REGINA DOMINICAN HIGH SCHOOL 701 Locust Road Wilmette, IL 60091 847.256.7660 www.rdhs.org CALENDAR OF EVENTS NOV. 1
B’Ball & Bowling Tryouts Booster Club Mtg. 7 pm
NOV. 2
Open House 6— 6— 8pm
NOV. 3
ED / Focus Day Edline Update
NOV. 4
NHS Induction 6:30 pm Shadow Day
NOV. 5
Career Day
NOV. 7
Deceased Alum Mass 10 am
NOV. 8
NO SCHOOL
NOV. 9
Juniors Practice ACT
NOV. 11
Fannie May Sale Begins
NOV. 12 Shadow Day Fall Fling 7:30 pm
Highlights Volume 23, Issue 3
From the President Two weeks ago, I attended the 2010 Convocation of the Dominican Association of Secondary Schools (DASS) with Kerrigan McNulty, our Director of Advancement. The theme of the conference was Partners in Ministry: Sustaining the Mission. It provided us with the opportunity to meet other leaders from fifteen Dominican high schools throughout the nation. Together, we recalled the strong traditions of excellence we share in our ministry. The description of a Catholic, Dominican education, found on the DASS website (www.dominicanschools.org), reminds us of the qualities that should permeate all schools marked by the charism of the Dominican Order. “A Catholic, Dominican education forms students in a manner consistent with the values and teachings of the Church, and helps them grow in faith. It is based on belief in human reason, ethical truth, moral norms and sacramental imagination. Students learn the importance of the four pillars of the Dominican Order: building community, prayer, study and preaching/service. A Dominican education celebrates a diverse and collaborative community, is anchored in a spirit of constant prayer, forms individuals in love by fostering a life-long love of learning while also
November 2010
S. Mary Margaret Pachucki, OP learning to love, and teaches how every believer is to embrace Jesus’ preaching mission and service as a way of life. At the heart of it all, Catholic and Dominican means bringing the Gospel to Life!” We are blessed to be part of the network of Dominican schools. As we enter the month of November we are reminded by the church to pray for those who have gone before us to the promise of eternal life. On Sunday, November 7th, the families and friends of our deceased alumnae will gather to remember and pray for these special women who are part of the fabric of our school. At the end of the month, we pause as a nation to thank God for the many blessings we share. On Thanksgiving Day, I will be thanking God for all who are part of the Regina Dominican family. Blessings,
NOV. 14 Open House 11 am— am — 2 pm NOV. 15 Board Mtg. 7 pm NOV. 16 Junior Retreat Senior Court Trip NOV. 17 ED / Faculty Mtg. Edline Update NOV. 18 Fall Sports Banquet 7 pm NOV. 19 Jeans for Green Shadow Day Sound of Music 7:30 pm NOV. 20 Sound of Music 7:30 pm NOV. 23 Prayer Service NOV. 24— 24 — 29 Thanksgiving Break NOV. 30 Candy Sale Ends
For a detailed calendar of all events, please consult our website.
From the Principal The leaves may have all blown away, but our identity as a school of faith, family and femalecentered education is in full bloom. The focus of my letter this month is faith and how it is lived and experienced at Regina. We begin each day with student led prayer and our beautiful Dominican blessing. While students learn the content of theology as an intellectual pursuit, they come to understand their search for meaning in life is found in the practical application of their faith. Just recently, during the Respect Life Month, students and faculty participated in a Day of Prayer for Life in the chapel. During the month of October students learned about the devotion of the Rosary. The entire community shared their faith when the children from Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos came to Regina to celebrate a beautiful Mexican liturgy with us. Opportunities like these make faith real and meaningful and are central to a Dominican education. November 2 and November 14 are special Open
President S. Mary Margaret Pachucki, OP
Kathy Rzany House days for us. Please encourage friends and neighbors to come visit and learn about Regina. Your kind words are very persuasive. I am happy to introduce Michele Duszynski Day, LCSW as our recently hired Social Worker. Ms. Day is an adjunct Faculty Member in the Graduate School of Social Work at Loyola University. She has a private practice in Northfield and Chicago. She will be working with students on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Campus Minister Christine Diss has relocated to Omaha with her husband. We thank her for her excellent work. Her replacement will be named shortly. We wish you abundant blessings this Thanksgiving season. We pray for all our families with gratitude for each of you.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Principal Kathy Rzany
Highli ghts
Pag e 2
Edline
How Parents Can Make the Most of this Educational Tool
by Pat McDonell, Academic Dean Regina Dominican began the use of Edline in the fall of 2008. Edline is an online information portal designed to enhance communication among students, parents and teachers within the Regina learning community. Edline provides parents and students the capability to access information about grades, assignments and upcoming school events through the use of a secure personal access code. During the past two years, many parents have expressed how helpful they have found Edline to be in improving communication with teachers regarding their daughter’s academic performance. In addition, Edline gives students the opportunity to be more aware of their academic standing in each course and to be more proactive in seeking assistance from teachers when necessary. Edline also gives faculty
members the capability to post homework assignments, projects, test dates, etc. so that parents and students are well informed about upcoming coursework. Parents are encouraged to register an email account with Edline in order to receive an email alert when a grade has been updated by a teacher. The school calendar also indicates “Edline Update Days,” which occur on Wednesdays approximately twice a month. It is a good idea to check for the most recent grades on these dates. If any parent needs a new access code or assistance with Edline registration, please do not hesitate to contact our Technology Director, Ms. Jane Washburne by email at jwashburne@rdhs.org. Other Edline questions or concerns should be directed to Ms. Pat McDonell, Academic Dean, at pmcdonell@rdhs.org.
Spread the word about Regina Dominican and invite prospective families to join us on November 2 from 6 pm - 8 pm or on November 14 from 11 am - 2 pm
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Volum e 23, Issue 3
Coaching Your Daughter to Study Smarter First quarter is over. Done. Fini. Forty percent of your daughter’s grade is locked in. This may be a good thing. Or, this reality may serve as a gentle reminder for your daughter to reassess her goals and to examine the progress she has made toward reaching these goals. So, dear parents, fear not! We haven’t closed the chapter on first semester grades yet. Opportunity for continued success or improvement exists. It’s the semester grades that college admission counselors will focus in on like a laser beam. Quarter grades are important, of course. But your daughter has time to focus herself and reach her academic potential before the ink is dry.
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by Patricia Caine, Psy.D.
I like to think of this time in the school year as a time for
reflection. It’s a time for all of us to take a deep breath and to process our successes and to give careful consideration to our areas of needed improvement. It may be time to sit down with your daughter and review some very basic ways for her to improve and maintain her grades, while simultaneously learning how to just study
smarter. smarter So, here goes. Run with this list. Review it with your daughter. Try to decipher the study skills your daughter is embracing – and those study skills she needs to begin utilizing daily.
Don’t just do homework. Study notes. Review study guides. Reread the text. Discuss the content of the course with your peers. Your study area should free of distractions. An ideal location is one without Facebook, phones, televisions, music (in most cases), and conversation. A ten-minute break after an hour of studying is ideal. Long chunks of time spent studying may be nonproductive given the average teenager’s attention span. Tackle your most difficult subjects first when you are “fresh,” most attentive and less tired. If you are attempting to study on 4-6 hours of sleep, an empty stomach, or after consuming junk food, your level of concentration may wane. Read in short sessions. At the end of each paragraph, try to formulate possible test questions while vocalizing the author’s main points from the passage. Get on Edline daily. Know what is due and when it is due. Understand each teacher’s grading system – what is the value for homework, quizzes, tests, projects? Process information daily. Don’t wait until the night before the test. Your ability to retain information will be greatly compromised. Take notes! If you’re not a strong note-taker, see your counselor. Consider asking a peer to use her notes as a study aid. Study groups help! Confused? Need a tutor? See your counselor ASAP for a list of peer or adult tutors in the community. Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed! Don’t let your anxiety defeat you! A little bit of anxiety is a good thing as it may motivate you to be more successful. However, too much anxiety may keep you “stuck” – in “avoidance mode” – which can be lethal to your academic progress. Remain optimistic. Attitude is incredibly important. Maintain a positive and realistic attitude while taking small steps to achieve your goals. Baby steps are still steps in the right direction. By adopting more effective study skills now, you are preparing yourself for the greater challenges of college and graduate school.
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Highli ghts
Show your Panther spirit and support our athletic program by participating in the Booster Club and supporting its many efforts.
REGINA DOMINICAN HIGH SCHOOL 701 Locust Road Wilmette, IL 60091 847.256.7660 www.rdhs.org
The Regina Dominican High School Booster Club provides financial and volunteer assistance to the Athletic Department for the benefit of the entire student body of Regina Dominican High School. The Booster Club
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Provides funds to enhance and expand the athletic programs available to each student.
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Facilitates the opportunity for parent involvement, a key to the success of the individual student.
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Promotes the reputation of the Athletic Department and Regina Dominican.
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Creates an atmosphere to support our children in their various athletic activities.
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Cultivates good sportsmanship, teamwork and school spirit.
DEAN OF STUDENTS Carol Kolodziej
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Supports the overall recruiting effort that showcases Regina Dominican High School.
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Daniel Roche
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Enhances the value and recognition of a Regina Dominican education.
PRESIDENT S. Mary Margaret Pachucki, OP PRINCIPAL Kathy Rzany ACADEMIC DEAN Patricia McDonell
DIRECTOR OF PREPRE -ADMISSIONS Patricia Fuentes DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Kerrigan McNulty ‘98 MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Katie Hickey ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Bob Carlson DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SERVICES Patricia Caine, Psy.D. HIGHLIGHTS EDITOR Verna Allworth ‘77 PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF Jane Washburne All other images used with permission.