May 2008
A Message from the Principal—Richard A. Spicer
Dear Wildcat Parents and Guardians:
The end of the school year if quickly approaching. It has been a great pleasure working with you and your daughters this year. This newsletter will be the last formal newsletter for this year. The next newsletter will be sent home to all our returning families in mid-August along with all the orientation materials for the start of the 2008-2009 school year which will begin on Wednesday, August 27 for incoming freshmen and transfer students only and on Thursday, August 28 for all students. This August mailing is only sent to registered students, so it's important that your daughter is fully registered at this time. If you are traveling over the summer, please make sure that you arrange your vacation in such a way that your daughter will be present for the opening day of school.
Many heartfelt thanks go out to our wonderful parents who on March 8, School Beautification Day, along with their daughters, gave up a Saturday morning 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 see you here next fall. Thank you Carmen Alonzo, Barbara Bakker, Rene Barraza & Marilyn Moran, Rafael & Luzmila Becerra, Lorie Benjamin, Carlos Bojorquez, Marcelo Carrillo, Marysol Cedeno, Carmen El-Khouri, Rosemarie Gonzalez, Angel Guevara, Hermelo Hernandez, Aura Hurtado, Jose & Maria Martinez, Benjamin Nelson, Fidel & Maria Nuñez, Miguel Paniagua, Arcadio Recendez, Lorena Reyes, Mary Richardson, Rita Rioja, Ana Romero, Patrick & Ivonne Silver, Maria Valencia, Miguel Valencia; Christine Araiza, Bre'Anna Bakker, Shannon Benjamin, Karla Bojorquez, Anisa El-Khouri, Hae Yeon Kang, Kierra McClanahan, and Liliana Sandoval. Check out the pictures on the Parent Association blog at
http://bclparentblog.blogspot.com.
Thank you, parents, 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
It is hard to believe that the school year will soon be coming to a close. I would like to thank all of you that I have had a chance to meet for your warm welcome and support during this, my first year at Bishop Conaty-Loretto. I hope to meet many more of you during the coming school year. Thank you to all of you for your cooperation with school policies and procedures this year.
During the last month of school, I will be visiting Homerooms to distribute notices to students who may need to purchase new pieces of the uniform. If skirts are too short and there is not enough material to lengthen them, please plan to purchase a new skirt for your daughter before the new school year begins. The Dennis Uniform Company can be reached at 818-843-8306 or you can shop online at
www.dennisuniform.com. Our school code for online shopping is LA00AB. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
A Message from the President of the Parents’ Board—
Mary Richardson
Our First Annual Mother/Special Friend and Daughter Afternoon Tea will be held on May 3, 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.
The Parent Association is coordinating the Used Book and Used Uniform Sale this June. The sale will take place Friday, June 13, 2008, from 9:00 to 12:00. We need parent volunteers to help with this event. There will be pre-designated areas on the green for grade levels to sell their books, with parents directing traffic and reminding people about fair pricing. The students and families themselves will handle the cash transactions. At the end of May, the booklist for next year with the correct ISBNs, with recommended fair price ranges for each used book, will be distributed to all students. The Parent Association is also selling snacks as a fund-raiser. For this event, Parent Service Hours will be credited for next year. (Next year the Parent Service Hour requirement will increase to 15 hours and $20 per un-served hour). If you would like to get a head start on earning service hours for next year, and would like to volunteer please sign up with our Event Coordinator Lorie Benjamin at (323) 547-0316.
If you have not yet paid your $10.00 Parent Association Dues, please pay them in the Business Office by May 20, 2008. Thank you.
Congratulations to our newly elected Parent Association Executive Officers for next year:
· President: Gwen Jenkins
· Vice President: Carolina Venegas
· Past-President: Mary Richardson
· Secretary: Laverne Simon
· Treasurer: Carmen Alonzo
· Event Coordinator: Arcadio Recendez & Rita Rioja
The last day to receive credit for Parent Service Hours was May 2. Remember that any unearned service hour requires a $15 payment. A statement of the service hours for all families who have not fulfilled the 10-hour requirement is included with this mailing.
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 Thank you for 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 outstanding educational program for your daughters.
Tuition and fee statements were mailed in April to all households indicating the remaining balance due for this school year. It is important that all payments be completed by May 12, 2008. Students with outstanding tuition and fee payments will not be able to take final exams or participate in graduation activities. Please consult the Student – Parent Handbook for details.
Important Financial Dates:
· May 12 - Last day to pay without incurring a late fee
· May 20 - Last day to pay by personal check for 2007-2008 financial obligations
· May 30 – Summer School Registration is due
· June 2 - Senior Exams begin (all fees must be paid prior to this date to be eligible to take exams)
· June 10 – Final Exams begin (all fees must be paid prior to this date to be eligible to take exams)
· June 27 – First half of Summer School payment is due
· July 1 – First tuition payment due for 2008-2009 school year
· July 11 – Second half of Summer School payment is due
· August 1 – 2008-2009 Tuition payment in full to receive 3 % discount
Please contact Ms. Diane Techam in the business office with any questions or concerns about your tuition account.
Development Office
We are still recruiting members for the Development Core Team. If you are interested in helping to guide your daughter’s school into a successful future by pitching in and working on a committee, please contact Judy Krommer, Development Director, at the school number, extension 106 or at
jkrommer@bishopconatyloretto.org. Some service hours are applicable to your participation. Be involved: Help to shape and secure the future of Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School.
Academics
Deficiency Reports will be given to students during the week of May 12-16. 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.
Final Exams begin on June 2 for seniors and on June 10 for all other students. In order for students to be eligible to take final exams, all financial obligations must be satisfied prior to the start of exams. In order to begin final exams all payments must be made by the preceding school day. No make-up exams will be given due to late payments. If financial obligations are not satisfied, the student will not take her exams. Please check your daughter's exam schedule. If your daughter is currently obtaining an "A" grade in a course, she may be exempted from taking that final exam; however, if financial obligations have not been satisfied by the time of the test, the exemption is nullified.
Summer School will be held at Bishop Conaty-Loretto High School from June 23 to July 25. Any student who fails a semester course or a year course must make up the failing grade in an accredited summer school program for high school students during the summer immediately following the failed grade, and have the grades/credits transferred to Conaty-Loretto High School by Monday, August 18, 2008. Any student who fails to meet this obligation will not be permitted to return to Conaty-Loretto on August 28, 2008. If a student takes a course in summer school to make up a course failure, she must pass the course in order to be readmitted to Conaty-Loretto High School. If she participates in a summer school program that involves “completion of contracts”, all contracts must be satisfied and a passing grade received by the above due date. Failure to meet these obligations in the summer due to a course failure(s) will result in the student’s inability to return to Conaty-Loretto High School. You are reminded that if the course your daughter needs to make up is offered in our own Summer School Session, then your daughter must attend our summer school to earn the credit. It is the policy at Conaty-Loretto High School to dismiss any student who fails in three or more year courses at the end of the school year. Ms. Lisa J. Gabriel, Assistant Principal, is the Summer School Principal. More information about summer school can be accessed on the school website:
www.bishopconatyloretto.org.
Financial Aid
Information about financial aid awards will be sent out in June. Unfortunately we cannot send out this information earlier because we have to wait to hear about the tuition awards given by the Catholic Education Foundation. Notification is sent to us in early June. Approximately 65% of our families applied for financial aid. In granting financial awards, priority is always given to current students receiving financial aid beginning with seniors, juniors, etc. In addition to the family's financial need, the student’s academic progress is also a consideration in awarding tuition assistance. Financial aid is Bishop Conaty-Loretto's investment in our students; academic achievement and hard work is an expectation for being a recipient of tuition assistance. Every effort is made to award tuition assistance to all qualified families. Please note: financial aid will not be awarded to any student who has not re-registered for the 2008-2009 school year.
Graduation
The Senior Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement Exercise will take place Friday, June 6, 2008, in the school gymnasium. The Baccalaureate Mass begins at 11:15 AM sharp. It will be followed by the Senior Honor Assembly and Baccalaureate Reception. The Commencement Exercise begins at 5:00 PM sharp. No one will be admitted after 5:00 PM. Admission to the Commencement Exercise is by ticket only. For seniors, these formal, dignified celebrations mark the successful completion of their four years of high school studies. They offered by the school to honor each senior’s achievement in earning her high school diploma. We congratulate the Class of 2008 upon their high school graduation!
More information about Graduation and other senior year-end activities will be distributed to seniors and their parents in a separate mailing.
Important Dates· May 2-Last day to earn credit for Parent Service Hours
· May 3-Mother-Daughter Tea
· May 4 through May 10Teacher Appreciation Week
· May 6-AP Spanish Language Exam
· May 9-Senior Prom
· May 12 through May 16-Progress Reports Week
· May 13-Christian Service Mass
· May 16-AP Spanish Literature Exam
· May 17-High School Entrance Exam, Algebra Placement Test
· May 20-Last day to pay by personal check 2nd semester payments
· May 22-Grad Nite
· May 26-Memorial Day Holiday
· May 29-Academic Honors Assembly
· May 30-Fun Day
· May 30-Summer School Registration due
· June 2 through June 4-Senior Second Semester Final Exams
· June 5Christian Service Hours due, grades 9, 10 & 11
· June 6-Baccalaureate Mass, 11:15, and Graduation, 5:00 PM
· June 9-Clean Up Day
· June 10 through June 12-Second Semester Final Exams, grades 9, 10 & 11
· June 13-Used Book and Used Uniforms Sale
· June 13-Notification of Failures mailed
· June 17-Final Report Cards mailed
THANK YOUWe would like to thank the following parents for their contributions of $10 or more to the Parent Association:
· Rene Barraza & Marilyn Moran
· Maria Valencia
Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School Parent Newsletter, Volume 1, Number 5, May 2008
