Principal's Corner
Even though we are in the doldrums of winter, many exciting things are happening around the school. We have been touched in profound ways; we have responded to those in need and through these efforts all our community grows in our desire to answer the call of the Gospel message during this season of Lent. Let me elaborate.
We recently invited to St. Thomas a speaker, Gerald Straub, a former TV producer, whose life was changed by his encounter with the poor all over the world. Now he uses his expertise in film-making to advocate for the plight of the poor to all who will listen. It was powerful to see the images he shared of the plight of suffering in the world. It touched us all. Secondly, our students recently helped a former graduate, Derek LaPanne, who suffered serious burns in an accident. He needed some financial help to offset his high medical bills. With a dress-down option students and staff raised nearly $1700 for his benefit. Finally, the students are sponsoring the "Heifer Project" this year as an attempt to bring hope and help into third-world communities. There never is a shortage of need in our world but I am so proud of our students and their desire to help others. This is what a Lenten journey should be about.
Perhaps you have read recent newspaper articles about Rachel's Challenge. This is an effort by family members of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine tragedy. Her life and death have inspired many to deliver a program to high schools in the nation, most recently to some local schools. We will be hosting our own assembly for students at St. Thomas High School on Monday, March 10th. By all reports this will be a very poignant presentation to address behaviors that promote alienation and violence within our society. There will be evening presentation for STA parents and others on that same evening, March 10 at 7 pm and we hope that you can plan to attend. I believe it will be inspiring and worth your investing the time.
Our CAST organization will be hosting a "Town Meeting" for St. Thomas on the evening of March 6th at 7pm following the Parent/Teacher conferences. Your attendance is most welcome. Central to this evening will be a detailed description of the changes anticipated for the campus scheduled for this summer. This will be important because it will require adopting many new habits for the next school year. These changes must be understood by all so that the new roads and parking will function as intended for everyone's benefit. Also on the agenda will be a discussion regarding the financial challenges of the school and the cost of the school operation. An aspect of that discussion will be to amplify the role of the Aquinas Fund in meeting the needs of the school. Information will be shared on the status of the Principal search committee's work to date. CAST hopes that this forum will allow a better understanding of the school's plans and challenges. There will also be ample time to listen to your concerns and questions. Representatives of the Administration, School Board and working committees will be present.
I offer each of our STA family wishes for a meaningful Lenten journey and a warm spring soon to come.
God bless you,
Jeffrey A. Quinn
February Parent eNotes
Upcoming Events and News
Important Dates
- Wednesday, February 20- Late Start
- Monday, February 25- February 29- Winter Recess
- Friday, February 29- School Office Closed
- Saturday, March 1- Sunday, March 16 Online Auction
- Monday, March 3- Classes Resume
- Monday, March 3- Early Dismissal
- Wednesday, March 5- Late Start
- Wednesday, March 5- World Language Festival
- Thursday, March 6- Parent-Teacher Meetings 5-7pm
- Thursday, March 6- CAST Forum 6-8 pm
- Friday, March 7- Blood Drive
- Friday, March 7- Vocal Solo and Ensemble Concert
- Monday, March 10- Rachel's Challenge Presentation
- Wednesday, March 12- Lenten Prayer Service
- Friday, March 14- No School
- Saturday, March 29- Auction Dinner Gala
Financial Aid for 2008-2009 The process to apply for financial aid for the 2008-2009 school year is beginning. Financial aid packages are now available. Please contact Patty Krupsky for a package or information. The deadline to apply is March 1.
World Language Festival-March 5, 2008 The 4th and 5th level French, Latin and Spanish students will host a festival to display and explain cultural projects that they have been preparing for the past several weeks. On Wednesday, March 5th from 6-7:30 P.M., the STA gym will be transformed into displays of art, music, travel and food dealing with the countries studied by the World Language students. All students, faculty and family members are invited to visit displays and demonstrations. Prizes will be awarded to the students who have prepared the best project in each language. Levels 1-3 language students will be given extra credit for attending the festival and evaluating what they have seen and learned.
Blood Drive Every day, in cities throughout New Hampshire, there are patients among us who rely on us as part of their medical care. Blood is one medicine that can only come from a healthy volunteer donor. Please help these patients in need at the upcoming Red Cross blood drive on Friday, March 7th at the St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover. Donors can give the gift of life between 8:15am~1:15pm. Also, students who will be 17 before March 7, 2008, will be able to sign to be a donor. Student sign ups will be held on Tuesday, February 19, through Friday, February 22. The time you take to donate could help a premature baby, an accident victim or a cancer patient on the road to recovery. Miracles happen when you give blood. To find out more, call the Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE LIFE.
Adult Tour-July, 2009 Mme. Mary Chamberlain, French teacher at STA, will be offering a trip for adults (21 years of age or older) to Greece, Turkey and Italy on July 1-11, 2009. This is the second adult tour that Mme. Chamberlain will offer. The first adult trip in July, 2007 was a tremendous success. If you would like more info regarding this trip, please contact Mary Chamberlain.
Edline Posting Schedule
Beginning this semester, teachers will be utilizing a more formal posting schedule to present student progress through Edline. Parents and students can expect that grade reports for all classes will be posted to Edline approximately every 2.5 weeks. Parents and students will notice that the new posting schedule will result in an additional grade posting between the beginning of the quarter and progress reports (at the mid-point of the quarter), and between progress reports and the end of the quarter. In total, teachers will be posting grades four times per quarter. It is our hope that the new posting schedule will promote effective communication between teachers, parents, and students concerning progress in class. We encourage you to have open and ongoing communication with your student about their progress in school. If you have any concerns or questions about a grade report or an individual grade, we encourage you to talk with your student first, before contacting the teacher. Quite often, a brief conversation with your student can clarify or resolve the issue. If you need further explanation you should feel free to contact the teacher.
Grade reports posted to Edline will vary from class to class depending on the individual teacher's grading standard and the requirements of the course. Generally grade reports will follow one of three possible grade reporting standards. Standard one consists of a cumulative grade-to-date, standard two consists of assessment category averages (lab, quiz, etc.) with an overall grade-to-date, and standard three consist of reporting all grades with an overall grade-to-date. It should be noted that teachers who opt for increased grade reporting (standards two and three) will be required to post fewer narrative comments. Generally, comments will be provided to students for whom constructive redirection is merited. Comments may also be provided for students whose work is particularly noteworthy or who are experiencing a change in their performance. Please refer to the teacher's course webpage for grading procedures and policies. Again, the amount of information posted to Edline will be determined by each individual teacher.
Edline Posting Schedule
3rd Quarter:
1st posting: during the week of February 11-no comments required
2nd posting: March 4 - Progress Reports
3rd posting: during the week of March 17
4th posting: April 4 - Report Card
4th Quarter:
1st posting: during the week of April 22 - no comments required
2nd posting: May 13 - Progress Reports
3rd posting: during the week of May 27
4th posting: June 23 - Report Card
Please Note: the 4th posting of the 4th quarter for seniors will be during the week of June 2.
Please feel free to contact Ron Holtz if you have any questions.
Advancement
All That Jazz, Annual Gala Auction & Dinner If you are planning on making a donation to the auction please get your donation form back to the office, NO LATER THAN Friday, February 22nd (last day of school before break). Donation forms were mailed home and can be printed off from the auction website. The items don't need to be sent in until closer to the actual event, but the data entry team needs to get the items entered into the catalog. Invitations to the event have been mailed. Please plan on coming to the event and enjoy the fun and excitement of auction bidding and St. Thomas socializing. You can also register to attend the auction, purchase raffle tickets, purchase sponsorships ONLINE at the auction website.
Online Auction Our Online Auction will run from March 1 - March 16. Share the site with your friends and family!
CAST (Community Association of St. Thomas) 1st annual CAST Forum, Thursday, March 6th , 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Parent/Teacher Meeting night). Hosted by CAST volunteer leadership, this parent forum will focus on specific agenda items followed by a open forum Q&A session. Please plan on staying after your teacher meetings to join this forum. Refreshments provided.
Agenda items
1) Campus Plan including summer work 2008
2) St. Thomas financial health
3) Aquinas Fund: How to keep tuition affordable. Our panel includes school board members Frank Toth, Karen Monaco and Larry Raiche and principal Jeff Quinn.
Golf Committee The Golf Committee will have its first meeting of the year on Tuesday March 4th. If you are interested in joining the committee please contact committee chair Mike Bergeron '76. The Golf Open is in September.
Aquinas Fund To St. Thomas, the Aquinas Fund represents a necessary piece of our annual operating budget. The bottom line- without this money, our school would fall short of its annual expenses. Beyond that, however, is a greater story. It's the story of what our school stands for; our mission, our programs, our students and faculty. And it's about providing affordable, quality Catholic education to all families in our community. A new Aquinas Fund logo was created this year. Have you seen it yet? Design is inspired by thoughts that evoke the spirit of what is being promoted. Our Aquinas Fund logo was inspired by the beautiful sunset view from our school Chapel and a book representing St. Thomas Aquinas, the patron saint of Catholic schools and scholars. Have you ever been in the chapel as the sun is setting? It's a sight to behold and if you're ever at school in the late afternoon you should really sit and enjoy the experience.
There is a new Aquinas Fund banner hanging proudly on the side of the school. As we reach our goal, the sun will be filled in with bright yellow. Our hope is to be at 50% when we return from winter recess.
As of Feb 12 we are at 32% of our total annual goal of $440,000. We have only 4 months remaining to reach this goal but we know we can get there. The dollar amount you give is not as important as your participation. $25 is just as important as $250 which is just as important as $2500. It all adds up! Please help us fill in our sun and meet our Aquinas Fund goal.
All families new to St. Thomas are asked to consider making their gift to the Aquinas Fund after attending the CAST forum on March 6th or one of the neighborhood house parties being hosted by St. Thomas families.
Guidance
Student-Counselor Assignment Changes The procedure used for student-counselor assignments will be very different in 2008-09. A transition toward that new plan takes effect for some students this semester. For more details click here.
Senior Parent Reminder Most colleges have financial aid deadlines between 1/15 and 3/1. Now is the time to file the FAFSA. To do so, please visit the Fafsa website. Many private colleges require the CSS Profile as well. You can complete that application at CollegeBoard.com If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Karwowski.
Scholarship Applications Seniors should see Mrs. Karwowski for local scholarship information. Applications are arriving weekly.
SAT/Subject Test Registration Deadlines All juniors should take the SAT this spring. Students applying to selective colleges should take at least two subject tests as well. It is very important to include our school code (300143) when registering. Register online at CollegeBoard.com
April 1 - Registration deadline for the May 3 SAT & Subject tests (STA is a test center).
May 6 - Registration deadline for the June 7 SAT & Subject tests.
What are SAT II's (Subject Tests)? They are one-hour, subject-specific achievement tests. In addition to the SAT I, competitive colleges and universities sometimes require 2 SAT II tests. Testing typically takes place in May or June of junior year. Subject tests include literature, math, American history, science, and world languages. Other subject tests may be required for admission to specialized schools within a university; for example, physics may be required for engineering majors. Exceptional students may consider testing earlier than junior year. Students in Grades 9 and 10 who have completed biology or chemistry may take the SAT II in those subjects if they are among the highest achieving students in the course and their teacher recommends it. Students or parents with questions should contact their counselor. More details on the SAT Program, including sample questions, may be found in Guidance or on the College Board website at CollegeBoard.com.
ACT Registration Deadlines Register online at ACTStudent.org.
March 7 - Registration deadline for the April 12 ACT (STA is a test center)
May 9 - Registration deadline for the June 14 ACT
What is the ACT? The ACT is a test that measures your achievement in English, math, reading and science. The English section is 45 minutes and has 75 questions; the math section is 60 minutes and has 60 questions; the reading section is 35 minutes and has 40 questions; the science section is 35 minutes and has 40 questions. The writing section is optional. For more information on the ACT, please visit ACTStudent.org.
Junior Parent Reminders Juniors should be working on a typed resume. In addition they must request a letter of recommendation from a current or previous teacher. Both the resume and the teacher's name are due in guidance before February vacation.
Destination College 9th Annual Statewide College Convention for high school juniors and their parents - Created and organized by the NHHEAF Network Organizations, this is your opportunity to enjoy a variety of college planning workshops. This event will be held at Southern New Hampshire University on March 29. All of the day's events are FREE. Space is limited. Register online by March 10 at www.destinationcollege.org.
Progress Reports-Parent-Teacher Meetings Teachers will complete progress reports on Monday, March 3. Thursday, March 6 Parent/Teacher conferences will be held between 5 and 7 pm. Conferences must be limited to five minutes. For those who need more time, arrangements can be made to meet at a later date.