Parent Newsletter

DECEMBER 2007

A Message from the Principal—
Richard A. Spicer

Dear Wildcat Parents and Guardians:

The end of the first semester is around the corner and the second quarter is half over. Progress reports will go out the week of December 10. If your daughter receives a deficiency report for a class, that means she is struggling in that class. This is where you can help her succeed. It’s not too late for parental intervention. Talk with your daughter and her teacher to determine what steps must be taken to help your daughter improve. Make sure she has all her textbooks. Ask her about her homework. Remind her that “reading” and “studying” as also homework assignments. Encourage your daughter to re-read and re-copy her class notes for the day; if she discovers that she doesn’t understand something in her notes, tell her to ask her teacher about it. Provide her with a good study environment, free from the distractions of her siblings, television, telephone and instant messaging. Help her budget her use of time wisely and balance her chores and studying. Your daughter will be successful in her academic studies if you are there for her every step of the way.

Thank you for all that you do in support of your daughter’s education. You are integral to your daughter’s achievement and success at Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School. Let’s continue to work together to make your daughter’s days at Conaty-Loretto most rewarding for her!

We at Bishop Conaty-Loretto wish you the happiest of holidays and the merriest of Christmases! May the New Year bring you peace and prosperity and God’s many blessings!

A Message from the Assistant Principal—
Lisa J. Gabriel

This month and throughout the school year, I ask your help with two important discipline issues.

Tardiness to School: Students are receiving more demerits for tardiness to school than for any other infraction of the rules. Please do whatever is necessary to make sure that your daughter gets to school on time. Students who are not in homeroom miss information that they need to know and for which they are held accountable. We appreciate your efforts in this regard.

Dress Code Compliance: Please take a few moments to review the dress code in the Student-Parent Handbook (pages 17-19). Uniform violations account for the second largest number of students in detention every Friday. Please pay particular attention to the length of your daughter’s uniform skirt. Skirts are to be worn no shorter than 3 inches from the top of the knee. I will be checking uniforms in homeroom during the month of December and if your daughter’s skirt is too short, she will be allowed one week to remedy the situation. After that, she will receive a demerit. Also, students who wear the khaki pants may only wear those purchased from the Dennis Uniform Company. “Dickies” brand pants are not allowed. If your daughter does not have the uniform pants with the Dennis label, she must wear her skirt to school. Finally, please check the guidelines for alternative dress. It is important that students come to school appropriately dressed. Skirts that are too short, blouses that are too low-cut or sleeveless are not allowed on alternative dress days. Because students are sometimes not the best judge in these matters, we ask that parents help us by monitoring what their daughter wears to school on alternative dress days.

Thank you for all you do to support your daughter’s education here at Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School. If there is any way that I can assist you, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I wish you a blessed Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

A Message from the President of the Parents’ Board—
Mary Richardson

We are currently looking for new parents! A strong school is always supported by parents. We are looking for recruitment for the parent board; we need 9th and 10th grade parents to represent our school. Of course all other grades are also welcome. We also need parents that can translate into Korean and Pilipino.

Come to our First Annual “Mother/Special Friend and Daughter Afternoon Tea” It will be held on March 1, 2008, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. This is a very nice event to get dressed up for and enjoy an afternoon of tea, sandwiches, and cookies with your daughter. This event may also be for a grandmother, godmother or special friend. If you need service hours, and or would like to volunteer please sign up with our Event Coordinator Lorie Benjamin at (323) 547-0316, or with Carmen El Khouri (for Spanish-speakers) at (323) 371-1956.


Need Service hours? Our Beautification Project will be on March 8th 2008, 8:00 AM to1:00 PM. This year we will have a beautification day at Bishop Conaty -Loretto! This is a great way to earn service hours! We will be building benches to beautify our school. We do however need everyone’s help. We need anyone with carpentry experience and anyone with painting experience and tools. We also would like donations of lumber (2” x 4”). Again this is a great way to help beautify our daughter’s school, and a great way to earn service hours. If you would like to volunteer please sign up with our Event Coordinator Lorie Benjamin at (323) 547-0316, or with Carmen El Khouri (for Spanish-speakers) at (323) 371-1956

We are expanding the ways in which we communicate with you. Check out the Parent Association blog at http://bclparentblog.blogspot.com. Here we will notify you of events and seek your comments on planned and future activities. The Parent Association is your association and your ideas and comments are valued.

Thank you from the Parent Board.

Important Dates

· December 10 to December 14▬Progress Reports Week
· December 12▬Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass
· December 14▬Winter Dance
· December 24 to January 4▬Christmas Vacation
· January 7▬School Resumes
· January 10▬Last day to pay by personal check 1st semester payments
· January 17▬Parents’ Meeting, 6:30 PM
· January 21▬Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday
· January 23 to January 25 ▬Final Exams
· January 26▬High School Entrance Test
· January 28▬Grading Day, no school
· January 29 & January 30▬Standardized Testing
· January 31▬Catholic Schools’ Week Mass
· January 31 to February 14▬Valentine Raffle
· February 1▬Christian Service Fair
· February 4▬Report Card Distribution
· February 5▬International Day
· February 6▬Ash Wednesday Mass
· February 11 to February 14▬Senior KAIROS Retreat (Changed Date)
· February 16▬High School Entrance Test
· February 18▬Presidents’ Day Holiday
· February 20▬Sophomore Retreat (Changed Date)
· February 22▬Blood Drive
· February 26▬2008-2009 Registration Assembly
· February 28▬Religious Education Congress Youth Day

Business Office

Tuition and fee statements have been mailed to those households with an outstanding balance. We appreciate your efforts to honor your financial obligations completely and on time. Bishop Conaty – Loretto counts on your payments in order to meet our financial obligations in providing an excellent educational program for your daughters. It is critical that you are up to date on all payments prior to January 15. The last day to pay by personal check for all expenses incurred in the first semester is Thursday, January 10. First semester final exams begin January 23. Students with outstanding tuition and fee payments will not be able to take exams. Please contact Ms. Techam in the business office with any questions or concerns about your tuition account.

Thank you for the great participation in our first two fundraisers of the year. We have celebrated grand prize and other winners in the raffle and top sellers in the Candy Sale. In January we will kick off the Valentine Day Raffle. One lucky winner will receive $5,000! Details of the raffle will be distributed with the tickets after the Christmas and New Year break.

May the gift of peace be yours this Christmas season and in to the New Year.

Guidance Department

Did you meet with your daughter’s teachers after the First Quarter Report Cards? If your daughter received a grade lower than a “C”, perhaps that is something you still need to do before Christmas vacation. Progress Reports will be distributed by teachers the week of December 10. Be sure to speak with your daughter regarding her progress in her classes. If you have any questions, please contact her teachers.

It is not too early to start studying for Semester Final Exams. The exams will be soon after we return from Christmas vacation. Make sure your daughter is ready.

Parents of Seniors: December is the month to gather information so your daughter can apply for financial aid for college during the month of January. All students are encouraged to apply for financial aid, including those planning on attending community college. Please check with your daughter to see if she has applied for a PIN number for her FAFSA (financial aid application). She must also apply for a PIN number for one of her parents. The web site where this can be done is www.pin.ed.gov She will also need to have a copy of your 2006 income tax return for your daughter to use when filling out the FAFSA. Mrs. Marcy is available to help students with their application as long as they have a PIN number and the income tax return.

Parents of Juniors: It is not too early to begin to talk with your daughter about college plans. Together you need to discuss the goals, thoughts, colleges, and wishes that you have for her future academic studies. You may not agree on academic goals, career goals, or college choices, but keep an open mind. This is just the time for research and exploration. If your daughter is undecided, that may just mean that she is open to new ideas and information. It is important to support and encourage your daughter in her plans to attend college. Please remember, this is an individual process. There are many colleges that are terrific, some you know of and others with which you are not yet familiar. Join with your daughter in researching and exploring the many choices available to her. But remember, without good grades and study habits, her choices will be limited. This can be a fun and rewarding experience. Please encourage your daughter to drop by my office to introduce herself and/or to set up a formal appointment so we can begin to develop her college plans.

If there is any way we can help you, please give us a call: Mrs. Marcy: 323 737-0012 Ext 119, and Sister Lupe: 323 737-0012 Ext. 111.

Academics

The end of the first semester is right around the corner and semester final exams will be held by subject areas in January. However, well before these exams, deficiency notices will be given to students who are experiencing academic difficulties and who may be in danger of failing. These notices will be given to students by their teachers during the week of December 10. These notices must be signed by parents and then returned to the teachers issuing them. If your daughter receives a deficiency notice, please review the reasons behind a poor and/or failing grade so that the necessary, immediate corrective action may be taken. Don't forget to sign the bottom section of the deficiency report(s) and have your daughter return it to the subject teacher before the start of the Christmas break.

First Semester Exams are scheduled for January 23 (Modern Language, Fundamentals of English, Religion, Anatomy and Physiology), January 24 (Science, English), and January 25 (Math, Social Studies, Health). Students will be dismissed from school at 12 noon on these exam days, unless scheduled for a third exam, which ends at 2 p.m. Please note that any student currently averaging an "A" in a semester course only may be exempted from taking that exam. Exemptions are at the teachers’ discretion, and not automatic. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with your daughter's testing schedule and make the necessary arrangements to pick up your daughter at the scheduled close of the school day. In order for students to be eligible to take their semester exams, all tuition must be up-to-date and all other financial obligations incurred in the first semester met. The student will receive an "I" (incomplete grade) for the course, which means that she will not receive credit for the course. The "I" will be changed to a grade when payment is received. There will be no make-up exams for those missing regularly scheduled exams because of overdue payments. Failure to take these exams due to outstanding tuition and fees will seriously affect your daughter's grades. Students will not be permitted to resume classes at the start of the second semester, unless they are financially cleared.

First semester report cards will be distributed to the students on Monday, February 4, 2008. These semester grades are recorded on your daughter's permanent school record, i.e., her school transcript. If a student receives an "F" in any semester course (like religion, PE, Health, and Economics), she must attend an accredited six weeks summer school session to make up that failing grade. If the student is a senior, however, she will have to make arrangements to attend evening school during the second semester to make up the failing grade if she intends to graduate with her class in June. Seniors who receive a failing grade at the end of the semester in a year-long course, have one more semester to raise their grade and pass the course. Seniors cannot graduate in June unless they have met all their course requirements. Parents are reminded that it is the policy at Bishop Conaty-Loretto High School to dismiss any student who fails in three or more year courses in June.

Student Activities

Parents are reminded that 10 Service Hours to the school must be fulfilled during the 2007-2008 school year. Remember that for each service hour not earned during the year, a fee of $15 will be assessed at the end of the school year. Some service hour can be earned through donations of sodas and water for the December 14 Winter Dance, thorough donations of food for the International Day Food Faire February 5 or serving at International Day. Contact Ms. Boyle if interest.

Students will celebrate their cultural heritage on International Day, Tuesday, February 5, 2008. Students will wear the folk costumes and perform songs and dances from their cultures. There will be an International Food faire where students will share a taste of their heritage with their peers. Many of your daughters will be asking for your help with folk costumes, ethnic food and cultural entertainment ideas. Don’t miss this opportunity to be involved with your daughter.

Athletics

The varsity volleyball team, under the direction of Marcos Arias, went into playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. The varsity team played a superb season and made it to the semi-finals! The junior varsity, also under the direction of Jan Chambers, had a great season too.

The Wildcats are now beginning their basketball and soccer seasons. Manny Fernandez is the varsity/junior varsity basketball coach, assisted by Robert Lindsay (faculty member). Damian Delaney (faculty member) is the soccer coach. Come and support our Wildcats when their new season begins in January!

Technology

Much of Bishop Conaty-Loretto’ technology systems are funded through e-Rate. E-Rate is the commonly used name for the federal Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund. The information you provide on the annual Family Survey determines how well the school will be funded. Because of your support this year, with 100% of families responding to the survey, Bishop Conaty-Loretto has qualified for 90% funding, the highest rate possible. E-Rate will provide the school with discounts for telephone service, Internet access and basic telecommunication line maintenance. We are also seeking funding for the addition for IPTV to our telecommunications systems. If granted, we plan to provide video feed of school events, courses, and announcements through the worldwide web. We also plan to add a Media Production course to teach the student how to create various forms of broadcasting. Continue to read Parent Newsletter and access the schools’ web site for up-dates.

Thank You

We would like to thank the following parents for their contributions of $10 or more to the Parent Association:
· Benigno & Josie Acosta
· Carmen Alonzo
· Juan Arce & Maria “Lupe” Fernandez
· Concepcion Bolaños
· Sonia Caceres-Velasquez
· Marysol Cedeno
· Beatriz Garcia
· José Luis & Josefina Garcia
· Carlos & Maribel Gonzalez
· Rosemarie Gonzalez
· Jung Sang Kwon & Mi Young Kwon Kim
· Ana M. Ley
· Debra Livingston
· Gregory & Brenda Lopez
· Moris & Santos Elena Martell
· Jorge & Martha Martinez
· Francisco & Berta Mota
· Manuel Ortega & Maximiana Barajas
· Iran & Ana Paredes
· David & Juana Patiño
· Dennis & Maria Peña
· Jongyun & Stella Rhee
· Luis Solano & Zoila Rivas
· Fausto & Beatriz Toapanta
· Rosario Tobar

Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School Parent Newsletter, Volume 1, Number 3, December 2007