Parent Link Dec 2019/Jan 2020

PA RENT LI NK DEC '19/ JA N '20

FEA TURES APCALCULUSCOURSESSOAR

ELEVENSARTANSTOREPRESENTPIUSAT ALL-STATEBAND,CHOIR,ORCHESTRA

HAILTOTHECHIEF!

CATHOLICSPIRITUALITY

DEARPARENTS,GUARDIANSANDFRIENDS, HAPPYNEWYEAR! This salutation is used several different times during the year. It is appropriate at this time of the year as we reflect on the Advent Season.

Advent is the beginning of the Liturgical Year and it is a time in our Church of prayer, penance, hope and waiting. As a symbol of the season, our churches display the Advent Wreath, usually with three purple candles and one pink candle. In some instances, a fifth candle, white, is set in the middle.

During the homily on the first Sunday of Advent, the celebrant at the Mass I attended, gave a ?class? on the meaning and symbolism associated with the wreath and each candle. I have always known that the Advent Wreath was three purple candles and one pink candle. But I was intrigued to discover that the wreath and each candle have a meaningful purpose behind them.

In pre-Christian times, people lit a wreath with candles during the cold winter months to give light and to stay warm. It was a sign of hope and waiting for the warmer spring days. The Scandinavians lit candles on a wheel and prayed to a god of light to turn the earth toward the sun for warmth.

During the Middle Ages, the Germanic people associated the lighting of the wreath with Christian symbolism as a sign of Christ?s coming. It gained popularity in the 1800s, and by the 1900s, the German immigrants brought the tradition of the lighting of the wreath to the United States.

The round shape of the Advent Wreath symbolizes a never-ending circle, the eternity of God who has no beginning and no end, our immortal soul and everlasting life as the promise of God. Each candle has its own significance. The first purple candle is called the ?Prophecy Candle? because it symbolizes hope as foretold in the Bible, especially by Isaiah, of the birth of Jesus. The second purple candle is called the ?Bethlehem Candle?, reminding us of Mary and Joseph?s journey to Bethlehem. The third candle, the pink candle symbolizing joy, is the ?Shepherd?s Candle?. Its meaning is to remind us of the joy the world felt at the birth of Jesus. On the fourth week, the final purple candle is lit and is called the ?Angel?s Candle?. It symbolizes peace, the message from the Angels at the birth of Jesus. A fifth white candle is placed in the middle of the Advent Wreath at some churches. This candle is called the ?Christ Candle? and is lit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass. This candle symbolizes the pure and sinless life of Christ our Savior.

As you attend Mass this weekend, reflect on the meaning of the Advent Wreath to bring peace and comfort to your life. Everyone with whom I speak seems to be overwhelmed this time of year, especially since we are constantly reminded by business that we have six less shopping days until Christmas. Our world and our city certainly need the Angels?message--?

Peace on Earth, Good will towards men.?

From all of us at St. Pius X High School, we wish you a blessed Advent and Christmas season. Pray for peace and safety for our world, city and for your families. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year--for Advent and 2020!

Barbara M. Rothweiler, Ph.D. Principal

"FROMALLOFUSATST.PIUSXHIGHSCHOOL,WEWISHYOUA BLESSEDADVENTANDCHRISTMASSEASON.PRAYFORPEACEAND SAFETYFOROURWORLD,CITYANDFORYOURFAMILIES." E-cigarettes and Vaping What are e-cigarettes? The CDC defines e-cigarettes as ?battery-powered devices that deliver nicotine, flavorings and other ingredients to the user. Using e-cigarettes is sometimes called ?vaping.? E-cigarettes do not create harmless ?water vapor? -- they create an aerosol that can contain harmful chemicals.? Even people who do not vape can breathe in harmful chemicals in the air from someone else vaping. For the person vaping, harmful chemicals are breathed directly into their lungs.

When e-cigarettes first came on the scene, they were considered a harmless alternative to cigarette smoking. As time has passed, research reveals that the use of e-cigarettes and vaping are seriously harmful to our bodies. The CDC and the National Institute on Drug Abuse report that in 2018 the use of e-cigarettes and vaping has skyrocketed to epidemic proportions in our teen population. E-cigarettes come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as the Juul. Many teens believe they are vaping flavored water. However, most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, an addictive substance. Teens are attracted to anything that seems to be a ?cool? trend. They think they are just inhaling flavored water. Not so! We have all heard recently of young people who have lung disease, lung transplants or have died due to vaping.

The CDC warns us that nicotine exposure during adolescence can: ? Harm brain development, which continues until about age 25. From a NY Times article (Dec 18,2018), ?The brain?s prefrontal cortex, which affects judgement and impulse, is still maturing. ?When you flood it with nicotine, you are interrupting development...Psychiatrists say that nicotine can exacerbate underlying mental health conditions; it can also lead to hyperactivity, depression and anxiety.? ? Impact learning, memory and attention. ? Increase risk for future addiction to other drugs. ? Many e-cigarettes come in fruit flavors which are appealing to teens. ? E-cigarette aerosols are harmful. They can contain harmful substances such as nicotine, cancer-causing chemicals, volatile organic compounds, ultrafine particles, flavoring linked to lung disease, heavy metals such as nickel, tin and lead.

Regular treatments that help adults free themselves from regular cigarette smoking do not work for vaping or for teens. Regular cigarette smokers work at cutting back from 20 cigarettes per day to 14 or 12, for example. Not so with vaping. Treatment for vaping addiction is unknown at this time because of its psychological grip. It is not just a matter of cutting back because the teen body is not an adult body and vaping is not like cigarette smoking. Some research shows that those teens who try to stop vaping may try to quit using regular cigarettes. This strategy is not effective. ?Adolescents are uniquely vulnerable to addiction? (NY Times, Dec 18, 2018).

St. Pius X students are not immune to vaping. This semester a number of students have been found in bathrooms vaping and others have been caught in possession of vaping paraphernalia. Parents have been notified. Over the Christmas holidays, talk with your child about e-cigarettes and vaping. For their protection, keep your eyes open to e-cigarette and vaping paraphernalia. Listen carefully.

All of us want our students to be healthy, happy and successful. Learn more at www.CC.gov/e-cigarettes

FROMTHEFACULTY COUNSELING Google Classroom Access for Parents Please ask your son/daughter about Google Classroom. Ask them to add you as a ?guardian? so you can view important information regarding the following: parent nights, SPX college visits, college resources, scholarships, and important deadlines, etc.

Upcoming ACT and SAT Tests Registration is open for ACT and SAT tests.

ACT: February 8th Deadline to Register: January 10th www.act.org SAT: March 14th Deadline to Register: February 14th www.collegeboard.org There is no SAT subject test on this date. The next SAT subject test is available to take May 2020. Preparation booklets are available in the Counseling Office. SPX School Code: #320032 SENIORS Be mindful of deadline dates for college applications. These can be found in Naviance or the college/university website.

Regarding common courtesy and professionalism: ALWAYS ask the teacher before requesting a letter of recommendation from them, electronically. This includes Naviance and any other online applications. Thank you!

SENIORS PLANNING TO PARTICIPATE IN A COLLEGE SPORT MUST FILL OUT NCAA CLEARINGHOUSE AND/OR NAIA FORMS. NCAA can be located at www.eligibility.net and NAIA can be located at www.naia.org. If you have questions or need help, make an appointment to see your counselor.

COLLEGE VISITS Visits with representatives from colleges all over the country, are scheduled during the school day from August through April. All the information regarding college visits will be posted and located in the Counseling Department. Periodically check Google Classroom and morning announcements to see who, when, and where.

Interested students must sign up in the Counseling Department. Stop by our college resource center located in the Counseling Department, it contains an assortment of exciting college material. The journey in searching for the correct college or university can be overwhelming, visiting with college representatives and attending college fairs can be very useful for your student.

Alumni/Senior Visit Day Alumni Day will be held Wednesday January 8th, 2020. It will be located in the SPX library during F, D, and E lunch hours. Alumni will be sharing their college experiences with SPX seniors. These alumni are attending in-state, out-of-state, and Catholic/private universities. This has been a very successful event for our seniors who are close to making their own college decisions. Students are welcome to bring lunch and report to the library at the beginning of their lunch hour. We are grateful to all the alumni who participate and look forward to seeing our graduates!

Financial Aid Forms for Parents of Seniors The FAFSA and CSS Financial Aid Profile are available online.

FAFSA:

www.fafsa.ed.gov

CSS Profile: www.collegeboard.com Please continue to check Naviance Family Connection for ongoing scholarship opportunities.

2020-2021 COURSE SELECTION FOR REGISTRATION: Beginning in February, Counselors will present course selection information to students through their English classes. After a presentation of the four-year plan and course options for next year, counselors will begin individual student course selection conferences. Forms will be sent home and must be signed by parents and returned to their counselors who will meet with each student.

Juniors/Seniors remember to register for the April 4, 2020 ACT by deadline February 28, 2020. EVERY Junior should plan to take the test at this time (Spring 2019), and Seniors who want to better their scores are also welcome. Find out if your future institution of higher learning requires the Plus Writing portion or not. This information can be found on the individual college?s Website or in their admissions materials. (Most state universities do NOT require the Plus Writing portion, but some do; many private colleges DO require it, but not all.

Find out before you register and sign up for the regular ACT or the ACT Plus Writing soon.) Visit www.actstudent.org for details or see your Counselor.

NOTE: Both College Board and ACT have specific guidelines to be approved for extended time on either the SAT or ACT. If your student needs to be approved, please have your student see their counselor ASAP to review the application process.

PRACTICE ACT TEST? FREE SERVICE! A FREE Practice ACT Test provided by Omniac Education will be held at St. Pius X, for any student who wants to practice, on Saturday, January 25, from 9am-12pm. Parents and students are invited for a score interpretation from the results of your student?s test on Wednesday, January 29 at 6:30pm in the SPX Library.

Application for AP® Classes for School Year 2020-2021: Teachers are talking with students about Advanced Placement courses. Students must fill out an application for each AP® class they apply to. These forms may be picked up from AP teachers. Return these forms to the appropriate teacher. Applying for AP® classes does NOT guarantee acceptance into the class; students will receive written notification of acceptance/denial. Mandatory meeting for parents and students interested in taking AP classes is scheduled for Wednesday, January 15 at 6:00pm.

Interested Students Who Plan to Apply for Honors/AP® Classes School Year 2019-2020: The Advanced Placement Program entails: ? College level work at the high school level ? Preparing for and taking the Advanced Placement Examination in May ? Paying for each AP® exam taken ? Taking the exam on the national test date ? Receiving college credit depending upon the score earned on the exam and the policy of the college. Admission to AP® classes is very competitive. Students will be selected on the basis of their: ? Maturity ? Class participation ? Academic ability ? Paying $94 for each exam taken Admission to AP® classes is very competitive; students are selected on the basis of their maturity, class participation, and academic ability. Students enrolled in AP® classes must be willing to work hard and demonstrate the required academic attitude and appropriate behavior that is demanded in a college level course. If you or your student(s) have any questions about the AP® Program, contact the AP® teacher or call Mr. Cornelius at 831-8429.

ENGLISH It?s the time of year for gift giving, and what better gift than a book?! If you?re looking for a seasonally inspired classic, there are some that have withstood the test of time and are worth considering as you head out to your favorite local bookstore, or perhaps to the wily internet for some cyber-browsing.

First, of course, is the Christmas Story of Mary and Joseph on their way to Bethlehem, pre-birth. This can be found in various kinds of picture books, a solid choice for those young readers in your life. However, if you?re considering the more erudite reader, perhaps Charles Dickens?Christmas classic A Christmas Carol. Not only is this tale fairly short, it is both delightfully familiar and devastatingly truthful. Revisiting this ?old faithful? will certainly reset some miserly ways and bring a tear to the eye and a glow to the heart.

However, if your reader needs something new and enticing to spice up their SSR time, we suggest either Miracle on 34th Street, a film classic that was penned before it was made into a filmed sensation, or Silent Night: The Story of the WWI Christmas Truce, a gripping non-fiction piece that reminds us that the spirit of Christmas can unite us all, even in times of great distress.

The St. Pius X English Department wishes you and your family a beautiful, heartwarming holiday season, and a Merry Christmas!

Other department favorites: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, The Polar Express, The Snowman. (Clearly, Christmas brings out the child within.)

MATH SPX AP CALCULUS COURSES SOAR IN 2019!

The results of the AP Calculus National Exam for Saint Pius X students in 2019 were stellar!

For the second time in the years Saint Pius X has offered AP Calculus BC, 100% of our Honors Math seniors who enrolled in the course passed that National Exam! Luke Boswell, Bryan Carrillo, Vanessa Lucero, Arianna Matthews, Kayla Moehn, and Wen Wu comprised the 2018-2019 AP Calculus BC class. Additionally, 90% of the Saint Pius X AP Calculus AB students also passed the National Exam in 2019. This was the most successful result of the two classes combined in any year since Saint Pius X began offering both courses, and one of the top performances for the Honors Calculus students at Saint Pius X in the last 35 years. Nationally, only about 60% of Calculus AB students and 35% of Calculus BC students pass these examinations.

AP Calculus AB covers material that the College Board considers a strong course of Calculus I, while AP Calculus BC covers material that is considered a very strong course in both Calculus I and Calculus II. Students can earn college credit in Calculus I and/or Calculus II with high scores on the National Examination. Saint Pius X students can progress to one of these courses after meeting certain standards in Honors Pre-Calculus at SPX. Congratulations Honors Math Seniors of 2018-2019!

FINEARTS It's ALL-STATE time again for the fine arts kids! Our students compete with the rest of the state's musicians from 1A schools to 6A schools to get into the NM All-State, Bands, Choirs and Orchestras in January! It's the highest honor we can have for our students in NM in music. It's extremely hard to qualify for All-State, but we were lucky and had eleven of our students make it this year.

We were also blessed with Eden Bickel, violinist, making the Youth Honor Orchestra of America. She will perform in Vienna, Austria next summer. We have a LOT of students that have been blessed to do well in competitions in our state.

Samuel Valenzuela, Benicio Gutierrez, David Stotzer, and Leo Kim all made the District VII (Albuquerque) Honor Band. They gave an amazing concert on Nov. 24th at Cibola High School.

The Fine Arts Department set and performed for our school and our Archdiocesan 6th graders on Halloween, during the lunch periods. We had a GREAT turnout and show. Drama, Orchestra, Band, Choir, Dance and Dorados all performed for our school.

The St. Pius X All-State musicians are (l-r) Sara Swinson, Elicia Rowe, Gabriella Mantelli, Thomas McCarthy, Meghan Stone, Mia Kroeter, Tashina Parker, Benicio Gutierrez, Leo Kim, Samuel Valenzuela, and Eden Bickel.

SCIENCE Students taking AP classes in the Science Department are busy working on their projects for the SPX Science Symposium. The symposium will be held during the lunch periods on Wednesday January 22, 2020, in the Main Gym. There will be a viewing opportunity for the public to attend that evening from 5-7pm. The symposium gives participating students the opportunity to dive deeper into a topic of interest, in addition to allowing other students to view their work and see some of the things happening in classes they might like to take in the future. We hope to see many of our students and parents there supporting the students in this endeavor, both during the lunch and evening sessions.

Although participation in a science fair is not a requirement for any courses at St. Pius (unlike the Science Symposium), students may choose to participate in the Central New Mexico Research Challenge. Students interested in competing should register online before February 10, at https://stemed.unm.edu/central-new-mexico-stem-research-challenge Students should check with their science teacher or Ms. Green, the Research Challenge point of contact for our school, for more information if they are interested in participating in this competition.

Sustainability & AP Environmental Science students welcomed guest speaker Joe Muhlberger, an architect who spoke on sustainable building design.

Biology students studied sea urchin anatomy through dissections.

HAILTOTHECHIEF! Following extensive study and testing of the Executive Branch, students in Mr. Cappleman?s American Government classes closed out the semester by choosing roles at random to participate in a ten-day simulation of the Presidential election process. They began by competing for their party?s nomination in each state's primary election or party caucus, with the numerous delegates available in California and New York the coveted "silver tunas" to reach a majority. An exciting, old-fashioned nominating convention capped off the first round of competition, complete with backroom political wrangling and delegate defections. The successful nominees, including two 3rd parties to liven up the competition, then proceeded to the general election to develop platforms and campaign for support from seven interest groups which controlled the popular vote. Students, and candidates on a very personal level, learned the difficulty of gaining support from a broad coalition of diverse interests to achieve a majority in the Electoral College. Students enjoyed the project and an overwhelming number agreed that their understanding of the Presidential election process was much improved due to the simulation.

CATHOLICSPIRITUALITY Our seniors are taking what will be for the majority of them the last Theology class of their lives. With that said, I think it is entirely appropriate that their last class will focus on their prayer life, because along with the Sacraments, this is the gateway to the spiritual life.

Soon It will be January and we will be covering the advice of some of the Catholic heavyweights: St. Augustine, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola and by the end of Lent we will have covered St. John Paul II and St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Their advice is as pertinent today as it was in the 5th century, 15th century, or the last century. They all agree (along with Christ) that finding silence is absolutely essential in developing your relationship with God and we shouldn't wait until the end of the day, but start each morning with prayer. There is so much more advice, but the point of the course is to show students that we are all called to holiness and this is something attainable if we align our will with God. The students will be encouraged to start a practice of one of the saints and see what happens. I always encourage them to go to our daily morning Mass (7:25 a.m.) a couple times a week. After all, the Eucharist is at the center of every saint's spiritual life.

Scott Howard Theology

SPXATHLETICSCELEBRATEDTWOSTATECHAMPIONSHIPS!

SOCCERPHOTOCREDIT: XLSPORTSPHOTOGRAPHY

VOLLEYBALLPHOTOCREDIT: BAGTHEBANDIT

PIUSCHRISTMASCELEBRATIONS

FULLCHRISTMASGALLERIESATFACEBOOK.COM/SARTANX