Principal's Corner
If you are anything like me, you are incredulous that it is already October 15th! It is a truism that when things are busy, time passes quickly. The whole school, collectively and individually is busy with the routine and many activities. Athletes are doing well; our music program is busy preparing for the Fall Concert and we are actively engaged in hosting potential applicants for the 2008-2009 school year. Can you believe it? The Class of 2012!
I am eager for any feedback on the new grade delivery system that we have employed this year. I have received a few comments which have been generally positive. Ultimately, it is about you and your STA student having timely information that will be a springboard to healthy communication between you and your student's teachers. If we are accomplishing that, it is worth the effort. If you have thoughts, I urge you to send them my way.
At our recent Homecoming Day celebration, we recognized Brian Fogarty '89 as this year's Distinguished Alumni. We held a special Mass and ceremony during which we honored Brian. Brian is a true measure of the richness of the St. Thomas experience. He gave much as a student here and has given much to the school since his graduation as a Class Agent and as a strong supporter of STA. He and his wife, also an STA grad, lost their son in the tragic accident at the Portsmouth Christmas Parade last Christmas and as traumatic as that was for them they are actively engaged in helping their community heal. Brian is one we are proud to call part of our STA family!
A word about this year's Aquinas Fund. I can't stress enough the importance of this annual effort to raise funds for the school. Our goal is to have a high participation rate and I am convinced that we can do just that. This will require your commitment to place St. Thomas among your choices for your charitable giving. Certainly, it is challenging to provide a significant gift to our Fund but I would urge that a pledge that would allow for a little to be sent our way each month may be very manageable for you. $10 or $20 each month may be more realistic for some than trying to provide a larger gift only once a year. I simply ask that you give to St. Thomas what you can and together we will achieve full participation in this important effort. Our Aquinas Fund is earmarked toward financial aid, capital improvements and the growth of our endowment funds for the school. Your careful consideration is most appreciated.
Next week, we will be hosting our very first Alumni event in a distant location. Tuesday evening, October 23rd we will host alumni in the Washington, DC area. This will be a chance for us to reconnect alumni living in that area. This too, is part of the important work that is being done by our Advancement Office under the guidance of Dan Raposa, our new Advancement Director, and Sarah Scheffer, Alumni Director. Both Sarah and Dan will join Ron Holtz and I in this exciting event and give us a chance to express to those in attendance that we have not forgotten them. We hope that this will be only the first of similar events that we plan for the future. If you are or know of STA alumni in the DC area who may be interested in attending please have them contact Sarah Scheffer
As a follow-up to my recent letter to you, I want to let you know that a Search Committee is being formed during the month of October and they will begin the process of securing the next Principal of St. Thomas. As this process moves forward, I will attempt to keep you appropriately informed.
God bless you,
Jeffrey A. Quinn
October Parent eNotes
Upcoming Events and News
Important Dates
- Tuesday, October 16- Canned Food Drive Begins
- Wednesday, October 17- Early Dismissal
- Thursday, October 18- Parent Visitation Day
- Friday, October 19- Late Start
- Friday, October 26- Fall Music Concert, 7:00pm
- Friday, October 26- Lazarus House Weekend
- Friday, November 2- 1st Quarter Ends
- Saturday, November 3- SAT I & II at St. Thomas
- Saturday, November 3- Parent Social . Please note! This is a new date from the date published in the school calendar!
- Monday, November 5- Student-Athlete College Process Workshop 7:00pm
- Thursday, Friday, November 8 & 9- Fall Drama Production
- Monday, November 12- Veterans Day, No School
- Wednesday, November 14- NHS Induction, 7:00pm
- Thursday, November 15- 11th Grade Parent College Admissions Meeting 7:00pm
- Friday, November 16- Principal's Coffee 8:15-9:00am
- Wednesday, November 21-Young Alumni Day
Schedule Change On Friday, October 19 the school will follow the meeting day schedule with classes beginning at 9am.
Date Change The date for the Parent Social has been changed from Oct. 20, as listed in the school calendar, to November 3! It will be held at the Frank Jones Center from 6:00pm -9:00pm Be sure to mark your calendar and join the fun at this annual social gathering. Enjoy an evening of light hors d'oeurves and specialty wines from South Street & Vine, beer from Smuttynose Brewing Company. Non-alcoholic drinks also served. This is not a fund raising event, simply an opportunity to gather as a school community. Tickets available to purchase by calling the school or Online.
Open House Flyer Parents who own businesses are encouraged to stop by our admissions office to pick up a St. Thomas Open House flyer. Proudly displaying the St. Thomas colors in your place of business will help us to continue to spread the good word about St. Thomas. As always, if you know of a student or a family who you think may be a good match for St. Thomas, please contact Gary Finley or Patty Krupsky in Admissions.
Parent Visitation Days October 16 and 18 are Parent Visitation Days at St. Thomas. Teachers will be expecting you to spend a period or two shadowing your child. Feel free to visit at your convenience either day. You are also welcome to join your child for lunch in the cafeteria and experience the full measure of a St. Thomas day.
October 17: A Different Day This Wednesday, Oct.17, all students will engage in alternative activities for the day. Freshmen will be involved in a retreat here at St. Thomas. The Junior and Sophomore classes will engage in important standardized testing. Seniors will use the day for College visits and application preparation away from school. All students will be released from school at 11:30 am; the St. Thomas bus will depart at 11:50 am.
National Honor Society Requirements The NHS Selection Committee encourages all students and parents to read the criteria for election to the National Honor Society. High standards of excellence are detailed in the areas of academics, character, service, and leadership. View this information on the St. Thomas website here. Please note: Documented community service hours for NHS must be above and beyond the 40 hour St. Thomas community service graduation requirement. Please contact Gordon Quimby if you have any questions.
First Quarter Ends Parents should note that the first marking period will end on Friday Nov. 2nd and that first quarter grades will be issued via Edline during the week of Nov. 5th.
Drivers Education The next class for drivers education will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 7. Students must register and pay for the course in advance. See the Attendance Office for necessary paperwork and requirements. This class is for students who will turn 16 before January 23, 2008.
November Tuition If you chose the semiannual payment option, your payment is due on or before November 1st. You must meet this deadline to gain any applicable discount and to avoid penalty fees. The success of this option depends on your timely payment.
Thanksgiving Break Families should note that school will be dismissed at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 21 for the Holiday. Please plan travel so that students may be in class on that morning.
Music Notes Many thanks to the members of the concert band who helped to make homecoming a little more fun and exciting by providing music for the day's festivities. A drum cadence to march the UNH ROTC color guard onto the field, a live performance of the Star Spangled Banner, and pep band songs to cheer on the teams were much appreciated by all.
Mrs. Larson would like to invite all women singers to join women's chorus, starting after the fall concert and fall sports season on Wednesday, October 31st. You do not have to currently be in chorus or select choir to be eligible, you must simply be able to make the commitment to Wednesday afternoon rehearsals. There is a brief audition process, but you are welcome to attend the first two rehearsals to find out if you are interested in auditioning. No special song is required for auditions. Commitment to the group, the ability to match pitch, and the desire to be part of a great women's chorus are the most important aspects! E-mail Mrs. Larson for more information.
The fall concert is fast approaching and we hope to see you all there! We will be presenting an abbreviated concert at 11 AM on Friday, October 26th for middle school students of nearby schools, and the full concert again that evening at 7 PM in the STA gym. It is entitled "Take Me Back" and the music will hopefully conjure fond memories for young and old. You can get more information about the songs being presented at any one of the STA music moodle websites ( or click here) If you are available to help with the concert and have not yet been contacted, or would like to volunteer to help with any music-related task, please e-mail Vickie Gagnon or Daryl Robertson and we will certainly put your time and talents to good use! We are especially in need of a volunteer coordinator. We have a lot of people who are willing to help, but someone to help organize the help is greatly needed!
Drama Notes The cast and crew of this fall's production, The Shakespeare Project, are already hard at work, feverishly bringing the Bard's words to life on the stage. Mr. Tinney, the play's director, chose the play in part to give our student-actors the opportunity to learn more about staging and performing Shakespeare's work. He also wanted to choose a play that the cast and crew could approach creatively. By taking the most famous scenes and monologues from the canon of Shakespeare's works and presenting them in a contemporary style, new and often remarkable interpretations of the classic materials emerge. That is the goal of The Shakespeare Project. Adapted by James Zager, the play was initially developed as a teaching tool for college and high school theater groups. It premiered as a full production in the spring of 2004. Those involved in STA Drama are proud to bring this unique presentation to the STA stage. Performances are scheduled for Thursday, November 8, and Friday, November 9. Both performances begin at 7:30 P.M. Admission is $4.00 per person.
Advancement
Upcoming Event We are exploring the possibility of a St. Thomas alumni activity (possibly a reception and/or sporting event) on Friday, December 21, 2007. Parents, please pass along this notice to your St. Thomas graduate. They can let us know if they are interested in participating by contacting the Alumni Office 603.742.3206, x5295.
Aquinas Fund Update Our annual campaign to support the mission of our St Thomas community will soon begin. Our goal this year is $440,000 and we are confident that through the generosity of many we truly can provide education that makes a difference! If you would like to become one of the dedicated volunteers needed to conduct our fund raising campaign please contact our Aquinas Fund Chair Karen Monaco or the Advancement Office staff.
Guidance
Wednesday, October 17 Special Events
Grade 12-College Admissions/Visits
Grade 11-PSAT: The PSAT will be administered starting at 8 am and finishing around 10:45 am. Please bring #2 pencils and a calculator.
Grade 10-Pre ACT Test, PLAN: Testing begins at 8 am and finishes around 11:00 am. Please bring #2 pencils and a calculator.
Grade 9-Community Building Retreat Day at St. Thomas (8-11:30 am).
National Merit Students Congratulations to the following Commended Students: Patrice Comeau, Owen Derby, Katherine Foy, Ian Graham, Kristen Lamoureux, Kevin McNamara and Jessica Veilleux. They are being recognized for exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the 2006 PSAT.
SAT Deadline Reminder Tuesday, October 30 is the registration deadline for the December 1 SAT I or Subject Tests. St. Thomas is not a test center.
SAT Question of the Day Collegeboard.com features a daily SAT practice question. It is presented on-line and delivered by e-mail directly to students. This is an easy way for students to review for the SAT!
HOBY for Sophomores: Every year we select a student in grade 10 to represent St. Thomas at the state-wide Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Seminar held in the spring. This is a fantastic growth experience for our representative. Sophomores will receive information through a classroom presentation by Mrs. Granger describing the program and the selection process.
Grade 12 Parents-Financial Aid Forms The CSS Profile is one of two forms often required with financial aid requests. For more information on the Profile, please visit this website. The FAFSA is the more frequently required form and can be found on-line here. We strongly encourage you to file the FAFSA and CSS Profile on-line. This can be a huge time-saver avoiding costly errors as the on-line version self-edits.
College Application Deadlines If your senior is applying early to a college or university with a November 1 or November 15 deadline Transcript Packet Request forms are due to Mrs. Karwowski by Thursday, October 18 or Thursday, November 1, respectively.
NHHEAF Network Workshops Monday, November 5, 7 pm-Student-Athlete Workshop. All Parents especially Grades 10 & 11-This workshop is designed to help your student-athletes with recruiting and college admissions.
Thursday, November 15, 7 pm-College Overview for Grade 11 Parents. Applying for college admission and financial aid can be overwhelming. This evening session is intended to educate families of juniors about the college admission and financial aid processes.