"Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart, and yield a harvest through perseverance."  LK 8:15
Message from the Principal
Dear Families, 

While weather put a wrench in some of our initial plans for Catholic Schools Week, we did not let it keep us from celebrating the value of attending a Catholic School. Besides the dominant performance put on by the staff in the student vs. staff volleyball game, we were also able to collect a large number of canned goods for the West Deanery Food Bank, send thank you notes and videos to influential educators, celebrate our teachers in the building, hold our annual mid-year awards banquet, and most importantly, celebrate mass with Father Dufresne. 

Even though it's hard to believe, quarter 3 progress reports will be finalized next Friday. This is a great opportunity for students to reflect on their current progress during quarter 3 to ensure that they are on track to meet their academic goals. I encourage all families to sit down and review grades with their students. Additionally, please note that all teachers have tutoring times that are posted outside of their classrooms and are available weekly for students!

This year, Cardinal Ritter High School is scheduled to receive a Continuous Improvement Journey by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. On March 14, we will be welcoming a team of 12-14 individuals into the building to review the programming, instruction, and culture in the building. The purpose of these visits is to provide school leadership with action items to continue to improve on as well as to provide feedback on the 4 major domains of the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Schools. These visits are scheduled for all Archdiocesan schools on a rotating basis. Having had the opportunity to be a part of these visits for other Archdiocesan schools over the past 2 years, I am very excited to host other outstanding educators and share the work being done at Cardinal Ritter High School, as well as receive feedback on areas for continued growth.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity to work with your students on a daily basis and am grateful to be a part of the Cardinal Ritter Community.

God Bless,

Steve Pelych
Announcements
Bobby Isakson, Mitchell Jacob, Grant Eifert, Jarek Malatestinic, Alex Abatayo, and Alex Lopez served as greeters at the annual "Celebrating Catholic School Values" event in downtown Indy.
Mr. O'Maley's Advanced 2D Art class created gothicized italic lettering projects with their Bible verse of choice.
Congratulations to four-time state diving qualifier, Kamryn Blake! Support Kamryn at the Indiana University Natatorium this Saturday beginning at 9:00 AM!
Congratulations to Gabby Hicks and Meghan Sandifer on making the MCCGSA All-City basketball team!
Congratulations to our January Athletes of the Month: Joey Gruber and the Girls Swimming/Diving Team! Gruber lead the Boys Basketball team in January with 13.5 PPG, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 2.9 assists. The Girls Swimming/Diving Team won the ICC Conference for the 3rd consecutive year!
Chemistry students learned about limiting reactants with a balloon race.
Senior girls faced the CRHS staff in a volleyball match to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. The CRHS staff dominated.
Raider Nation O'Celebration is right around the corner! Come enjoy a night out and raise money for CRHS at the same time. The night will consist of a silent and live auction, gaming, dinner, and dancing.

Click  here  to buy your tickets or reserve your table. Contact Katie Waggoner for more information.

Freshman and Senior Parents:
We have a group of students who will be taking a Science assessment in Biology this month. The following students are impacted and will be testing on the dates noted below. Also, a letter has been mailed home directly to the students who will be testing.

FRESHMEN - Students completed Biology in the 8th grade for high school credit. They now are asked to complete their Science assessment in February.

SENIORS - Any senior who took Biology in high school and has not yet taken an assessment. This includes students who transferred to Cardinal Ritter from out-of-state or took Biology junior or senior year, but have not yet taken the Science assessment. Also, those seniors who completed Biology in the 8th grade completed the End-Of-Course Assessment (ECA) for Biology at the end of the course will need to test as well. With new requirements in place with the Indiana Department of Education, ECA from 8th grade is not part of the participation requirement. This means that any senior in this situation will need to take the Science assessment in February too.  
Please keep in mind the ILEARN Biology assessment is not a graduation requirement. It is for participation. Please call or email Mrs. Lettich with any questions at (317) 924-4333 ext. 423 or  jlettich@cardinalritter.org .

Test times are as follows:
February 13 - Practice test
February 19 or 20 - Fixed form assessment
February 20 or 21 - Performance task assessment 
Please note these tests are untimed and details have been shared regarding testing with each student.
Purchase pre-sale tickets here .
Storm the Castle! Trip

Attention all Male Raiders: Mr. Pelych and Fr. Dufresne will be leading a trip to Bishop Simon Brute College Seminary after school on Wednesday, February 13. There will be dinner with the seminarians, a tour of the “castle,” and prayer in the beautiful seminary chapel. There are only 12 spots on the trip, so get your permission slip from Campus Ministry soon! 
John Lorenzano Memorial Scholarship

The John Lorenzano Memorial Scholarship is now available to any 7th-11th grade student who has a parent who is a Police Officer or Firefighter. It is a $1,000 scholarship and students must possess a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Please contact Mr. Kyle Powers for more details.
Indiana State Tax Credit Scholarship Program

Want to better understand the Indiana State Tax Credit Scholarship Program and how you can earn a 50% credit on your state taxes? Check out  this podcast featuring Superintendent of Catholic Schools Gina Fleming and Betsy Wiley, President and CEO of the Institute for Quality Education, interviewed on Catholic Radio’s Faith in Action program. 

ISTEP+ Testing Schedule for Juniors and Seniors - Spring Retesting

For those juniors and seniors who need to retest in ISTEP+, the schedule for testing is noted below. Please contact Mrs. Lettich if you have any questions regarding your student's schedule. Please note this schedule is only for juniors and seniors who need to retest. Sophomores will have a later test date.
English/Language Arts - Feb 19, 20, 21, and 22 (Mornings Only)
Mathematics - Feb 25, 26, and 27 (Mornings Only)
2019-2020 Registration

Registration for 2019-2020 school year is around the corner! Packets will be given to your student during Theology class in early January. Your student's registration appointments will be noted on their packet.

Appointments will start later in the month of January and we will collect the following materials at that time:
  • Completed registration paperwork (Please complete paperwork before the appointment.)
  • Schedule for next year with a parent signature
  • $150 registration fee

Parents, we would love for you to attend the appointment with your student if possible. Please call the guidance office to RSVP if you plan to attend. If you would like to attend, but need a different time, please call us in the Guidance Office at 924-4333 ext. 420. 
Our Little Ways of Prayer

Our Campus Ministry team wants to pray for you! If you or someone you know is in need of prayers, submit a prayer request and every other week the Campus Ministry team will be praying for the needs of our community. Click here to submit a prayer request.
Attention Parents :

All juniors at Cardinal Ritter are required to complete one day of job shadowing starting the month of November through the end of February. If you are interested in hosting a junior for job shadowing, please contact Lindsay Thomas .  You can earn service hours!

Amazon Smile

Don't forget to select Cardinal Ritter High School as your charity of choice at smile.amazon.com  and a portion of your sale will be donated to CRHS!
Earn rewards for CRHS every time you shop at Kroger!  
NEW NUMBER: LL023

Support CRHS every time you shop at Kroger! Log in to your Kroger account and click " My  Account" at the top of the homepage to get to your Account Summary page. Click the "Add  Card " button under " Plus Card  and Alt ID(s)." Type your 12- or 13-digit  Kroger card  number into the " Plus Card -or-Alt ID Number" field. This number is at the back of your  Kroger Plus card . Then you can click on community rewards on the side bar and type Cardinal Ritter High School into the search space. CRHS will earn money every time you swipe your Kroger Card.
Alumni Spotlight
At the beginning of the school year, Cardinal Ritter hosted a West Deanery Professional Development meeting that included all of our elementary schools. We then realized how many CR alumni we have that have stayed close to their roots by teaching at one of our West Deanery Schools! So proud to have Raider Alumni teaching our kids day in and day out.
SMSG (L-R) Patty Stefanko Guilfoy ('74), Mary Murphy Price ('88), and Jacque Fenzel ('13)
ST. CHRIS (L-R) Sarah Gillaspy ('12), Steve Buell ('01), Elizabeth Anderson ('97), and Principal Karen King ('84)
ST. MONICA (L-R) Principal Eric Schommer ('88), Lindsey Scott ('12), Bridget Price Brown ('08), Melissa Lynch ('11), and Stacie Wiley Hernandez ('84)
ST. MALACHY (L-R) Jackie Hemelgarn Murphy ('75), Kari Eisele Townsend ('94), Fr. Sean Danda
('01), Christy Neal Dalton ('98), Angie Dean Cullin ('91), and Amanda Miller
Domogalik ('95) {Not pictured, Sandy Burger Wagoner ('86)}
ST.ANTHONY (L-R) Leanne Harrington Patterson ('79), Elaine Martinez Fairfield ('70)
CRHS (L-R) Catie Triplet ('08), Lydia Godsil ('13), Anna Selby ('13), Mary Pat Moran O'Connor ('78), Joe Pfennig ('78), John Melton, ('82), and Martin Hanley ('06)
College Counseling Corner
Check out the different programs offered by the Center for Leadership Development (CLD). If your student participates in many of these programs, they can be eligible to earn college scholarships!
Junior high students can participate too!
https://cldinc.org/
Indiana University - School of Informatics and Computing – Indianapolis
High School Open House
 
Friday, March 1, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

We’re opening our doors to high school students and their parents and guardians who want to learn more about academic and student life at the IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI. Our Open House is an entertaining way to explore why you should be a future student here. More information here .
Women In Engineering

Junior females: On Monday, April 8, Purdue will be hosting a Women In Engineering Program. If you sign up and plan to attend, please fill out a college visit form in the guidance office before you go.

To attend, register online at www.purdue.edu/wiep
FBI Youth Leadership Academy

On July 8, 9, and 10, 2019, the Indianapolis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association will host the FBI Youth Leadership Academy (YLA). The YLA is designed to promote an educational experience that will provide students with valuable leadership training and a greater understanding of the FBI. Through interactive physical challenges and classroom discussions we seek to further explain to youth how the FBI addresses the concerns of the community. Utilizing FBI strategic planning techniques and exercises, participants will have the opportunity to hone their decision making and leadership skills.
Apply here .
Summer Job Opportunity for High Schoolers - Keep Indianapolis Beautiful

The Youth Tree Team (YTT) hires young people that are interested in working outside to maintain trees planted all around Indianapolis. This is a paid position ($9/hour, 20 hours/week) that lasts for seven weeks in the summer. YTT waters and mulches trees three days a week and dedicates one day to enrichment activities focusing on financial literacy, sustainability, and tree identification. If the youth is in good standing with YTT, there is an opportunity to continue working in the Fall and Spring and no need to reapply for the next Summer as their spot is saved.  Applications are due by April 3 at 5:00 PM.  Apply here .
Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing - High School Open House

IUPUI school of Informatics and Computing are opening their doors to high school students and their parents and guardians who want to learn more about academic and student life. The Open House is an entertaining way to explore why you should be a future student here.
It will be on Friday, March 1st from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.  

International Healthcare Abroad Program

Help, Learn, and Discover is an international health care volunteer program that provides high school seniors and undergraduate students with the opportunities to shadow a variety of health care professions while volunteering to build homes for rural communities in Ecuador. In the Help portion, students will fundraise money to bring down to Ecuador that will go directly toward building homes alongside the disadvantaged community. Over the past 14 years, HLD has fundraised over 1 million dollars. The Learn portion is an optional health care experience. Students are able to learn clinical skills and shadow in surgeries in their field of choice. The last part of the program allows students to travel around the beautiful country of Ecuador and participate in activities such as tubing in the Amazon, waterfall rappelling in the rain forest, and horseback riding at the base of a volcano!
All program details can be found at ecuaexperience.com .
Please email Nikyta Davis with any questions.
At  Duke Summer Session , we are determined to transform you into one who envisions, shapes, and delivers the incredible possibilities of tomorrow. Learn more here .
Schola High School Summer Program at Belmont Abbey - July 2019

Schola offers a unique opportunity to rising high school sophomores, juniors,and seniors to spend an elevating and revitalizing week engaged in a rich schedule of academic, cultural, and recreational activities centered on lively seminars discussing several of the great books of the Western world. Click here for more information.
Rutgers Pre-Engineering Summer Academy

Rutgers University–New Brunswick is excited to announce an opportunity for students interested in engineering. The Rutgers School of Engineering is offering the chance for students to participate in a new  Pre-Engineering Summer Academy  to develop their knowledge and skills through real-world field experiences. Interested in learning more? Attend an online  information session  or visit  Pre-Engineering Summer Academy .
The Washington Youth Summit on the Environment (WYSE)
This one-week, exciting Summit is designed exclusively for high-achieving high school students and will be held on the campus of George Mason University, just outside Washington, D.C., from June 23 to 28, 2019. You can learn more about this opportunity by clicking  here .
Notre Dame Pre-College

Through our summer scholars  program, students may choose from 22 courses in a variety of fields, perfect for sophomores and juniors who want to explore their passions and interests while earning college credit. 
New Scholarship Opportunities

The following links are scholarship opportunities specifically available for minority students:
Many colleges and universities offer free  Diversity Fly-In Programs  in the fall semester to top underrepresented, first generation, and/or diverse students. Attending one of these programs can demonstrate strong interest in an institution and potentially help one’s chances of being admitted. For more information about these upcoming opportunities, please follow this link .
John Carroll University Young Writers Workshop

The John Carroll University Young Writers Workshop, a week-long summer camp at John Carroll University, is now offering both day camp and overnight residential options, so students from all over the country can experience inspiring and rigorous creative writing! This year's workshop takes place from July 22-26th, 2019. The cost for the day-only option is $380; the residential option is $980, though there is an early-bird rate in April. The application deadline for the workshop is June 1st, 2019. For more information about the JCU YWW, please visit  sites.jcu.edu/yww . 
SCRIP Information
INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONLINE ORDERING

1. Go to  shopwithscrip.com  and create an account. Our organization code is FE97AB26258L.
2. Once your account is created, click on "Shop" and browse the hundreds of products available
3. After your order is complete, choose your payment method - either check or PrestoPay. You DO NOT have to use PrestoPay to order online. If you choose check, just send your payment in with your student on Monday morning. 
4. Look for your order to come home on Wednesday or Thursday-unless you ordered ScripNow (e-certificates) or Reloads. Those will be available as soon as the order is processed on Monday if you pay by check, or almost immediately if you pay with PrestoPay. 
5. Click here for more detailed instructions.
Cardinal Ritter Mission Statement
Cardinal Ritter is a Catholic high school entrusted by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the parishes of the West Deanery to provide, within a college preparatory curriculum, the highest standards of academic excellence to students of diverse socioeconomic, racial, and religious backgrounds. Cardinal Ritter challenges its students to grow spiritually, intellectually, athletically, and artistically. The Cardinal Ritter community values and fosters the unique intellectual, cultural, social, and physical gifts of each student. As followers of Christ, we encourage our students to share their gifts and talents in service to others.
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