St Joseph High School - A Catholic College Preparatory School
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A Note from Dr Fitzgerald: Free Will in the Age of AI.
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My son counsels: be your own avatar; otherwise, you are just an amalgamation of algorithms. Create yourself or be created by your search engines and Google ads.
“An extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence,” writes PM Adhern. “Unprecedented” does not ring true in the United States, in Connecticut, in Newtown. We understand reality; it will happen anywhere. Hate hates, any target will do.
This time, the medium has been weaponized. The same medium that brought us the news of the massacres in the mosques (in Christchurch, of all names) also brought us live video of the carnage and the perpetrator’s manifesto of hate. I’d like to think that helmet cams in Auschwitz would have prevented the Holocaust. But I am naïve. The medium works both ways.
The essential freedom in the First Amendment, without which none of the other freedoms are safe, is the freedom to assemble. This is the freedom that the haters attack: mosques, churches, synagogues, schools, sporting events, movie theaters. Hate thrives on fear and fear induces isolation, which breeds tyranny, which poisons freedom. Freedom is a collective value; it requires assembly.
To recall Faulkner: Whether or not honor is, honor defended is, whether or not. Freedom defended is, and if the internet is where freedom is attacked, there is where it must be defended. Haters will hate. Trolls will troll. But Artificial Intelligence requires Genuine Intelligence. We need avatars.
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An SJ Tradition: Sophomores Celebrate Their Family Mass!
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The annual Sophomore Family Mass and Reception was held on Sunday, March 17 at 9:30am in the gym. This annual tradition is a special event for the intentions of the Class of 2021 and their families.
Click the image on the right to view additional photos on our
Smug Mug page
!
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Celebrating The Feast of St Joseph - Tuesday, March 19!
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Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19, St Joseph High School will celebrate The Feast of St Joseph.
The day will begin with Mass celebrated by Bishop Caggiano. Attending Grandparents will enjoy a short Reception after Mass.
Students will then take part in fun activities throughout the day. Everyone will participate in our annual Meal Pack, which helps to feed more than 25,000 thousand people. They will also be creating Easter Baskets and Paper Lilies which will be donated within the Fairfield County Community. There will be a talent show and trivia contest. And finally, the entire SJ school community will be treated to a special Italian Feast Day Lunch!
We look forward to this great tradition which involves the entire student body, faculty, staff and parent volunteers! Thank you for your support!
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A Showcase of Dancing, Talent & Whit...Who Will Be Crowned "Mr Student Body"?
We hope you will join
tomorrow, March 19,
as SJ Seniors vie for the title of 2019 Mr Student Body!
The goal of Mr Student Body is to strengthen friendships while raising awareness and working toward a fundraiser for charity. Advanced tickets are on sale now in the Guidance Office, but will also be sold at the door. All tickets are just $10!
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Spring Into Giving for St Joes - March 20, 2019!
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On Wednesday, March 20, St Joes has an incredible opportunity to receive 100% of your online gifts!
Our fundraising management system, Blackbaud, has offered us one
Fee-Free Day on March 20, 2019
to celebrate the first day of Spring! That means no credit card or direct debit fees for 24 hours!
100% of every gift made online during our Spring Into Giving Day will go directly to the St Joseph Fund. We hope you take advantage of this great opportunity and contribute to St Joes!
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Special Announcements for our Parents, Alumni & Friends
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Head of School Search: Survey Due 3/20
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Consider Serving as a Host Family
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Post-Prom is May 10!
Volunteers Needed!
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Responses to our survey on the Head of School search are due by March 20.
Please reflect on the questions presented, take time to add additional comments. We are committed to maintaining and, in an evolutionary way, always improving the quality of the Catholic college preparatory education that St Joes so wholesomely provides.
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Becoming a host family is an opportunity to open your heart and your home to an International Student who would like to attend St Joes.
We would like to feature two partner organizations that St Joes currently works with. You can visit either site for more information!
EduBoston
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Parent Association needs your help to make
Post Prom
a success for our Seniors! Post Prom is a FREE, fun, and safe event for seniors after the prom.
If you'd like to learn more about how you can help, join us for a short meeting on
Thursday, March 21 at 4:45pm
in the Advancement Office. You can also reach out to
Kristy Novitski
.
We hope to see many parents there to help us celebrate our seniors!
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SJ Cadets - Donate Blood, Save a Life!
Student Blood Drive on Wednesday, March 20
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St Joes' Student Blood Drive will be held on
Wednesday, March 20 from 8am-1pm.
All students interested in donating should visit the
American Red Cross website
for information explaining the procedure.
Students must be 17 years old to donate, and should bring a photo ID. If you'd like to participate, see your homeroom teacher to schedule an appointment!
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Spread the Word! St Joe's Spring Open House is April 3rd!
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We hope you will help us spread the word about St Joes' Spring Open House!
Like many of our parents know, an SJ Open House is unlike any other. With both formal academic presentations and a free flowing fair, future parents will understand why so many students choose to make St Joes their second home.
This event is open to all prospective students (5th grade and above) and their families. Parents can RSVP at
sjcadets.org/visit!
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Cadet Spotlight:
Schuyler Tomey '20
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Spring Sports Began
on Saturday!
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Sign Up for Summer Sports Camps!
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Congratulations to Schuyler Tomey '20 - one of the top 10 Vaulters in New England - who placed 9th in the event after posting a score
of 9.35 in the regional event.
Click the image above to watch a video of Schuyler
in action!
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Spring Sports opening practices started over the weekend! You can find tryout times
on our website
.
Reminder:
both permission forms and updated physicals are required to participate
in any sport or tryout.
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We are so proud to announce our 2019
Summer Sports Camps!
You can view the complete list, along with registration information on our
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New SJ Parents! Join us for a Class of 2023 Parent Meeting!
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 | 6:30PM-8:00PM
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The Class of 2023 Parent Meeting is an opportunity to get a head start on enrollment forms and ask any clarifying questions you may have. We look forward to helping with each step as you prepare for your student's first day at St Joes!
* Please note: This meeting is not mandatory and does not excuse students and parents from attending orientation on
May 15
.
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So Many Memories: SJ Sophomores Enjoy Their Class Trip!
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The Class of 2021 enjoyed a wonderful trip to Washington DC last weekend. The group visited many of our national monuments, celebrated Mass at the National Shrine, enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Potomac, and even toured Camden Yards!
A great thanks to the students for their respectful behavior and engaged energy as well as the exceptional chaperones for their hard work, loving attention, and joyful spirit.
Lastly, we'd be remiss if we didn't share a special video of our students as they waited patiently at a rest stop when their bus broke down. They encountered a 98-year-old woman who attends a St Joseph Parish and sang her Happy Birthday right on the spot! Way to go, Cadets!
Click here to watch the video on Facebook!
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Students, Parents & Friends: It's Time to Brave the Shave!
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On
March 29
, immediately after our Spring Pep Rally, St Joes will host a Brave the Shave event to benefit the St Baldrick's Foundation! The St Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer and donor powered charity committed to supporting the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.
All are welcome to participate and become
shavees
,
though if you under the age of 18, you must have your parent fill out
this permission form
.
If you have any questions, please reach out to
Mr Pagliarella
.
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Cadets: Log Yours Service Hours Online with x2Vol!
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Join Campus Ministry for Pizza & Prayer on March 26!
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This is a reminder that all students should be submitting their service hours through a new online system called x2VOL!
We're so excited that this program will replace the old paper forms and create a digital platform that will stay with you throughout your four years at St Joes.
In addition, you will soon begin to to view service opportunities on the Dashboard of x2VOL.
Looking for service hours? Contact Mr Smith about assisting with:
- Feast Day preparation (3/18)
- Habitat for Humanity Build (3/23)
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Campus Ministry invites all students to the third Pizza & Prayer on
Tuesday, March 26
from 5pm-7pm.
We are thrilled at the attendance at our events thus far and hope to grow the program further.
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The Proof is in the People: Faculty & Staff Spotlights!
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Meghan Piatak, Theology Department Chair, NHS Co-Moderator
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You can always come home to Joe, and that’s exactly what Ms Piatak did when she transferred in three years ago. Having spent her formative years teaching in Boston and Milford, CT, Ms Piatak grew to become the department chairperson SJ needed. It took her some time to get used to being colleagues with some of her high school role models, not to mention her mother, but she has enjoyed every minute of it.
Ms Piatak received her Bachelor’s in Theology with a minor in Counseling and Human Services from the University of Scranton (go Royals!) and a Master’s in Theological Studies from Weston Jesuit School of Theology. When she isn’t teaching in the classroom, she can be found co-moderating the National Honor Society. When she isn’t chaperoning a school dance or class trip, she enjoys planning her own road trips to discover the country. When she isn’t grading papers, she can often be found making stained glass. Her favorite past time is reading stories to her nieces and nephews.
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Events & Registrations
3rd Quarter Ends
St Joseph Feast Day
Mr Student Body
Student Blood Drive
Spring Into Giving Day
Sophomore Spring Fling
- March 23, 7:30pm-10:30pm
- Tashua Knolls
Spring Sports Parent Meeting
New Parent Meeting (Class of 2023)
Spring Pep Rally & Brave the Shave
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Lindsay Capobianco '22 and Schuyler Tomey '20 at the Gymnastics All-State Banquet!
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In Next Week's Issue:
Spring Open House
A Look Ahead into April
Commencement Page for Parents
and more!
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Thank You To Our Winter Community Partners
Interested in becoming a Community Partner?
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St Joseph High School | P: 203-378-9378 | F: 203-378-7306 | communications@sjcadets.org
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Follow Us on Social Media @SJCadets!
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