Minutes from the January Parents' Club Meeting
Mrs. Williamson opened the meeting with a prayer. In her principal's report she gave an update on the ongoing and upcoming happenings at the school. Highlights included the Unified Theater Program which recently had its' first informational meeting. Those interested in helping with the Golf Tournament should contact Mrs. Jane Leary at jleary@nwcath.org and plan on attending the upcoming meetings. Teacher Appreciation Day was Feb. 4th and folks were needed to assist. Parenting Teens in the 21st Century was the topic of the panel discussion. Mr. Ray Smith from West Hartford Counseling Service, Fr. Joseph Crowley, school chaplain and Fr. Edward Moran, teacher were on the guest panel. The discussion started off with the panelists asking questions about how parents/ families dealt with situations such as the recent earthquake in Haiti. The panelists urged parents to talk to their kids and have their kids talk to them. Parents were encouraged to keep connected with their children by knowing what they were doing, who their friends were, what they were involved in, activities, etc. One panelist suggested that parents listen and don't offer advice. There was a lot of emphasis on families praying together and parents setting the stage for that by example and suggestion. Spontaneous prayer, writing and parents telling stories about their own teen years were also suggestions made by the panel as ways to help your children through difficult situations. Families need to handle issues together and hopefully children will be better off/equipped because they have watched how their own parents handle themselves. Parents were urged to be positive role models by their actions. Teens need to know how to respond to peer pressure and how to get themselves out of difficult situations.
The next Parent Club meeting is Mar. 22nd at 7pm. Come hear Mrs. Williamson present an update on the "State of the School". Enrollment trends, testing data, curriculum and many other topics. This is an opportunity to learn more about NWC and network with other parents.
Hearty Thank you from Parents' Club Hospitality Committee!
Cindy Gworek and Susan Pelton offer sincere thanks to the following people who helped to make the Feb. 4 Teacher/Staff Appreciation Luncheon an incredible success: Lyn Connery, Laurie Schwartz, Barbara Tanguay, Gigi Frailey, Patty Visintainer, Carrie Herron, Debbie Soucier, Tara Doyle, Dori Grimshaw, Ann Strid, Nancy Bocuzzi, Linda Crawford, Noreen McGowan, Ellen Bompane, Linda Yorgensen, Denise Desmarais, Suzanne Piacentini, Camille Kilgore, Kelly Skalski, Sheila Houlihan, Mary Leuenberger, Anne Chambers, Ann Bach, Cristina Pitruzzella, Susan Banks and Gigi Frailey. The guests of honor enjoyed sandwiches, salads and an unbelievable assortment of desserts. The dessert table looked like a bakery! Thank you to all who donated their time and talents--your efforts were appreciated by all.
Mark Your Calendars Way Ahead!
The 2010-1011 school calendar is starting to take shape, for your planning purposes, here are some key dates that are set. Please note the change in the winter vacation, we will no longer have a full week off in Feb. Instead we will have a four day weekend surrounding Presidents' Day.
- Sept. 1, 2010: First day of Class ‘14
- Sept. 2, 2010: First day of Class ’13 & ‘12
- Sept. 3, 2010: First day of Class ‘11
- Feb. 18 & 21, 2011: Winter Break
- Apr. 18-25, 2011: Spring Break (includes Easter Monday)
- June 8, 2011: Graduation
- June 15, 2011: Last day of school (includes 3 snow days)
Mark Your Calendars
Up Coming Parents' Club Meetings
May 17, Parents' Club Meeting, 7pm
June 15, Parents' Club Meeting, 6:15pm, cookout
Mar. 24, Winter Sports Awards, 7:30pm
Mar. 27, Athletic Hall of Fame Induction, 6pm
Apr. 1, Early Dismissal, Holy Thursday, 12:16pm
Apr. 2, No School, Good Friday
Apr. 5, No School, Easter Monday
Apr. 5, Spring Sports Team Mtgs & Chemical Health Policy, 6:30pm
Apr. 9 &10, Little Shop of Horrors, 7:30pm
Apr. 11, Little Shop of Horrors, 2pm
Apr. 15, Grandparents’ Day (freshmen only)
Apr. 19-23, No School, Spring Vacation
May 8, Jazz Cabaret Night, 6:30pm
First Semester Honor Roll
For a list of academically outstanding students who earned honors during the first semester of the year, click here.
How You Can Help Northwest!
One easy way to help our school is to recycle money you're already spending! Register your frequent shopper cards and earmark NWC for the contributions. Click here for Stop & Shop; click here for Big Y; and click here for Target.
Yearbooks for Sale!
Yearbooks are still on sale, but get them quick. The price has increased to $75. You can order your book here. Or you can send in a check payable to Northwest Catholic High School attention: Ms. Jennifer Puskarz. Checks can be dropped off to Ms. Puskarz in Room 103 or her mailbox in the main office. Remember seniors do NOT need to order books!
Dennis Uniforms to visit NWC!
On Sat., Mar. 27 representatives from Dennis Uniforms will be at NWC from 10am - 12pm. At that time parents and students may choose from all the dress code options and be measured for them. Dennis Uniforms will be back on Monday, July 19, from 11am-1pm, as well. Please stop by to try on samples for sizing. Girls' skirts, sweaters, and vest must be bought through Dennis Uniforms. The boys' dress code does not require that slacks and shirts be purchased from Dennis Uniforms, however, they have these available at competitive prices. Their stores are located in Orange and Waterbury or you may shop on line, our school code is WB00NW. Please read the dress code carefully, if you have any questions please contact Mr. Richard Callahan at rcallahan@nwcath.org.
Roadmap for Success
Marcie Swift, M.Ed. NCSP a Nationally Certified School Psychologist is offering a student workshop on May 8 and May 22. Is your child overwhelmed by the college application process? Has your child been unable to choose a major? Are you concerned about their future? Cutting edge and precise vocational assessment will be utilized to help students fine tune their collegiate future. Details on the workshop are available here.
Archdiocese of Hartford Catholic Schools - On line satisfaction survey
Thank you for making the commitment to Catholic education! We are conducting research on how satisfied parents are with our schools, and your feedback is critical to helping us improve. To ensure the integrity of the survey, only one survey may be returned from a single IP address. Thus, if you have children in more than one Catholic school, you will need to respond from a computer with a unique IP address for each school. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your extra effort on behalf of Catholic schools.
Grandparents' Day
On Apr. 15, 2010 Northwest Catholic will host our fourth annual Grandparents’ Day. Designed for the grandparents of our freshmen, this special event will begin with a continental breakfast at 9am, a tour of our building, a music performance, a buffet lunch with their grandchild, and a slideshow that’s guaranteed to make them smile. Invitations are in the mail and we look forward to welcoming our freshman grandparents in April for a wonderful morning. For more information contact Mrs. Jane Leary at 860-236-4221 x131 or jleary@nwcath.org.
Drama at NWC!
Mark your calendars now for the spring musical: Little Shop of Horrors by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, April 9, 10, & 11 in the Rice Auditorium. A down-and out skid row floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon "Audrey II" grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination! One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a house-hold name, thanks to a highly successful film version and a score by the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who redefined the animated musical film with Disney's "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty And The Beast" and "Aladdin." Charming, tuneful and hilarious, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, "Little Shop Of Horrors" never fails to entertain.
Tickets prices: Adults $10; Students & Seniors $7; NWC students are free, but must pick up a ticket from the office. Tickets are available by calling Mrs. Sue Brimmer at 860.236.4221 x114 or sbrimmer@nwcath.org.
Dinner and a show … What could be better?
Little Shop of Horrors - Fifth Annual Family Pasta Dinner
Sat. Apr. 10, 5:15pm-6:45pm
Adults & students $8; children under 12 $5 (tickets for the show must be purchased separately from Mrs. Brimmer at 860.236.4221 x114 or sbrimmer@nwcath.org)
So we can plan for the right amount of food, tickets must be purchased in advance; they will be sold in the school office, from Mar. 24-Apr. 2. The Music and Drama Departments seek volunteers and donations of food and paper goods. Please contact Mrs. Sara Avery at 860.236.4221 x151 or savery@nwcath.org. Thanks in advance for your support!
Spring Sports Team Meetings & Chemical Health Presentation
Spring sport athletes and at least one parent/guardian are expected to attend individual team meetings on Mon., Apr. 5 at 6:30pm. The first half of the night will discuss rules and expectations for the spring 2010 season. The second half will consist of a brief presentation discussing the policies of the Athletic Department and the Chemical Health Presentation. Any student athlete and parent/guardian who HAS NOT attended one of the sessions during the fall or winter season are expected to attend. Any student athlete who does not attend the session, will not be allowed to participate in their individual programs until further notice. Please contact the Athletic Department at 860.236.4221 x127 or jreese@nwcath.org with any questions.
Graduation Cruise for Seniors
It has been a tradition for the past seven years for the senior parents to organize a fun, safe and substance-free event for our graduates. The tradition continues this as planning for the 8th Annual Graduation Cruise gets underway. After graduation on Wednesday, June 9th our graduates will sail along the Connecticut River aboard the Lady Katharine Cruise Ship. Their private boat ride is complete with entertainment, food and soft drinks, prize giveaways and the opportunity to celebrate as a class one last time. This event has been a huge success for the past seven years with almost 100%% attendance and the added benefit of keeping the new graduates safe, off the roads and with their class on this memorable night. More information regarding the cruise will be mailed to the Class of 2010 this month. Questions? contact Margaret Hallinan at jmhallinanjr@comcast.net. If you would like to donate a prize or make a cash donation for the on-board prize giveaway, please contact Patty Visintainer at mpvisintainer@comcast.net or Cindy Calitri at cindycalitri@hotmail.com. If you are a Junior parent and are interested in chaperoning this event, please contact Mary Bourdon at pbour45116@aol.com.
Jazz Cabaret Night - Sat., May 8, 2010
Come and hear our award-winning Thursday night/Monday night jazz band/jazz choir/jazz combo in a 1940's cabaret-style setting featuring desserts, coffees, and a fantastic raffle. Tickets will available in late March, $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Watch edline for details and contact Mr. Ray Sinclair at rsinclair@nwcath.org to see how you can help.
Let's Celebrate!
Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner
Sat., Mar. 27, 2010
6pm Cocktails
7pm Dinner and Induction Ceremony
For ticket information click here, to see current honoraries and past Hall of Fame recipients click here.
33rd Annual Northwest Catholic Golf Tournament
Save the Date - Mon., June 7, 2010 at Wampanoag Country Club
Planning Meeting - Tue., Mar. 23, 2010 - 7:00pm in the Navin Room
Please join us as we get ready for the tournament. Click here to check out last year's photos and see how much fun it was. RSVP to Mrs. Jane Leary (jleary@nwcath.org or 860.236.4221, x131) New Northwest Catholic parents are especially welcome!
“Relay for Life” to Return to Northwest Catholic in June 2010
West Hartford’s “Relay for Life,” supporting the American Cancer Society, will be held again this year at Northwest Catholic. Beginning at 6pm on June 18 and ending at 11am on June 19 the Relay is sure to attract hundreds of people from many different fundraising teams who will walk our track to raise money for cancer research. Luke Pelton ’10 is coordinating the Northwest Catholic team; for more information, contact Luke at luke.pelton@nwcath.org visit "Relay for Life ". Please become part of this great opportunity to display the legendary Northwest Catholic hospitality while supporting an excellent cause at the same time!
Unified Theater
NWC will be the first Catholic High School in Connecticut to participate in a Unified Theater production in May. Our students will work with special needs students from the Intensive Education Academy in a fully inclusive production. The student led performance will feature students with and with out special needs in a production that discovers new talents, develops student leaders, and challenges communities to emphasize ability over disability, creativity over conformity, and collaboration over competition.
How Can You Help?
There are many great causes that need your help. Learn how you can help by clicking the links for detailed information. Walk for Haiti, Apr. 10, 2010 in West Hartford or Food Share Walk for Hunger, May 2, 2010 in Hartford.
Volume XIV - Number Five - March 2010
