March 1, 2024 Volume 1 - Issue 24 |
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Dear Saint Families and Friends:
“Nothing great is ever achieved without much enduring.”
-St. Catherine of Siena
Greetings from Berks Catholic! Happy Lent! I believe the above quote summarizes Lent beautifully. In my younger days, I’m sure I thought of Lent as something to be “endured” – let’s just get through these 40 days of Lent attitude. I feel lucky today that I look at Lent much differently. At a time when we can set Lenten goals, Lent really can help us focus on what’s really important in life. During this Lent, my prayer for all of us is to remain focused on not enduring Lent but enjoying Lent. Each year we get the opportunity to have six weeks to take a closer look at our lives during these 40 days. We are so blessed that Jesus endured in order for us to enjoy his greatness. Have a blessed Lent and a great weekend.
It’s a great day to be a Saint! Together, we rise!
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
Monday, 3/4
College Reps in Junior Theology classes
Engineering Session with Syracuse University
First day of Spring Sports
Tuesday, 3/5
School Mass (9:15 a.m.)
College Counseling Trip
Juniors to Alvernia University College Fair
Shakespeare Field Trip to Alveria University
Kairos Retreat begins after school
Wednesday, 3/6
Kairos Retreat
Thursday, 3/7
Kairos Retreat
Friday, 3/8
Kairos Retreat ends
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Let Us Pray…
For our Kairos Retreatants as they make their retreat next week that the Holy Spirit fills them with zeal and love.
For the cast and crew of The Wizard of Oz who will perform this weekend.
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SAINT OF THE WEEK
Congratulations to Freshman
Alberto Juarez
who was named this week's
Saint of the Week!
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Congratulations to the following members of the DECA Business Club who medaled last week at their state competition in Hershey: Izzy Logozzo ’25 placed 1st in Job Interview; Morgan Nguyen ‘24, Marianna Ott ‘24, Regan Prechtl ‘24 and Margarita Turja-Romero ’24 placed first in the Chapter Banner Event; and Marianna Ott ‘24 received an award for Top Test Score; Madeline Frisina ‘24 received an award for Top Role Play Score in Apparel and Accessories Marketing; and Paige Munley ’24 and Grace Witmer ’24 who placed 1st in DECA “Goose Chase” Scavenger Hunt. | |
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A special congratulations to Paisley Lutz ’24, Claire Pakradooni ’24, Carly Stuckert ’24 and Francesca Ditsky ’25 who won the Quiz Bowl competition in Hershey and are the 2024 DECA Quiz Bowl State Champions! This is the 4th year in a row that a BC team has won this championship! Fantastic job, ladies!
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Congratulations to the Saint Scientists who competed and medaled at the PA Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) Science Fair last weekend at Northampton Community College. All eight Saints placed in the competition.
Winning First Place and qualifying for the State Competition at Penn State University in the spring were: Jordan Borhn ’27 – “Which Grass Seed will Sprout First and Grow the Fastest?” and Casey Changco ’27 – “How do External Design Forces affect Internal Temperature?”
Second Place winners were: Jayden Bohrn ’27 – “Which Food has the Most Stored Energy?”; Katie Konopelski ’27 – “Why Aren’t all Medicines in Pill Form?”; and Leonardo Thompson ’27 – “Magnetism Unleashed: the Distance Factor”.
Third Place winners were: Christopher D’Angelo ’26 – “Don’t Leave me Hanging!”; Madeline Kieffer ’27 – “What are the Glucose Levels of Certain Foods and Drinks?”; and Jennifer Nguyễn ’27 – “Which Acetaminophen Brand Dissolves the Fastest?”
Congratulations to the winners of our Black History Month Saints Scavenger Hunt: Senior Olivia Jones and Sophomore Adaya Drake. Both won Wawa gift cards for finding St. Martin de Porres.
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Congratulations to the following Wrestlers who medaled in last weekend’s District 3 2A Championship and qualified for the Regional Wrestling Championship this weekend:
· Junior Carmine Lenzi - 1st Place AND won his 100th career wrestling match!
· Senior Brody Kline - 1st Place
· Sophomore Gunnar Maciejewski - 2nd Place
· Junior Brayden Hartranft - 3rd Place
· Freshman Andrew Messner - 3rd Place
· Junior Eddie Franco - 7th Place
· Freshman Neil Bitting - 7th Place
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Congratulations to Senior Football players Joey Polinsky and Owen Reber for being selected to the PSFCA East/West All Star Football Game on May 19th at Cumberland Valley High School. | | |
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Congratulations to our student winners in The Wizard of Oz ticket give-away: Casey Chango ’27, Isabelle Chauvel ’27, Aidan Curley ’26, Giovanni DiSabatino ’26, Rubi Encarnacion Carmona, Mary Esterbrook ’25, Coryn Kreska ’27, Abby McNeil ’24, Kendall Ramsay ’24 and Desirae Sullivan ’24. Each student won two tickets to the musical for this weekend.
Thank you to everyone who supported the Fine Arts Department in any way for the first annual Broadway Serenade Supper. Our student performers were amazing! The night was a tremendous success!
We received the following message from a member of the Alvernia University staff about our Freshmen STEM students who competed in last week’s Engineering Jam. He writes, “Congratulations to Berks Catholic for tying for First Place and ending up in Second Place in the competition. It was a great showing. Everyone commented on how well behaved and nice the students looked and how respectful they were. They were great representatives of the school.” It’s always great hearing this kind of feedback about our students. Great job, Saints!
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What’s Happening
Lenten Reflection
As we all continue our Lenten journey, let us remember that our holiness begins and ends with God. Click on the link to read more about the Lenten reflection: Lenten Reflections
Lenten Retreat Series
Feeling tired or unfulfilled? The Diocesan 5-week Lenten Retreat Series on “The Mystery of the Eucharist” has begun. The series runs weekly on Monday nights through March 18th across the Diocese. Adoration and confession take place from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Presentation takes place at 7:30 p.m. and refreshments follow. Click the flyer for further details.
Lenten Retreat Series
Course Selection
Course selection papers (and supporting documents) were collected in homeroom on March 1st. This paperwork will serve as registration for next year and will save a spot in each of the classes your child selected. The registration fee of $300 will be added to your Simple Tuition Solutions account.
Any student who did not turn in their course registration paperwork should make sure to drop it in the main office early next week. Starting March 11th, work will begin on determining the number of course sections for all students’ choices. Late submission of paperwork could keep students from a guaranteed spot in their selected classes.
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Broadway Serenade Supper - Sponsorship
A very special thank you to our Lead Sponsor of the Broadway Serenade Supper – Solve IT Solutions. Their financial backing assists our students in their creative theatrical and musical pursuits! Solve IT Solutions is a local Berks County business that offers IT infrastructure solutions and support to maximize your business investments and accommodate your requirements. Thank you, Solve IT Solutions!
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Spring Musical – The Wizard of Oz
TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – OPENING NIGHT!
Come join us for our spring musical, The Wizard of Oz. Shows take place on Friday, March 1st or Saturday, March 2nd. Both shows start at 7:00 p.m. General admission tickets are available at the door - $10 for adults, $8.00 for Senior Citizens and $5.00 for students.
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March 14th – Pi Dress Down Day
The Annual Pi (3.14 for all you mathematicians) Day Dress Down is coming up on March 14th (3.14). The annual Pi Dress Down Day is held in memory of beloved Math teacher, Mrs. Moult. The cost of the dress down day is $3.00. The theme of the dress down is Blue or a Mrs. Moult shirt if you ordered one in the past. All other dress down rules are in effect including no ripped or torn jeans, no shorts, no crop or halter tops, no high heels, no visible tattoos or nose piercings. Proceeds of the dress down go to the Mrs. Moult Scholarship Fund which directly benefits BC Saints. Additionally, the Math Department will be holding Pi Day celebrations in classes, a tradition Mrs. Moult had at BC for many years.
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Prom Information
The Junior/Senior Prom will be held on Friday, April 26, 2024, at the Stokesay Castle. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the Prom will end at 10:00 p.m. The price of the Prom is $100.
Before your son or daughter purchases a ticket, all community service hour commitment, retreat commitment and financial obligations (tuition, fees, etc.) to the school must be met.
Tickets will be on sale in the cafeteria on Saturday, March 23rd from 7:00 - 11:30 a.m. Students will need to sign up for a time slot to purchase a ticket. A signed Memo of Understanding must be presented at the time tickets are purchased. Absolutely no tickets will be sold after that date. Please plan ahead. There are no refunds.
Signup Genius Link:
Please use the following link to sign up for a time slot to purchase your tickets. Prom Sign Up Genius
Memos of Understanding and Guest forms will be sent via email the first week of March.
Please keep in mind that attire for the evening should reflect a certain level of school appropriateness and modesty for a high school prom. NO PLUNGING NECKLINES OR EXPOSED MIDRIFFS WILL BE ALLOWED! Appropriate lengths and material are expected. Jewelry and visible body piercings, other than earrings, are not allowed. No visible tattoos are allowed. Dress for boys is a suit or tuxedo. No sneakers or other inappropriate footwear. Earrings are acceptable. All boys must be clean shaven. Jackets and ties may be removed after dinner – nothing else may be removed. Any guests who ignore this code will be asked to leave the Prom. We ask for your cooperation in this matter to avoid unpleasant situations for both the school and the noncompliant party.
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Lacrosse Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser
Please join the Berks Catholic Lacrosse Club at Victor Emmanuel’s on Wednesday, March 6th (4:30–7:00 p.m.) for their spaghetti fundraiser. Cost is $12 and includes salad, spaghetti, meatballs and bread. Dine in or take out. For more information, please see the flyer.
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Reading Royals Hockey School Outing
Saints and their families are invited to a Reading Royals Hockey game on Saturday, April 13th at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are free but limited. Check out the attached flyer for details.
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SCRIP Gift Cards
SCRIP gift cards make great Easter gifts. Please click on the link for additional information: SCRIP Program Flyer
The Bible by the Numbers
When you are feeling jealous, check out Psalm 37.
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Social Media
Social Media
Did you see our posts this week about our Saint Ambassadors serving? 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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