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?
Fiat Retreat This Weekend
Fiat is Central Catholic's girls retreat. It's optional but is already filled to capacity for this weekend. Later in the school year is Esto Vir, our boys retreat. In addition to these optional retreats, each class has their own "Day of Recollection" to get to know classmates on a spiritual level while growing in faith. Check out our Spiritual Calendar to see what's available to our students beyond their daily Theology class.

We're Hosting Intercity Girls Basketball. If you haven't been out here yet to catch some of the action, you have three chances left:
FRIDAY, November 22
6:00 Central Catholic vs. Normal West
7:30 Bloomington vs. Normal Community

SATURDAY, November 23
6:00 Normal Community vs. U-High
7:30 Normal West vs. Bloomington

TUESDAY, November 26
6:00 Normal West vs. Normal Community
7:30 Central Catholic vs. U-High
Catch Our Saints Athletes In Action
Boys Intercity starts MONDAY at the Shirk Center. 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 .
Why Should Your Family Choose
Central Catholic?
We recently asked parents of Freshmen and new students how they feel about Central Catholic. These families were receiving this newsletter for the first time at this time last year and facing the same decision as you. Here's a sample of what they had to say about their choice to come to Central Catholic:

" We love Central Catholic. Everyone has been so welcoming. The teachers are amazing. We love everything about Central Catholic High School"

"We are so blessed to have decided to send our son to Central Catholic. It is an amazing place and it was a very hard decision for us. Thank you for providing a quality education for him. "

"I was worried that a student who struggled academically might be overlooked or struggle with their coursework. That has not been the case and CCHS has proven to have excellent resources for those who need a little extra help."

"After being at Central for 2 and a 1/2 months, it has drastically changed him. He comes home saying everyday is a great day! He is checking his grades. He is studying independently because he cares about his grades and feels he can succeed. He is motivated and enjoys how he is learning and what he is learning."

"We like feeling like we have a voice and are listened to by faculty and staff."

"All staff members truly seem to care about the students as individuals. Academics are strong and the opportunity to grow in the faith is fantastic. Our daughter absolutely loves CCHS."
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.

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

Tuesday, January 28 - Great to be a Saint Day 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
8th grade students will spend the morning with Central Catholic Student 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 5 - 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 7 - 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. 

Friday, February 21 - Pack the Place
All Future Saints are invited to watch our Boys' Basketball team take on St. Joseph-Ogden. Activities are planned during the game for our Future Saints! 

March 3, 4, 10 & 11 (tentative) - 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 2 - 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!
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.
Homecoming Week
It's nearly impossible to explain Homecoming Week so I'll sum it up in one word, fun. Alright, I'll try to explain.

It starts with the naming of our Homecoming Court (above), then continues with Homeroom Games Monday - Thursday:
MONDAY: Relay Race on our track - 10 boys and 10 girls from each class involved in the relay!
TUESDAY : Target Game - 10 contestants from each class drop items from the top of our bleachers onto a large target in our parking lot. Yes, some item do break on impact.
CANstruction - each class designs a canned good sculpture to be voted on by faculty and staff. All cans are donated to area food pantries.
WEDNESDAY: Class Videos - each class creates their own video around their class theme. We all gather in the auditorium to watch.
Hallway Decorating: Each class decorates a hallway based on their class theme.
THURSDAY: Powderpuff Football: Girls from each class compete on the football field for gridiron supremacy.
Tug o' War, Egg Toss, and Boys Volleyball tournaments follow Girls Freshman, JV, and Varsity Volleyball games.
FRIDAY: Homecoming Mass, Assembly and Pep Assembly close out our week before the Football team takes the field in the Homecoming Game and the King & Queen are named.

Oh . . . yes, parents . . . the students are also in class for full school days Monday - Thursday.
Feedback, Please
I'll send these newsletters at least once a 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.