Squire Wire - October 9, 2020

Volume 11 Number 7 October 9, 2020

General News

Talking With Mrs. Tompkins

I would like to again commend parents for diligently completing the daily COVID screenings on their students and are happy to report that we will be having another Freedom Friday dress down day for our students. Please refer to page 53 of the School Handbook for guidelines on the Dress Down Day dress code.

On Monday, Oct. 12, we will be closed in observance of the Columbus Day Holiday. A friendly reminder that beginning Thursday, Oct. 15, all students will be required to wear the winter uniform. Information on uniform requirements begin on page 50 of the School Handbook.

On Oct. 6, Governor Wolf announced changes to the spectator limits for scholastic sporting events. We have updated our spectator policies to reflect these changes. You can find the updates in this Squire Wire under Athletics or on the school website.

As the Thanksgiving break approaches, we would like to remind our families that Delone Catholic will continue to follow the travel advisories set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. If your family plans on traveling to any of the states on the travel advisory list, your student will need to quarantine for 14 days upon his/her return as Delone Catholic will continue to provide in-person instruction for students according to our Academic Calendar. For a complete list of the states with travel restrictions, please click HERE.

Finally, we have created a parent survey that was sent out via email on Monday, Oct. 5. Thank you to those families who have already completed it. If you have not done so, please use THIS LINK to complete and submit your feedback by Oct. 12.

October is Respect Life month and our Respect Life Club has planned several activities for our students. Please see our Spiritual Life section of this Squirewire for complete details on these activities. In keeping with this month's theme of Respect Life, I would like to leave you with this prayer.

God of life and love, you created us in your image and sent your Son to bring us life. Instill in us a respect for all life, from conception to natural death. Empower us to work for justice for the poor.

Nourish us that we may bring food to the hungry. Inspire us to cherish the fragile life of the unborn.
Strengthen us to bring comfort to the chronically ill. Teach us to treat the aging with dignity and respect. Bring us one day into the glory of everlasting life. We ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Enjoy your long weekend.

May God Bless You,

Donna Tompkins

Interim Principal

Fall Open House - Sunday, Nov. 1

"I love Delone Catholic because I am making a lot of new friends and everyone is nice and supportive." ~Sara Lawson '24

There are dozens of reasons why students and parents have fallen in love with Delone Catholic HS. Come and see what there is for your student to love about Delone Catholic. Eighth grade students can pre-register for our scholarship competition and transfer students can take advantage of a Transfer Tuition Grant of up to $3,000. Teachers, administrators, coaches, activity moderators, student ambassadors and parent ambassadors will be available for tours and questions. Registration is preferred, so please scan the QR code or visit the school website at www.delonecatholic.org.

Test Day Directives for Wednesday, Oct. 14

STANDARDIZED TESTING: Important For All Grades

Delone Catholic will conduct standardized testing on Wednesday, Oct. 14. All juniors and sophomores will take the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). In addition to preparing students for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), the PSAT results are used as a first step to identify National Merit Scholars and commended students from among high school juniors across the United States. Registration information was given to the students during the week of September 21. The students will do not have to pay this year for the test, so please have your student return the envelopes that were given to them.

Juniors and sophomores were acquainted with the format of the test and techniques used in taking the test successfully during their English classes by the Guidance Department. The test will be administered during the morning on October 14th. At the conclusion of testing, (approximately 12:30 pm) students will be dismissed for the day.

On Oct. 14, the day of the PSAT, any student who plans on riding the Pa. public school OR Md. buses may not leave the school campus until those buses arrive here at school. They will be able to eat lunch, but students will NEED TO BRING A LUNCH FROM HOME that day. These students must indicate that they will be taking the bus by signing a form that is available in the Guidance Center. Students are not required to stay in school if they can arrange alternate transportation.

Seniors will attend their class retreat on Oct. 14, and they will be dismissed upon its conclusion. The Freshmen will be engaged in the following sessions that morning: Freshmen Service Project, Health and Fitness, Naviance and the TASC program. They will be dismissed at approximately 12:30 p.m. Freshmen are permitted to wear their gym uniform on Oct. 14 for Testing Day. If students do not yet have their DCHS gym uniform, they may wear their eighth grade gym uniform.

Attention Seniors: It's Time to Order Your Cap and Gown

Senior students received a packet from Jostens in homeroom today that contains information and ordering instructions for graduation items. The cap, gown and basic tassel are required for graduation. You will need your student's height, weight and gender to place the order. The deadline is Friday, Oct. 9. A copy of the order form is included here with the area circled that needs to be completed for the cap, gown and tassel order. You may contact Mrs. Michele Noel in the Business Office with any questions.

Picture Retake Day - Thursday, Oct. 22

Picture Retake Day is Thursday, Oct 22. If your student was absent on picture day, he/she may get their picture taken on Oct. 22. If your student is in need of a re-take, he/she must return the full packet, from the first sitting, to the Main Office and sign up for retake day as soon as possible. New picture packets will be given out prior to picture retake day to those students scheduled for re-take.

PTO Meeting Nov. 9 - New Members Welcome!

The Delone Catholic PTO meets the second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. in the school Library. There is no meeting on Oct. 12. The next meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. The group is welcoming new members. The PTO is an excellent way to join other parents and teachers who want to help to promote Delone Catholic and its students. The PTO raises funds through used uniform sales and Christmas raffle to buy much needed items for teachers. Past purchases have included water bottle filling stations and art tables. The group also participates in open houses and plans the academic banquet. For more information, please contact Mrs. Heather Hillson, PTO president.

Virtual PHEAA Financial Aid Seminar

On Nov. 11, 2020, Delone Catholic will be hosting a virtual financial aid seminar hosted by Diona Brown, Representative from PHEAA. This seminar will be of special interest to senior parents, especially those sending a student to college for the first time. Discussion topics will include: completion of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form needed to receive federal/state aid, filling out the CSS, the College Scholarship Search Profile, required by some colleges to qualify for scholarships at their school and how to access other scholarship opportunities. These topics are relevant for students attending any college. The meeting will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. Ms. Brown will be available for questions at the conclusion of her presentation. All senior parents are encouraged to attend. Use THIS LINK to attend the meeting. Attendees will not be able to speak, but can type in questions in the Q & A feature.

SAT Sign Up Dates

Calling All Parent Photograpers

The Delone Catholic Yearbook, The Delonian, needs your help! After many years of service, our long-time school photographer David McFarland retired this spring. We have now hired a new photographer, but she will not be in the school, or at school events, as often as Mr. McFarland was.

We are asking parents who are at sporting events, extracurricular activities or any school-related functions to take photos, especially candid shots and send them to Delone Catholic Yearbook. ([email protected]).

All submissions are welcomed, but please know that not all submissions will be used. All photos will be reviewed by Delone Catholic staff for appropriateness and to confirm that all students in the photos have signed photo permission forms.

Photos may also be used on social media, in print publication and for other school purposes.

If you have any questions, you may contact Mrs. Lauren Gross, Director of Strategic Communications, at [email protected], or Mr. John Fournie, Publications teacher, at [email protected].

From the Alumni and Advancement Office

Alumni: Please Share Your News

You may have graduated or moved on from Delone Catholic High School, but we never stop caring about you or being interested in your life. Use this form to share news with your Delone Catholic family - or to brag about your classmates and friends.

From the Spiritual Life Office

October is Respect Life Month

The Respect Life Club will distribute cupcakes in observance of National Prolife Cupcake Day on Friday, Oct. 9. Students will receive a free cupcake at lunch (thanks to a generous donation from Mrs. Louise Rupp) as a reminder that many unborn children are denied a birthday as a result of abortion. Additionally, the club is planning a needed items drive for Tender Care Pregnancy Center from Oct. 18-30. And finally, students are encouraged to sign up for a Respect Life email subscription so that the Respect Life Club can share opportunities to contact government officials to encourage them to respect the life and dignity of all human persons when voting on proposed legislation and enforcing government policies.

Sixth Annual (Virtual) Diocesan Women's Conference - Oct. 17, 2020

The October 14 registration deadline is fast approaching for the annual Diocese of Harrisburg (Virtual) Women's Conference - Catholic Women: Our Place at the Table. It will be livestreamed on Saturday, October 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration is just $10. The Keynote Speaker is nationally renowned Catholic women's speaker, author and blogger, Emily Stimpson Chapman. Other featured speakers are Bishop Ronald Gainer and Megan Murphy. There will also be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction led by Bishop Gainer, as well as Praise and Worship music throughout. If you cannot join us on October 17, you can get a recorded version of the conference if you register by the deadline. To register for the Women's Conference please go to www.hbgdiocese.org/women.

2020 Diocese of Harrisburg Women's Conference

Toys for Tommy

Delone Catholic's Peer Ministry is sponsoring the Toys for Tommy drive. Collection bins will be in the Main Office hallway between Sept. 28 and Oct. 9 or toy donations can be brought to the Spiritual Life Center. Here is a short video about Tommy Laudani '18.

Toys For Tommy Toy Drive!

Virtue=Strength

One pillar of the SportsLeader Virtue=Strength program is a weekly virtue that we incorporate into our athletic practices and throughout our school community. Every week, we will share them here to encourage the students to take the virtue into their homes as well!

This month, our virtues all fall under the theme of COURAGE - the strength to conquer fear and negative peer pressure in the most adverse and difficult situations, no matter what the consequences may be. We need to be courageous and conquer that fear by always doing the right thing and avoiding the wrong. This week, give your Dad or Father figure a hug and tell him what you admire most about him.

A Prayer for Courage:

Lord God, You are our Father in Heaven and You are the best example of a Father we could have. Give

our Dads the strength and the courage to be like You in all things. Help us to honor, respect, obey and love our Dads. We want to thank You for our Dads. It takes a lot of courage to be a good and virtuous Dad these days. Help us to appreciate them, honor them and love them with all our hearts. Amen.

For Families - Watch this video from Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck for a deeper reflection on the virtue of courage. Make your family resolution this month to attend Mass (in person or virtually) and invite another family to Mass with you.

Learn more about Saints who embody the virtue of courage: St. Rose of Lima, St. Joan of Arc, St. Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio, St. Gemma Galgani and the North American Martyrs.

From the Athletics Department

Athletic Event Spectator Update

Please see an update from our Athletic Director and Dean of Students, Mr. Tim Bonitz.

Delone Catholic Families:

As some of you may know, the state's limitations on gatherings has been fluid the past several weeks. On Tuesday Oct. 6, Governor Wolf announced changes in spectator limits for scholastic sporting events.

At this time, Delone Catholic's spectator policy published on Sept. 29 has been reinstated. Additionally, at this time we are pleased to allow senior participants for home varsity football games and girls volleyball to be able to purchase 4 tickets for each home competition.

Click HERE to read an updated version of the policies regarding home athletic events at Delone Catholic. Further, there are no changes in ticket amounts for other sports.

Just a reminder for all spectators that social distancing must be observed and face coverings must be worn on school property. All spectators are asked to pre-screen for COVID-19 symptoms within two hours of attending any event and to stay home if they are not feeling well or showing symptoms.

Finally, Delone Catholic remains committed to supporting mitigation efforts to support in person learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom and these numbers and policies are subject to change to comply with updates from the state of Pennsylvania, PDE, PIAA and YAIAA. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely, Timothy N. Bonitz Jr

Employment Opportunity: Freshman Boys' Basketball Coach