’s new website at the same address www.archbishopcurley.org. It has a fresh look and feel and many features we like. For many of our parents who were used to the previous site, this may present some initial difficulties finding where things are located. The most important page for parents at this time of year is the “Back To School” page which you will find in the middle of the home page. It has important dates, links to forms, the summer reading list, the textbook list and more. Check there each week during August, as there may be updates and changes.

Here are two tips for navigating the site. In the menu bar at the top of the page, you will see all the tabs indicating the top level organization of the site.

In the middle is the Curley shield. Click on it when you want to return to the Homepage.

Second, if the site is not displaying properly, it may be because it is still looking for the previous site.

To fix this, go to Start and in the search field type cmd and hit Enter. This should open a black window (command prompt) with a path C:\windows\system32 or something like that. Type in ipconfig /flushdns and hit enter. You should get an indication within a second when this is finished. Now close this window and restart your PC or laptop. Go to www.archbishopcurley. org and you should see the new website correctly.

If you have any questions, call Greg Malanowski at 410-485-5000 x286.

New Tuition Policy

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From the Parents’ Guild President

It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to a close. I’m hoping that many of you have enjoyed some family time together, whether it is a getaway vacation or a laid back stay-cation at home.

The Parents’ Guild will be hosting many events during the school year. I strongly encourage you to attend the meetings and to participate in some of these events! We had a wonderful turn out for many events last year such as the Carrington House dinners, Father/Son Golf Tournament, and Mother Son Dinner Dance just to name a few.

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer and look ahead to another great school year at Archbishop Curley High School! The Parents’ Guild board members and myself look forward to working with many of you in the upcoming school year!

--Julie Mullen

The first priority of the Business Office is to make certain Archbishop Curley is on firm financial ground. We take pride in the fact that we have always operated with a balanced budget and have worked hard to keep our tuition at a reasonable rate, especially relative to other catholic and private high schools.

Over the years, we have worked closely with families who have worked with us to honor their financial obligations to Archbishop Curley in a timely manner. The challenge of course, has come with families who, for various reasons, fall behind in their tuition payments and find themselves in a difficult situation. Past Due tuition creates debt for the families and significant cash flow issues for the school, neither of which is healthy.

This academic year, any student whose tuition balance becomes over 90 days past due, and the parents/ guardians have not worked out a repayment plan with the Business Office, will be sent home from school and not allowed to participate in any school activities.

Families who have chosen our Monthly Tuition Payment Plan must maintain an account in good standing with FACTS Tuition Management. Any family whose tuition account falls 90 days past due, their son will be sent home from school and not allowed to participate in any school activities.

Any student whose tuition from the 2013-2014 academic year, that is not paid in full by August 15, 2014 will not be permitted to return for the 2014-2015 academic year nor participate in any school activities.

No transcripts or grades will be released to another school, employer or other agency until all financial obligations to Archbishop Curley have been met.

If you have any questions please contact Carol Winpigler or John Kogler in the Business Office.

August ‘14

Volume 24, Issue 11

Archbishop Curley H.S. Parents’ Bulletin “Quis ut Deus”

Notes from the C-Notes

Friar “C” News

The 2014-2015 school year is right around the corner and we welcome the Class of 2018! We are excited to see things starting back up again.

For those who don’t know about Friar “C”Club, we are a parent group that supports the athletic programs at Curley. Due to our wonderful parent volunteers, we have been able to provide extras above and beyond the athletic department budget, student scholarships, and refreshments for games and events through the school year. We welcome all new volunteers! We operate concessions for both indoor and outdoor sporting events as long as we have the volunteers to cover. Please look in the future for the Sign Up Genius website to login in and register to volunteer for one of Curley’s games. We also have some fundraisers that have been scheduled for the upcoming school year such as the Joe Corbi Pizza/ Curley Brick Sale, Buffalo Wild Wing Night, Green Turtle Night, Basket and Bag Bingo with “C” Notes and a Wine Tasting Evening. The Friar “C” Club will be selling something new this year to help raise funds for our athletes…Curley seat cushions. Information regarding these cushions will be forthcoming.

On Wednesday, September 3, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium, ANY student who will be playing ANY sport will need to attend the Parent/Athlete meeting. All coaches will be in attendance for this meeting.

The Friar “C” Club’s first general meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the SDR. We welcome all new members, and encourage all old members to return as well. Our first meeting of discussion will be homecoming. Homecoming this year is on Saturday, October 18, 2014.

We will be looking for volunteers for this all-day event.

Enjoy what remains of the summer and we look forward to seeing you in September!

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I hope everyone is enjoying summer, especially the great weather!

The Curley C-Notes organization supports the Choral, Instrumental and Theatre Programs at Curley and is a great way to meet fellow parents. We have four general membership meetings and hold various events and fundraisers during the school year to offset various costs associated with trips, camps, performances and equipment. As you prepare for back-to-school, please don’t forget to mark your calendars for the mandatory C-Notes meeting being held on September 2 at 7:00 p.m. in the SDR. At this meeting you will receive information regarding C-Notes and how the organization supports the school and the boys. You will also have an opportunity to meet with Mr. Michael Gaffney, Choral Ensembles Director, and Mr. David Stauffer, Instrumental Ensembles Director. In addition, you will soon be receiving a packet in the mail describing our first fundraiser of the year, Gianni’s Pizza and Dutch Mill Bulbs. This is the first of two fundraisers where a percentage of the profits go directly to your son’s account to help offset the costs of his band trip and/or choir camps. The fundraiser will run from August 18 – September 12. In August, we also begin our mentor program where we match upperclassmen parents with freshman parents. We thank all those who have agreed to be mentors and look forward to meeting our freshman parents at the September meeting.

Another event in September is our Fall Bags & Basket Bingo being held on Friday, September 19 at 7:30 p.m. in the SDR. More information will be coming soon on how to purchase tickets – we usually sell out so make sure you purchase your tickets early!

I would also like to introduce our new C-Notes Board elected in May: Cindy Caporale - President; Karen Hundertmark -Vice President; Dave Gallup - Treasurer; Laurie Piccoli-Schell - Recording Secretary; and Rodney Milbourne - Sergeant of Arms.

-- Cindy Caporale President

August ‘14

Volume 24, Issue 11

Archbishop Curley H.S. Parents’ Bulletin “Quis ut Deus”

FYM -- Franciscan Youth Ministry

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I hope and pray your summer is going well!

It has been a busy summer! Fr. Peter and I took 14 Curley men to a week long service camp and retreat in College Park, MD called Encounter the Gospel of Life. They did an awesome job and they saw the importance and value of service towards others as being a part of who we are as followers of Jesus as a Franciscan school.

The call to service is one of the most important parts of what we do as a Franciscan school.

The FYM leadership team called FLEX (Franciscan Leadership Empowered for Christ) will continue to be its own homeroom for 16 juniors and seniors who will assist in retreats, liturgies and other FYM events.

So much of the success of FYM in the past has been because of dedicated parents who always go above and beyond the call of duty to pitch in wherever there is a need. Please contact me if you would like to be involved.

Our year begins quickly with Freshman Retreat right around the corner. I’m proud of our senior leaders who have worked over the summer to make this a great experience for the incoming freshman class. So many of these leaders remarked how important this retreat was in helping them become the men they are now. It will be a great time to allow these new Curley men to get to know their Curley brothers. A letter has gone home with details about the retreat. If you have any specific questions, do not hesitate to ask.

UPCOMING FYM EVENTS FRESHMAN RETREAT – August 18-19 (A-J) and 20-21 (K-Z) – Retreats begin at 9 a.m. and your son should be dropped off in casual clothes at the gym entrance. Please remember that if your son has any special dietary needs or food allergies to contact Friar Matt. Any medications should be clearly labeled with instructions and given only to me the day you bring your son to retreat.

SENIOR RETREATS – All of the Senior Retreats are overnight retreats at Msgr O’Dwyer Retreat Center in Sparks. The dates are November 9-10, November 16-17, and November 23- 24. We will leave at 3 p.m. and return by the end of following school day. Students should sign up for the retreat that best fits their school, work, sports and family schedule!

MISSION 4 – Start thinking now about your son’s community service for this upcoming year. His religion teachers will give more details. All S Forms will be due on October 22. This includes the seniors who will need to find their site that can accommodate all 24 hours. Please note -- there is NO senior service week this year.

PRAISE BAND MUSICIANS – Last year, a group of five students shared their musical talent to help lead worship at our holy hours and school masses. There is always room for more! If interested contact friar Matt.

HOLY HOUR – The first Holy Hour for the Year will take place on September 18 at 7:00 p.m. in the chapel. This is an opportunity to come to a deeper awareness of God’s power and love in our lives. I hope you will be able to join in this time for prayer, music, silence and reflection Remember that your sons can stay at school and we will order pizza for dinner at 5:30 p.m. A reception will follow.

In Christ and Francis, Fr. Matt (mjfoley@archbishopcurley.org)

TEXTBOOK REMINDER Don’t forget to order your son’s textbooks.

Go to Curley’s website, Back to School page, and click on the link to download Curley’s textbook list.

August ‘14

Volume 24, Issue 11

Archbishop Curley H.S. Parents’ Bulletin “Quis ut Deus”

Curley’s Franciscan Spirit

Our greatest strength at Archbishop Curley is our Franciscan spirit and the example of St. Francis of Assisi. Have you ever thought, “Wow, I don’t know too much about him?” If so, you are not alone! We recognized that need and desire to know a bit more about the people and events that help provide the Franciscan spirit that makes Curley different! As part of Curley’s new Strategic Plan, each month we will provide a short article written by one of our Curley students about the important events in the life of St. Francis, important Franciscan events, people and devotions.

Each student will also share about why these are important to him. Hopefully you will be nourished and inspired by effects the poor man of Assisi continues to offer through the ages.

In Christ and Francis, Friar Matt

Matt Maher Concert

FYM will sponsor a trip to see Catholic songwriter and artist Matt Maher in concert on September 21 at Loyola Blakefield as part of the events celebrating the 225th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and the 50th anniversary of the Msgr. O’Dwyer Retreat House. We will leave Curley at 1 p.m., and we will return at about 5 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Email Friar Matt to reserve a spot or for more information.

St. Francis and Clare of Assisi

by James Duffy ’17

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One of the most important parts of St. Francis’ life that I admire is his relationship with St. Clare. Clare is another saint out of Assisi and she was one of Francis’ most faithful followers. She was much younger than he . In a time of distress, Clare came to Francis for help and he took her under his wing and helped her grow in her faith.

Clare met Francis when she was 17 though she was 12 years younger than him. Clare came from wealth and was beautiful, which made her desired as a bride.

However, that was not the life Clare wanted, and when she heard Francis preach she wanted to follow him as a friar! Her plan to escape occurred at midnight on Palm Sunday. Clare snuck out of the well-fortified town and was greeted by Francis and the friars They brought her to a monastery for sanctuary and she was received into the fraternity. This was the happiest Clare had ever been.

Clare’s father was not happy and tried to force her to leave but he was unsuccessful. St. Francis eventually brought Clare and the other women who wanted to join to the rebuilt church of San Damiano. Eventually Clare’s sister and mother joined her there! The church and house with it were turned into a convent for Clare and her faithful sisters. They became known as the Order of the Poor Ladies. Francis and the friars would travel all over the world and preach the Gospel, while Clare and the sisters stayed at the monastery and prayed for the friars and the world. Francis and the friars continued to provide food and spiritual nourishment to the sisters.

The relationship between Sts. Francis and Clare means a lot to me. I can take many things from them.

I’m reminded about helping my neighbors. I feel a connection to this because not only have I given help to those who need it, but I constantly receive help from those around me, at home, at school, in public, just about everywhere. To me, it makes a world of difference. I feel a connection to Clare in her love and thankfulness for Francis and the help he gave her.

St. Francis gives me the example of caring for those around me. I also took the importance of putting God first, respecting those around you, and reaching out to the marginalized. This story personally has meaning to me because it not only gives me examples to follow but things to be thankful for.

August ‘14

Volume 24, Issue 11

Archbishop Curley H.S. Parents’ Bulletin “Quis ut Deus”

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Blackfriars’ Theatre News

By way of introduction, I am Edward Lawrence, the director of Blackfriars’ Theatre. This upcoming season will be my 26th year working with Blackfriars and 18th as the director. Although I will not be teaching at Curley this coming school year, I will be continuing to work with the theatre department as well as both the Curley Choir and Curley Instrumental Music Program. There are two upcoming Blackfriars’ sponsored events for the new school year. Both of these events are open to all members of our Curley Family, as well as their friends and neighbors.

Our 15th Annual New York City Bus Trip is Saturday, November 29. Seats are $65 each, but if you reserve by September 1, the cost is only $50 per person. The planned departure time is 7 a.m. from the Curley parking lot, with a second pick-up at the Mountain Road Park and Ride, exit 74 off I-95. Our return to Baltimore is scheduled for 11 p.m. Your reservation should be sent to the Main Office in an envelope marked “NY Trip attention Ed Lawrence”. You may also use a credit card to make your reservation by stopping by or calling in to the Main Office.

There are less than 20 seats left on the bus, so don’t delay in making your reservation.

The second event is our Curley Wicked Night. The Broadway hit musical returns to the Baltimore Hippodrome Theatre next spring for a month-long engagement in April. Although tickets are not yet on sale to the general public, Blackfriars’ Theatre has secured a block of seats to the 6:30 p.m. performance on Sunday, April 19.

Our group discount tickets are $90 each, and the seating in the lower balcony. Seating is being assigned as your payment is made. Tickets to Wicked would be a great Christmas present. The deadline to order your Wicked tickets is December 19, which is last day of school before the Christmas break. The actual tickets for the show will be distributed by the end of March prior to the Easter break.

The 2014-15 Blackfriars’ season will be announced very soon on the Curley web page once the contracts are signed and confirmed with the powers in New York.

2014 FALL SPORTS TRY OUTS/PRACTICES CROSS COUNTRY

SOCCER

August 11, 2014 at 8:30 a.m.

Varsity - August 10, 2014 at 5 p.m. (2 mile run) JV - August 13, 2014 at 5 p.m.

FOOTBALL Varsity - August 13, 2014 at 4 p.m.

JV - August 14, 2014 at 4 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL Varsity - August 13, 2014 at 10 a.m.

JV - August 12, 2014 at 10 a.m.

All student-athletes must have an updated physical on file at the school to participate in tryouts.

August ‘14

Volume 24, Issue 11

Archbishop Curley H.S. Parents’ Bulletin “Quis ut Deus”

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Shopwithscrip.com NEW this year to Curley is the Great Lake Scrip program. Simply put, it is a program where you purchase cards or electronic cards at face value to pay for everyday purchases and the savings from the retailers are credited back to your account and then the school credits towards tuition costs.

Where do the scrip gift cards come from? We purchase scrip gift cards and certificates directly from participating retailers. The gift cards you receive are the same as the ones you would buy at the retailer’s store.

Where can I use scrip gift cards? You can use them at any of the retailer’s participating locations and online storefronts.

Does it cost anything to open an account? No. There is no cost, and no obligation to buy anything! Simply complete your enrollment and sign up for Presto Pay. Does it cost the families anything to participate? Do they have to sell anything? There are no membership fees or application fees. The families in your organization, and in some cases their relatives or neighbors, simply pay face value for the scrip gift cards they order. They won’t have to sell anything or spend any additional money—they raise funds by using scrip to pay for things in their existing shopping budget. That’s the beauty of scrip!

The best way to rack up savings is to plan your everyday spending at participating retailers. Once you sign up you can start saving immediately by using the ScripNow! (instant gift cards that you can print at home) and the recently released MyScrip wallet which allows you to download many (but not all) to your smart phone so you can show and pay!

ScripNow! has grown to include some great retailers, like Walmart and Best Buy, and Great Lakes is frequently adding new retailers to their list. “Like” ShopWithScrip on Facebook to find out all the news!

Who can deny that it’s great to save money on tuition? As a reminder, the volunteers keep a small percentage, approximately 5% of the rebate to pay for shipping costs and the participating families bank the remainder of the rebate towards tuition!

For those of you that are parents of 12th graders and might think this can’t help you -- remember in some cases you can use your “savings bank” toward end of year tuition costs/fess.

The only way to participate is to enroll in PrestoPay and begin earning dollars for your son’s Curley tuition.

Spread the word!! You do not have to be a Curley family to participate. Friends and relatives can sign up as well.

They just need to designate your student as the recipient. Our first order of physical gift cards will be placed as soon as we have enough families signed up, but your ScripNow or Myscript wallet may be placed as soon as you sign up and send me your enrollment code. Please place “Scrip Enrollment” in the subject line of your email.

P.S. - Several hotel chains participate so you can use the vacation hotel stay towards tuition credit -- that really adds up!

Happy Shopping!

Susan White-Baxley Scrip Coordinator 410-256-1256 cabandswb@verizon.net