From the Desk of the Principal

Dear Bishop Family –

This week on campus, we celebrated the importance of All Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween, as the vigil of All Saints Day, which is a feast on the liturgical calendar and a Holy Day of Obligation. Halloween is connected with All Saints Day and All Souls Day. These three days are the “Days of the Dead,” a triduum also known as Allhallowtide or Hallowmas, reminding the faithful of the reality of heaven and hell; the communion of saints; and our obligation to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

I am looking forward to continuing our celebration on Saturday at our St. Charles Borromeo Day Family Event, Toss, Dodge, and Dunk-Chili Cook-off & Bake-off. We will kick off the event with the PowderPuff Football Game at 10 AM at BMCHS Stadium. Stop by for some fun, the more the merrier! I will be in the dunk tank if you need an extra incentive to come out and support the day’s events!

Lastly, please continue to join me in a prayer for peace in the Middle East from Reverend John T. Pawlikowski, OSM Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL:

Lord God, we turn to you in these trying hours when conflict is a daily reality for our sisters and brothers in Israel and Palestine. We promise you to work to our utmost for peace and reconciliation in the region. But we know we cannot do it alone. We very much need the strength of your presence in our midst if we are to overcome the obstacles before us. So, our prayer at this moment is that you add your support to our efforts, that you show yourself as a tower of strength in those moments when the barriers seem impassable. Together we can become beacons of hope for just and peaceful societies in the land so very dear to the peoples of your covenant. Amen.

Take care and create peace,

Ms. Jenalisa Zummo

Principal 

As we approach the midpoint of the school year, it is an excellent time to reflect on the journey of grades. While grades are an essential part of our educational experience, it's crucial to remember that they are not just numbers on a report card; they represent opportunities for growth, learning, and development. The current grades for this semester show more students than expected with low grades in more than one course. Parents, please check your student’s grades and help them develop a plan to raise those grades. Grades are not just about quantifying a student's performance; they are tools for feedback and motivation. They serve several key purposes:



1.      Feedback: Grades provide feedback on a student's understanding and mastery of the material. They help students and teachers identify strengths and areas for improvement.

2.     Motivation: Achieving good grades can be a source of motivation for students to set and achieve higher goals. It encourages them to strive for excellence.

3.     Communication: Grades are a means of communicating a student's progress to parents and guardians. They offer insights into a student's academic journey.

4.     Goal Setting: Grades can help students set academic goals and measure their progress over time. This fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility for their learning.

At this time, I would like to focus on grades as feedback for understanding and mastery of the material. When reviewing the cause of the low grades, most are due to missing or incomplete assignments. The purpose of the assignments is to help your student understand the current material. When a student does not complete an assignment, the grade for the assignment is low. More importantly, your student has missed the opportunity to build an understanding of the material and ask questions about things they do not understand before a test is given. Therefore, the test grade over that material is usually also low.

Parents, the plan your student produces should include completing assignments on time, asking questions regarding material that is not understood, and studying for tests. Another part of the plan should be to take advantage of the free tutoring sessions held from 3:00 – 3:30 PM. four days a week in the teachers’ classrooms. These are great opportunities to ask individual questions about assignments and get more help.

As always, the teachers and guidance counselors are willing to assist if you or your student have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Mr. Gary Schlereth

Assistant Principal

Let's Play Chess

The instruction is “White to Move and Win”. 

(The author of this puzzle is Dylan Driscoll '25, as the position is taken from one of his games at Chess Club.)

“The game of chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind are

to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions; for life is a kind of chess.” - Unknown

Top Chess Club Ratings 

Sebastian Farris 1312 

Rachel Cichon 1311    

Thomas Gaffney 1273

Liam Harrington 1260

Jack Jacobs 1235

We at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School are honored to have a personal connection

with General William Lennox, as he is the proud Grandfather of one of our students,

Aiden Lennox '26.

General Lennox will be on campus to speak with our Bishop students, on November 10, 2023, about the significance of Veterans Day and what his role of leadership in the military means to him.

ADVICE FROM BMCHS

IT DEPARTMENT



Have you heard the good news? The FACTS Grant and Aid Application (CSTAG) for 2024-2025 is now OPEN! See the advertisement below for all the details. If you have scholarship questions, please contact scholarships@bmchs.com.

Recently Officer Christian attended training hosted by the Florida Association of School Resource Officers-FASRO in response to crisis management. The training included different speakers from FEMA, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, and the CRISIS CENTER OF TAMPA BAY.

Another training Officer Christian attended recently was through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorders and dealing with mental health within a school based setting.

Officer Christian continually looks for better ways to enhance student life and safety on campus.

COVID-19 is highly contagious, and individuals who are infected can easily spread the virus to others, especially in close-contact settings such as schools. Keeping an infected student at home helps contain the virus and reduces the risk of it spreading within the school environment. If you have concerns, please contact frontdesk@bmchs.com.

Bishop Athletics

As we come to an end of a very successful Bishop Fall Sports season on and off the field – we are preparing for the Winter Sports. Please click on the link below for volunteer opportunities. Jump on the Bishop band wagon!

Winter Sports Volunteer Opportunities

We would like to invite you to get involved in the Bishop Athletic Family. Click on the links below to support Bishop Student/Athletes.

Help support Bishop Student-Athletes in the following ways:

Athletic Membership                

Sponsorship Opportunities        

Please visit our Athletic Calendar for up to date Athletic Schedules

Thank you for your support of Bishop Athletics!      

Interested in Volunteering?

To ensure the safety of our students, all volunteers must complete the three requirements below.

Each volunteer will need:

1. A Volunteer Application Form: Click here
2. Background/Fingerprinting. Background and Fingerprinting can be scheduled by the volunteer applicant at: https://dosp-scheduler.fingerprintlocations.com/landing (BMCHS does not pay for this.)
3. CMG Safe Environment Training. CMG training is located at https://stpetersburg.cmgconnect.org/. Please email certificate to marketing@bmchs.com.



Link to Safe Environment Frequently Asked Questions: Click here

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School staff member you will be volunteering with.