The Black & Gold Report

January 26, 2024 Volume 1 - Issue 20

Dear Saint Families and Friends:

“Catholic education is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News. First and foremost, every Catholic educational institution is a place to encounter the living God who in Jesus Christ reveals his transforming love and truth.”

-Pope Benedict XVI

Greetings from Berks Catholic! Happy Catholic Schools Week! For as long as I can remember, this has always been a week I looked forward to both as a student and a teacher! While this week is designed to highlight all the great things that our Catholic schools do, as a Principal, I also believe it is an important time for us to celebrate our school; to build community; to thank all those who support us; to praise our students; and to have fun! We are blessed in Berks County to have ten quality Catholic Schools to serve the families of the county. I am proud of the work we do each day educating the students in our care.

To our families, thank you for choosing us to be your partners in Catholic education. To our supporters, friends and benefactors, thank you for partnering with us so that we can offer the best Catholic education that we can! We have many things planned for the week. You can check the full schedule out at the link below. There are highlights in the “Next Week” section as well. Have 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

The Week Ahead

Monday, 1/29

Catholic Schools Week Begins

Country vs. Country Club Dress Down Day

Parent/Guardian Appreciation Day

Donuts at the car door for parents/guardians

Tuition Credit Drawings

Tuesday, 1/30

Student Appreciation Day

Jersey vs. New Jersey Dress Down Day

Student Gift Card Giveaway

Great Saints Trivia Challenge

Open House (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.)

Partner School Night

Wednesday, 1/31

Alumni & Benefactors Day

Catholic Charities Dress Down Day ($2)

PTO Faculty Breakfast

Saints Clash Dodgeball

Alumni Prayer Service (6:00 p.m.)

Thursday, 2/1

Pastor/Priest Appreciation Day

Priest Thank You Lunch

Report Card distribution

School Mass (1:15 p.m.)

Friday, 2/2

Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day

Faculty & Staff Dress Down Day

Clash T-shirts Dress Down for students

Coffee and donuts for Teachers & Staff

compliments of Student Government

Faculty & Staff Gift Card Giveaway

Faculty & Staff Appreciation Lunch

Clash of the Saints Competition

Let Us Pray…

For all Catholic schools during CSW as they celebrate the many blessings they have and the honor they have educating their students.

For our friends at John Paul II School for Special Learning, that God’s love and care permeate their work in special education.

SAINT OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to Freshman

Antonia Antolini

who was named this week's

Saint of the Week!

Congratulations to our Quiz Bowl Team who defeated Wyomissing 14-9 and tied Exeter 14-14 in competition this week. The team members who competed were: Nick Alvine ’26, Tony Nguyen ’25, Rosie Pearlman ’27 and Lily Yohn ’27.

What’s Happening

CSW School Mass

Our next school Mass will be during Catholic Schools Week on Thursday, February 1st at 1:15 p.m. We are honored to be joined at this Mass by the priests of Berks County on our Priest Appreciation Day. Parents and guardians are welcome to join us for Mass. If you can attend, please sign in at the Main Office before coming to the Franco-Post Auditorium.

Report Card Distribution

Report cards will be distributed by our partner parish Pastors next Thursday, February 1st.

Alumni Prayer Service

Attention all alumni: BC will host a CSW Alumni Prayer Service in the school chapel next Wednesday, January 31st at 6:00 p.m. The prayer service is open to all Berks Catholic, Central Catholic and Holy Name alumni. Come and pray with us for all those alumni who are a part of the long history of our school community.

Course Selection

Course selection will begin the week of February 5th for students in grades 9 through 11. Students will receive course selection information at the beginning of that week. Mrs. Vilardo will meet with each grade to discuss the following: appropriate placements, qualifications for classes, Career and Technology, Virtual High School and Dual Credit opportunities. Teachers will work directly with students to help guide them through class selections. Students are encouraged to schedule meetings with Mr. Ditsky and Mr. Piersol through their calendly links to assist with appropriate class selection.

*Please be aware that payment for course selection will now be invoiced through Simple Tuition Solutions (STS). Payment must be made by March 31st. If payment is not received, this may delay scheduling of classes for your student.

Catholic Schools Week

Happy Catholic Schools Week! Listed below is our schedule for the week. We have packed a lot into the schedule for this week. There’s a little something for everyone – students, teachers, parents, priests and even alumni!

Catholic Schools Week 2024 - Information & Agenda

Catholic Schools Week Service Project

The BC Souper Bowl

Starting this year, we have selected a service project to undertake as a school during CSW. For our project this year, we are assisting Catholic Charities with a canned soup (or any canned food item) collection – our very own “Souper Bowl”! All the cans we collect will go directly to the Berks County Office of Catholic Charities.

Donuts at the Car Door

As we celebrate CSW, we look to recognize our supportive parents and guardians. On Monday, students will be outside in the parking lot as parents and guardians drop off their children. The students will offer our parents/guardians a donut to start your day off. Thank you for all you do for BC!

News from the Dean of Students

Here is some important news from Mr. Ricco, Dean of Students:

Lock Down Drill

On Wednesday, January 24th, we ran a Lock-Down Drill as part of our continued practice of the Standard Response Protocol. Our staff and students continue to do an exceptional job practicing our drills. We will continue to practice drills based on the Standard Response Protocol to ensure that our students have a safe and secure learning environment.

Grooming

Boys should be clean shaven. They should also have a haircut where their hair does not go over their eyebrows, ears, or touch the collar of their shirt.

1/4 Zip Shirts

Girls are reminded that the 1/4 zip should be worn over their uniform. It is not a substitution for the dress code.

ID's

All students should be wearing the ID card on their lanyard from the time they enter school until the end of the school day. Thank you for your support at home to make sure our students are safe and looking their best every day.

Service Hour Requirement

Families are reminded that each year’s service hour requirement needs to be fulfilled by the end of March. Deacon Lanciano continues to send reminders and service opportunities to our students. Students are not eligible to attend Prom if service hours are not completed. Click the link for the most updated list of service sites and activities that students may engage in for service. Please continue to encourage your child to complete his/her service hours on time.

BC Service Opportunities

Broadway Supper Serenade

SAVE THE DATE!

Broadway Supper Serenade

Friday, Friday, February 23^rd

5:00 – 7:00 P.M.

BCHS Cafeteria.

An enjoyable evening of fun features performances from

Berks Catholic’s

Theater & Music Programs,

all while enjoying a delicious

pasta dinner, dessert, raffles and more!

More information to follow

on how to purchase tickets.

The Bible by the Numbers

When you leave home for work or travel, check out Psalm 121.

Social Media

Did you see our post this week about next Tuesday’s Open House and Partner School Night? 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!

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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