Parent Newsletter

MARCH 2008


A Message from the Principal—
Richard A. Spicer

Dear Wildcat Parents and Guardians:

We are now in the season of Lent. Campus Ministry is coordinating a school-wide Lenten service project. Ask you daughters to tell you about it. The Seniors went on KAIROS Retreat February 11, 2008, through February 14, 2008, and the Sophomores went on retreat February 20, 2008. Please keep the Juniors in your prayers as they go on retreat March 4, 2008. Also keep the faculty and staff in your prayers as they go on retreat Friday, March 14, 2008. School will be closed that day. Many students will be participating in the Religious Education Congress Youth Day, February 28. Four of our students, Yei Seul Hwang, Iris Leonardo, Grace Lim, and Mi Rim Kim, have been selected to be musicians and singers for the Youth Day liturgies, and another student, Eileen Lopez, has been selected to be a master of ceremonies. Finally, Pope Benedict XVI wishes that for every Christian, Lent will be “a renewed experience of God’s love given to us in Christ, a love that each day we, in turn, must ‘re-give’ to our neighbor, especially to the one who suffers most and is need.” During Lent, in order to prepare ourselves for the coming of the risen Lord, many of us “give up” something, like sweets and chocolate. Maybe during this season of Lent, we can give, instead.

The school will be closed for Easter Vacation (and Cesar Chavez Day), March 21, 2008, through March 31, 2008, School will resume Tuesday, April 1, 2008. May you and your families have a blessed Easter.

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!

A Message from the Assistant Principal—
Lisa J. Gabriel

Attendance: Letters have gone out to the parents of all those students who missed more than 10 days of school during the first semester. According to the Student-Parent Handbook, students who miss more than 10 days of school during a semester will lose academic credit for that semester. There is a process in place to petition to regain those credits which is described in the letter you received. If a student fails to petition for restoration of credit by March 1, she will lose the ability to do so. If you have any questions regarding this, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Recruitment: Over the past few months, it has been my privilege to visit many of our local Catholic elementary schools to talk to them about what BCLHS has to offer. We have had over 120 students show interest in our school for the 2008-2009 school year. If you know of any 8th graders who are still undecided about their high school plans, please suggest that their parents call the school to get an information packet. Our next entrance exam is on Saturday, May 17 at 8:00 AM.

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

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

Come to our First Annual “Mother/Special Friend and Daughter Afternoon Tea” It will be held on May 3, 2008, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. (Note the new date.) 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.

We need parent volunteers to supervise the Ardmore Gate each morning from 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM. If you would like to volunteer for this opportunity or for other opportunities, contact Mrs. Lopez in the Office.

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.

Business Office

Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School prides itself in providing an affordable, quality, Catholic education for all students. Every effort is made to keep expenses at an affordable level. Escalating costs to operate the school necessitate tuition increases. The total TUITION for the 2008-2009 school year will be $5,555 for Catholic students and $5,995 for non-Catholic students. Registration will be $400. Unlike this year, there will only be two mandatory school fund-raisers. We know that our families sacrifice to provide a Catholic education for their daughters, and the school strives to meet the financial needs of our families by offering a tuition assistance program. Make sure you apply for financial aid (see page 3).

Development Office

We are currently engaged in forming a Development Core Team for our school with representation from all “stakeholders” (parents, faculty, alumnae, administration, and volunteers from the private sector). The Development Core Team will assist the Development Department in helping to initiate short and long range planning ideas to secure the future development of Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School, and to create action plans to put those ideas into effect. The Development Core Team will work to enhance Bishop Conaty-Loretto’s efforts to provide quality, affordable education for our students in the Twenty-First Century. We are asking for four (4) parent volunteers for the Team. A one year commitment (2008-2009) to the Core Team is expected with attendance at three meetings required this year: Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 3:00 p.m.; Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 3:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 3:00 p.m. All meetings will be here on campus. If you are interested in volunteering for the Core Team—if you are interested in being a guide for the future of Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School—please get in touch with Ms. Judith Krommer in the Development Office at (323) 737-0012, Ext. 106.

Academics

Deficiency Reports will be given to students during the week of March 3-7. These notices are given to the students approximately 3 weeks before the end of each quarter of academic work. ONLY those students who are having academic difficulty in a subject receive this notification. No deficiency report is given if your daughter is performing well in her classes, but on occasion a progress report may be given. Please be attentive to these reports and take the necessary action as requested by the teacher. Your intervention now may make the difference between a passing and failing grade for your daughter.

The Re-registration Process for 2008-2009 has begun. The Course Offerings Booklet and registration information was given to students February 26. This comprehensive booklet lists all the courses available for next year, along with the prerequisites needed to enroll in certain courses. All course offerings selected by students are reviewed both by administration and subject teachers to ensure that the students meet the prerequisites of the course(s). Every effort is made to assist your daughter in making "wise decisions" in selecting courses. It's most important that you're knowledgeable, too, about your daughter's course selections for next year, and you are encouraged to discuss this information with your daughter. (1) Completed 2008-2009 Course Request Forms, (2) the non-refundable $ 400 Registration Fee, and (3) the signed Financial Contract are due March 11. 2008. Remember to place all three re-registration items into an envelope, clearly marked with daughter's name, grade, and amount, and submit it to the Business Office by no later than 3:30 PM, Tuesday, March 11, 2008. It is most important that you re-register on time. Much work is entailed in the registration process. Students who re-register late may not be able to take the courses they have selected for next year, because the class may be closed due to maximum enrollment.

Financial Aid

Many of our families apply for tuition assistance, and the school has worked hard over the years to provide financial aid for our families in order to reduce tuition. The application and information about tuition assistance was given to our students on January 29. Completed forms, including copies of either the 2007 tax forms or 2006 tax form plus 2007 W-2 to verify income, must be returned no later than March 3 for the Catholic Education Foundation’s awards and no later than April 7 for Bishop Conaty-Loretto Financial Aid program awards to be eligible for consideration for financial aid offered by Conaty-Loretto High School in amounts generally ranging from $500-$2,000. The grants received by the Catholic Education Foundation represent approximately one-third of the money that is allocated for tuition assistance. The remaining two-thirds come directly from the school’s financial resources from other foundations, bequests and alumnae. Please make sure that you submit an application on time for financial aid if you meet the qualifications as indicated on the application forms. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered for financial assistance. It is the family's responsibility to ensure that all information requested is submitted and accurate. Students who meet the first application deadline for the Catholic Education Foundation Tuition Assistance Program on March 3 will automatically be considered for all grants awarded by Bishop Conaty-Loretto. Please note: financial aid will not be awarded to any student who has not re-registered for the 2008-2009 school year. Since the Catholic Education Foundation notifies the school in late May/early June about the recipients of their Tuition Awards, we are not able to notify our families about the amount of tuition assistance until June. Every effort is made to award tuition assistance to all qualified families.

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. The last day to earn credit for parent service hours is May 2, 2008.

Friday, April 25, 2008 is Educational Field Trip Day. On this day, all students are sent to various local museums, parks, and historic sites to learn about art, culture, nature, science and history. We are in need of parent chaperones for the field trips. If you are interested in giving of your time, please contact Mrs. Lopez or Ms. Boyle to make arrangements. Parent service hours will be given for your service.

Important Dates
· March 3: Application Deadline for Archdiocesan Tuition Awards for 2008-2009
· March 3 through March 7: Progress Reports Week
· March 4: Junior Class Retreat
· March 7: Junior Ring Ceremony
· March 8: School Beautification Project, 8:00 AM
· March 11: Deadline for 2008-2009 Course Request Forms, Financial Contracts, and Registration Fees
· March 14: Faculty& Staff Retreat, pupil free day
· March 16 through March 22: Holy Week
· March 20: Holy Thursday Prayer Service
· March 21 through March 30: Easter Vacation, school closed
· March 31: Cesar Chavez Day, no school
· April 3 through April 24: Spring Fund-Raiser
· April 5: Class of 2012 Freshman Orientation, 8:00-12:00
· April 7: Application Deadline for Bishop Conaty-Loretto Financial Aid Awards for 2008-2009
· April 10: End of Third Quarter
· April 10: Parents’ Meeting, 6:30, Library
· April 11: Spring Dance, 7:00-10:00
· April 16: Report Card Distribution
· April 18 & April 19: Spring Play, 6:30 PM
· April 22: Senior Class Retreat
· April 22: Senior Parent-Daughter Mass, 6:30 PM
· April 23: Parent Observation Day 2
· April 25: Educational Field Trip Day, All Students
· April 30: Senior Christian Service Hours due

Athletics

Congratulations to our teams! The varsity basketball team, under the direction of Mr. Manny Fernandez, was undefeated in Horizon League play. Check the school website for up-dates on the Wildcats’ play-offs performance.

The soccer team, under the direction of Mr. Damian Delaney, had a great season.

Visual and Performing Arts

Bishop Conaty-Loretto proudly presents A Murder is Announced, adapted from an Agatha Christie mystery, April 18 & 19, 6:30 PM, in the gym. Check out Ms. Corso’s webpage for details: http://www.atheneproductions.com/ .

THANK YOU

We would like to thank the
following parents for their
contributions of $10 or more to the
Parent Association:
· Javier & Nora Aldana
· Rosendo & Gertrudes Asuncion
· Carlos & Ana Bojorquez
· Juanito & Carrie Estocapio
· Victor & Nancy Garcia
· Hermelo & Juana Hernandez
· Terry & Norma Horton
· Gwen Jenkins
· Arcadio & Irma Alicia Recendez
· Nectali Regalado & Ana Sandoval
· Lorenza Reyes
· Francisco Tobar & Anabelle Godinez
· Miguel Valencia & Alicia Solano
· Gladys Velasquez
· Manuel Zavala & Celsa Candido


Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School Parent Newsletter, Volume 1, Number 4, March 2008

ESLRs

As part of our accreditation self-study process for WCEA and WASC, we are reviewing Bishop Conaty-Loretto's Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs) or outcomes. As part of this review, we would like to know your thoughts. What do you think a student of Bishop Conaty-Loretto should know and be able to do upon graduation? Let us know what you think in your comments.

Como parte de nuestra autoevaluación para acreditación para WCEA y WASC, estamos repasando los resultados de aprender (ESLRs) de Bishop Conaty-Loretto. Como parte de esta revisión, quisiéramos saber sus pensamientos. ¿Qué piensa usted que una alumna de Bishop Conaty-Loretto debe saber y poder hacer después de la graduación? Escribanos lo que usted piensa.

Beautification Day

Today, the Parent Association sponsored Bishop Conaty-Loretto’s first annual Beautification Day. Several parents and their daughters came together to build benches in the courtyard for the students. It was a beautiful morning and great fun was had by all. We were able to re-assemble twenty benches using the old Conaty conrete bench-supports that had not seen the light of day since well before the reconstruction of the school in the early 1990s. Several fathers took charge sharing their expertise and talents as the rest of the parents and students pitched in to get the job done. Ms Boyle came by to lend a hand. The beautification project fostered a great sense of pride and accomplishment among all. Special thanks to The Home Depot for their generous donation of lumber and supplies for this project. The day was such a success that plans are in the works for next year… some landscaping improvements or covered storage cage. We hope to you here next fall.