December 15, 2023 Volume 1 - Issue 15 |
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Dear Saint Families and Friends:
“Advent is the spiritual season of hope par excellence, and in this season, the whole Church is called to be hope, for itself and for the world.”
-Pope Benedict XVI
Greetings from Berks Catholic! Happy Advent! A priest-friend of mine encouraged me once that at the Third Week of Advent, no matter what has happened up to that point, we still have two more weeks of the holy season to experience. Good, bad or indifferent during the first two weeks, the next two weeks can still be a holy time to experience our loving God in preparation for the birth of Christ. As our Advent season hits the midpoint, relax and know that there is still plenty of time for anyone to get focused on the joy of Christmas and the coming of our Savior!
The Third Sunday of Advent is known as “Gaudete Sunday,” meaning rejoice. We light the pink candle on the Advent wreath to remind us of the joy that the world will experience at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that we have reached the midpoint of Advent. So let us be joyful and focus on these last two weeks of Advent. Have a great weekend.
It’s a great day to be a Saint!
John Petruzzelli
Principal
610-374-8361 ext. 253
Email: jpetruzzelli@berkscatholic.org
Twitter: jpetrobcsaints
Instagram: john.petruzzelli.9
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The Week Ahead
Sunday, 12/17
Christmas Vespers Concert at Sacred Heart Church (3:00 p.m.)
Monday, 12/18
DECA Club Business Test (for District Competition)
Saints Locker Student Store open (6:00-8:00 p.m.)
Tuesday, 12/19
Secure Drill
Band Christmas Concert (6:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, 12/20
Advent Penance Service
Thursday, 12/21
Friday, 12/22
Half Day – 11:30 a.m. Dismissal
School Mass (9:00 a.m.)
Student Council Bingo
Christmas Break starts at Dismissal
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Let Us Pray…
For St. Ignatius School, one of our amazing partner schools, that God blesses their students, families and staff with Christmas peace and joy.
For peace throughout our world with an understanding that the birth of Christ is on the horizon to be celebrated.
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to Freshman
Gunnar
Maciejewski
who was named this week's
Saint of the Week!
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Quiz Bowl Team
Congratulations to our Quiz Bowl Team who defeated Antietam High School this week in competition by a score of 11-7. It’s their first win of the season and they are a brand new team in our academic competition league.
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BCHS Blood Drive
Congratulations to Mrs. Staub and the Blood Drive committee for a successful Blood Drive. Fifty donors participated and 32 units of blood were collected to support the work of Miller Keystone Blood Bank.
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Thank You.....
Thank you to the parents and alumni who donated Christmas cookies for the Extravaganza Cookie Baskets and to the parents and alumni who purchased these delicious treats.
We received the following note from the Nurse Family Partnership thanking BC for our donation of Christmas toys:
The staff for Nurse Family Partnership was so excited with the wonderful toys chosen by your students. They were perfect for our age group. All the bags are already stuffed and ready to go. Thank you, again, for including us in your holiday cheer and fundraiser. We deeply appreciate it. Great job, Saints!
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Diocesan Parent Survey
The Diocese of Allentown would like your opinion. It is both a blessing and a privilege that you trust us with your child’s education. Parent feedback helps us to look reflectively at our programs and ensure we are providing a high quality, Christ-centered education. This survey will take about five minutes to complete, and the results will be reviewed by an independent Diocesan committee. Your responses will remain strictly confidential, and results will only be reported back to school administration in aggregate with no reference to any personal information. We know many parents just completed our school’s Strategic Planning Survey. We are grateful that you did this. This is an entirely new survey, and we are grateful that you participate in this survey as well. Please click the link below for the version you need. The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, December 22nd.
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STEM Class
Our Freshmen in STEM class this semester are working diligently creating 3-D Christmas ornaments using tinkered. Under the guidance of math teacher, Mrs. Dominguez, students are having lots of fun while learning how to use the 3-D printers.
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Mid-Term Exams
Believe it or not, Mid-Term Exams are only a month away. The Mid-Term Exam schedule is listed below. Dismissal on exam days is 11am. Buses have been made aware of the early dismissal. Vacations and trips are not valid excuses to miss an exam. If a student has a planned absence, they must speak with their teacher prior to exam week to schedule a time to take their exam. Any student who is sick and misses an exam should try and make up that exam during an exam slot when they would normally have lunch or a study hall/gym. If this is not possible, students will need to make up their exams on Friday, January 19th.
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| Friday, January 12 | Period 1 | Period 6 | | Tuesday, January 16 | Period 8 | Period 3 | | Wednesday, January 17
Thursday, January 18 | Period 2
Period 7 | Period 5
Period 4 | | |
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Calendar Updates
Families are reminded that Friday, December 15th is an 11:00 a.m. dismissal and Friday, December 22nd is an 11:30 a.m. dismissal.
Christmas Break
Families are reminded that Friday, December 22nd is an 11:30 a.m. dismissal. Christmas break begins at dismissal on this day. Students and staff return to school from the break on Wednesday, January 3rd.
Overdue Lunch Balances
Families are asked to settle any negative lunch balances they may currently have with our cafeteria vendor, Maschio’s. Families with negative balances will be receiving a notification by letter this week.
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Student Referrals
Do you know anyone who would be a great Saint? Complete the attached form with the name of a prospective student who does not attend one of our traditional partner schools. If that student enrolls, you will receive a tuition credit. Please read the required criteria on the attached form.
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Scrip Gift cards
Script Gift Cards make great Christmas presents! Our Scrip Gift Card Program could be the perfect answer for Christmas present needs. Every time you purchase a Scrip Gift Card, you earn money for tuition! When you shop with Scrip gift cards, you earn money! Most big department stores, electronic stores, restaurants, fast food, and gas stations offer Scrip gift cards.
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The Bible by the Numbers
For stirring of faith, check out Hebrews 11.
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Social Media
Social Media
Did you see our posts this week about BC’s 13 Days of Christmas gift give-away? Keep up with all the happenings at the school on our social media channels. Check out what our students are doing day-to-day in class; important news articles; sports and activities; and more! Be sure to follow the school on social media for all the latest updates, pictures and school information. Facebook: Berks Catholic; Twitter: @BerksCatholic; and Instagram: berkscatholic.
It's a great day to be a Saint!
| It's a great day to be a Saint! | | |
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Our Mission
Berks Catholic High School is centered on the four pillars of God, Family, Academics and Fun. As a vibrant Christ-centered community, the Administration, Faculty and Staff are dedicated to providing a challenging academic environment for a diverse population of young men and women. Through Christian principles rooted in the Catholic tradition, we strive to positively impact our students spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically and emotionally, so they can live productive lives of service in this world and attain eternal life.
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