PARENTS ASSOCIATION COFFEE--tomorrow
We ran out of time to discuss all of the teenage angst issues at our last gathering, so there must be a need! Join us once again to chat with fellow parents and Jane Bandler (school counselor) and Teri Boragno (head of Upper School) for a session we're calling, "Dealing with 'screen' agers." It's sure to hit home in many ways. Once again, right after drop-off and homeroom, 8:30 a.m., Thursday, March 10 in Billingsley Hall.

The program is going to press, and the invitations will be out next week. 

 

But never fear; we can still take your donations (info can still go in the program's addendum and on the website). When we return from spring break, we'll get you all the information you need to buy some items online, and see photos of the great items so you can plan your bidding strategy.

We are so thankful for all of you who are donating your time and some fine gifts (many through Amazon's wish list) to our major annual fundraiser. The thing is, we have a couple of items that have shown up in our offices without attribution. Since we'd love to thank you for your largesse, please send a note to Michele Rathbone mrathbone@holychild.org and let us know it was you. If you want to remain anonymous to all, that's fine, but we'd like to get the mysteries solved. Who among you will claim: 
      ~a ceramic grape motif pot      ~a countertop wine opener?
 
And don't forget--there's still time to get your donation in, but the days are running short. Click here to donate either funds or items. We can surely use both!

Once On This Island--A Big Success
The audiences were enthusiastic for the fine singing and acting in this spring's musical, and the cast was happy to have all their hard work in evidence (though the seniors were understandably sad to take their final bows). Congratulations to Ms. Elsbeth Fager, our musical director, and the entire cast and crew for a great weekend. (Click here to see the program with all of their names.) Many photos were taken; check back soon for a photo gallery. In the meantime, enjoy these cast pics.

Jesuit College Reps
Please note that represenatives from major Jesuit colleges/universities were here at Holy Child this morning; on Thursday, March 10, 2011, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., representatives from the following will be in the Hanley Athletic Center at Georgetown Preparatory School:
Boston College (Massachusetts)        Canisius College (Buffalo, New York)
College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Massachusetts)     Creighton University (Omaha, Nebraska)
Fairfield University (Fairfield, Connecticut)     Georgetown University (DC)
Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington)     John Carroll University (University Heights, Ohio)
LeMoyne College (Syracuse, New York)     Loyola University Chicago (Illinois)
Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore)     Loyola University New Orleans (Louisiana)
Marquette University (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)     Regis University (Denver, Colorado)
Saint Joseph's University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)     Saint Louis University (Saint Louis, Missouri)
Spring Hill College (Mobile, Alabama)     St. Peter's College (Jersey City, New Jersey)
University of Detroit Mercy (Michigan)     University of San Francisco (California)
University of Scranton (Pennsylvania)     Wheeling Jesuit University (Wheeling, West Virginia)
Xavier University (Cincinnati, Ohio)

If you have questions about the above college fair opportunities, please contact Mr. Oligmueller, Director of College Counseling. moligmueller@holychild.org

MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

DRUG AND ALCOHOL AWARENESS: Calling all 8th grade parents for an important meeting that we can all learn from: "How to Communicate with your daughter about Drug and Alcohol Use." 
   Speaker: Mrs. Maureen Martin, Founder, Customized Wellness Solutions, LLC
   Date: March 15 at 7 p.m., McShain Library

Ms. Martin will discuss with parents good communication techniques about drug and alcohol use, review the dangers of teen alcohol abuse, alcohol poisoning (including what parents can do to help), parties, legal responsibilities and consequences for parents. Ms. Martin has extensive experience working with Middle and High School students in independent schools in the Washington DC area.

You should also be aware that Ms. Martin will also speak to the students in 7th and 8th grades about these issues on the morning of March 11, covering a wide range of important topics, including alcohol and the teenage brain and adolescent risk-taking. Following the presentation, 8th graders will meet with Ms. Martin in small groups to discuss specific scenarios (marijuana, teen drinking, risk-taking) and plans for avoiding dangerous behavior.
    

Middle School Music Circus: Thurs., Mar 17, 7 p.m.; Fri., Mar 18, 10 a.m.
You’ll be the guest of our 6th grade on a scenic cruise down the Nile, except we’re not in the 21st Century, Toto! Our tour will visit all the famous personalities of Ancient Egypt, with a twist you’d expect in the Music Circus! Join the 7th grade to hear from some of the earliest settlers in California who thought they would find their pots of gold at the end of the rainbow! Welcome the decade of change: The Roaring Twenties with our 8th grade touch! Sit back and enjoy the definition of entertainment, before computers or even televisions were invented. The Music Circus 2011 Edition is not to be missed! Remember to order your DVD as a momento of the performance! Mr. Kenny Holl, a professional videographer, will film the Friday performance. DVDs are $15 if ordered prior to Mar. 17, $20 thereafter. 

 

ECHO HILL TRIP: Eighth grade parents are reminded that the eighth grade will be attending their week of outdoor education at Echo Hill Outdoor School during the last week of March. Students will leave at 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 28 and return by 4 p.m, Friday, April 1. (Yes, this is the first day back from spring break, so they may want to pack before any spring break family trips.) This is an essential part of the eighth-grade science curriculum and all eighth-grade students are expected to attend. Echo Hill, located in Worton, Maryland, is a nature camp overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. For five exhilarating days the girls will learn about science and ecology, history and the human environment, themselves and each other. Echo Hill provides positive experiences in the outdoors that are exciting, interesting and fun. The outdoor classes help the girls explore the colors, sounds, and smells of the Chesapeake Bay and supplement the eighth-grade science curriculum.

The bleacher seats are beautiful, but when lacrosse and softball games begin, you'll discover that they can be a bit hard (and hot when the sun shines). Solve all those problems AND help our girls by purchasing stadium seats for your family. These comfy HC seats, one for $20/two for $35, will keep you comfortable at all the spring sports games, whether here or at other stadiums. Proceeds will defray the costs of Prom Night. Contact Chairs Colleen Gardella ccgardella@aol.com or Susanna Smith gss0@mindspring.com. Click here to order online, or look for sales at assorted home games this spring.

HC GIRLS TAKE MISSION TRIP
Some families took fun trips on Presidents’ weekend. Three Holy Child girls also took a trip, but made it worthwhile for others as well. Annie ('15) and Maggie ('13) Donatelli, Becky Ward ('14), and family members (Mary Donatelli, the Jack, Emma, Maury, and Wooly Devine, and John Hollingsworth) joined more than three dozen other Americans in Jamaica February 18-21 in a home-building mission trip sponsored by Food for the Poor, the third-largest international relief and development organization in the nation.
   In two days, equipped with hammers, paint brushes, and compassion, the group completed the construction of 13 double-unit homes. In 2010, numerous mother-daughter and father-son humanitarian teams worked collectively to build and paint the Cockpit Basic School in the Cockpit District of Clarendon, Jamaica. This year, the group returned to the school, where they were warmly greeted by smiling students holding banners of thanks. Other activities included the preparation and distribution of meals to the homeless at a street-feeding initiative, walking the inner city streets of southwest Kingston to witness the harsh reality of life in a developing country, and to see firsthand the difference Food For The Poor projects make in the community, including a self-sustaining fishing village.
   “It is hard for most people to understand the word poverty until they come face-to-face with destitution in developing countries on a mission trip,” said Robin Mahfood, Food For The Poor’s President/CEO. This year, more than half of the group was high school or college age. Our Holy Child girls brought with them a scarf to share their school spirit, with our crest stating our motto, “Compassion, Joy, Zeal, Actions Not Words.”

Click here to read the press release the organization is sending out on the trip; check out the YouTube video of their work. You can learn more about the group www.foodforthepoor.com.

BASKETBALL--ALL ISL
Congratulations to Mel Mikus and Eileen Williams, two Varsity players who were named All-ISL for basketball at the end of the season. This is quite an honor, since there are only ten chosen. Way to go, girls!

 

MIDDLE SCHOOL: The sports/elective block began yesterday, March 8, and will continue on Friday (nothing today as we have Ash Wednesday Mass.) Please note that your daughter should bring their equipment every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. We are still making adjustments to lineups, so if she wants to make a change, please have her speak to Mrs. Hopkins and/or the coaches.