CENTRAL CATHOLIC CONNECTIONS
I am Scott Vogel, Director of Admissions and Marketing at Central Catholic High School and I'm proud to welcome you to  Central Catholic Connections ! I hope you find this newsletter both informative and entertaining as I try to show you all aspects of life at our school.

This newsletter is sent to all eighth grade families in our Partner Schools and any families who expressed interest in our school. Whether you have already decided that your child will attend Central Catholic High School, you are currently undecided about the high school your child will attend, or don't feel that Central Catholic is right or possible for your child, please read these newsletters. My goal is to provide you with all of the information you need to make an informed decision about our school. Whenever you have questions or need more information, feel free to call/text me at 309-533-2200 - my phone is always on. If e-mail works better for you, send me your questions at svogel@blmcchs.org . 

Thank you in advance for your time and input and I look forward to seeing you soon!
What's New At Central Catholic?
Don't Miss Our Fall Play
Our Fall Play is next week and it's a great opportunity to come out to the school and check out the talented students in our Drama Club. The play is Of Moss and Men by David Meyer. It's a family-friendly play following Mickey and Minnie Moss who have purchased a hotel in need of repair. The hotel is rumored to hold treasure and is visited by hilarious characters in search of that treasure. 
Performances are Friday and Saturday, November 9-10 at 7:00 p.m. in our auditorium. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. General admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens, and $20 for a family pass. Children under 9 are free. We'd love to see you there.
Girls Golf State CHAMPS!
Congratulations to our Girls' Golf STATE CHAMPIONS! (l-r) Faith Glazebrook ('21), Annika Snyder ('22), Katie Steinman ('21), Coach Dean Glesing, Kylie Hundman ('21), Francesca Lee ('21) and Madison Clark ('19). 
Catch Our Saints Athletes In Action
Winter Sports are gearing up! Keep up with all of our athletic teams along with the latest athletics news by checking out our  Athletics Website . Click on our  Athletics Calendar  to find out where the Saints are in action. 
Would You Like To Know More About What's Going On Here?
We send Central Catholic @ A Glance,  a weekly newsletter, to all of our current parents. It's designed to let them know what's ahead in the coming weeks. If you'd like to receive it directly, just reply to this e-mail and let me know OR you can read it online here .
Opportunities To Learn Even More
There are several ways to learn more about Central Catholic and to get to see our school:

Shadow Days
8th grade students are always welcome to partner with one of our Freshmen on a Shadow Day. It's a great opportunity to see what life is like as a Saint.

Parent Open Houses
Look for more information about these soon. Our Parent Ambassadors will set up open houses in January for interested families. We'll be on hand to answer questions and give you an overview of our school.

Stop In For A Tour And Visit
Call/text me at (309) 533-2200 or e-mail me to set up a time to check out the school and ask any questions you may have.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Friday, January 25 - Pack the Place
All Future Saints are invited to watch our Boys' Basketball team take on Rantoul. Activities are planned during the game for our Future Saints! 

Tuesday, January 29 - Great to be a Saint Day 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
8th grade students will spend the morning with Central Catholic Ambassadors and participate in the morning class schedule. We kick things off at 8:00 a.m. in the auditorium, then head off to classes before lunch in the cafeteria. Students will return to their school by 1:00 p.m. 

Wednesday, February 6 - Showcase Central 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Parents of 7th and 8th grade students are invited to tour the school in a structured classroom setting to get an overview of the curriculum and meet the faculty and staff of Central Catholic. Students are welcome too! Come early and check out our Pep Band from 5:30 - 6:00.

Friday, February 8 - 8th Grade High School Placement Test (HSPT)
8:00 a.m. - noon
Students interested in coming to Central Catholic are invited to take the Placement Test to help counselors in finding an appropriate selection of classes. Students need to bring two pencils and a check made out to CCHS for the testing fee of $15. 

March 4, 5, 11 & 13 - New Student Registration 
You and your student register with our counselors. You'll discuss the classes your student will be taking and will officially become a Saint!

Saturday, May 11 - Junior High Dance: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
All Partner School 6th - 8th Grade Students & all members of the Central Catholic Class of 2021 will have a great time as our Student Ambassadors present this fun, nearly-end-of-the-school-year event!
Why Should Your Family Choose
Central Catholic?
This section will offer different reasons each issue to help answer this question. We want students, parents, and siblings to feel welcomed and comfortable with our school. We are your student's last educational and spiritual stop before heading off to college. We teach the values you teach at home and you can feel comfortable that Central Catholic is an extension of your family. Every high school wants to prepare your student for college; at Central Catholic, we will prepare your student for college AND we will prepare your student for Heaven . 
How Does That Work?
I'm often asked, "Why does Central Catholic do that?" or "How does that work?" Think of this section as a way of getting you and your student a bit more ready for Central Catholic and our traditions. We'll cover different topics each week so stay tuned.
Blue Ribbon Pride
We recently celebrated one year as a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School! The students received FREE t-shirts, faculty & staff were given FREE polos, we served FREE blue slushies at lunch and played music during the passing periods, all as a way to say thank you.

Being named a 2017 National Blue Ribbon School is the highest academic recognition given by the United States government. We are the only high school in Bloomington-Normal to ever receive this recognition. In addition, the Washington Post ranked us in the Top 7% of the country in their most recent index of "America's Most Challenging High Schools." We are the highest ranked school in our area in those rankings as well. Our students, faculty and staff work hard every day to achieve these standards and continue to raise the bar.
Feedback, Please
This edition is more like an introduction to the Central Catholic Connections newsletter. I'll send a couple of these each month and we'll dive deeper into the Central Catholic experience each time. These can be even more helpful with your feedback. Let me know topics and questions that are important to you and we'll address them here. As I stated earlier, my phone is always on (309-533-2200) so call/text/ e-mail me with your thoughts, questions and concerns.