Bishop Grimes March 2015 Newsletter

March, 2015
BISHOP GRIMES
JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL
FAITH
•
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
•
SERVICE
A Message from Principal Wheeler
As we proceed through this season of Lent, permit me to offer a few reflections
about prayer, fasting, and alms-giving; the three cornerstones of this holy season
that take us from Ash Wednesday through Holy Week, Christ’s Passion, Death, and
His Resurrection that we will celebrate on Easter.
First, Prayer: All we need to do is turn our minds toward the Lord and tell him of
our concerns, our hopes, our worries, or our needs. In the morning, we can offer to
God all that we will do during the course of our day in the hope that it will bring Him
honor and glory. We can pray wherever we are—waiting for the bus, warming up the
car, sitting in the dentist’s waiting room. Prayer unites us to the Lord.
Fasting: Today our church asks us to fast only on Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday but how wonderful if we can offer up something we really love to God for the
suffering He endured for us? How about time with video games? Or phone time or
even a television program?
Alms-giving: This old fashioned term for “concerning” ourselves for the poor is
important all year, but in Lent we focus not only on giving money to those in need,
but also on doing kind things for elderly family members, neighbors, forgotten
classmates, or people we know who could use a kind word, a visit, a sidewalk
shoveled, or an errand to run.
Imagine the Bishop Grimes Community this Lent, prayerful throughout the
day, quietly sacrificing those snacks and big lunches, and doing kindnesses for
one another without recognition. Easter Sunday, here we come!
BG to Host Academic Games
On April 25th, Bishop Grimes will host the
annual Academic Games throughout the
morning and early afternoon. This
academic competition provides Catholic
grade school students the opportunity to
showcase their knowledge and abilities in a
wide range of subjects including: Math,
Science, Oratory, Drawing/Painting,
Spelling, Vocal, Essay, Religion and Lego
BISHOP GRIMES HAS A NEW
WEBSITE (wwwbishopgrimes.org)
Bishop Grimes will be launching its new
website in March. The website is being
designed to increase overall awareness
of Bishop Grimes as well as ease of
use, which we hope will provide a
positive user experience for all. The
administration and staff spent many
hours trying to capture the essence of
what our audiences wanted. Special
thanks to the Syracuse Diocese for
producing the campus video tour, found
on the Home Page.
Your feedback is important, and we
look Bishop
forward
to your comments and
Grimes Jr./Sr. High School
suggestions
on Road,
the new
6653 Kirkville
East site.
Syracuse, NY 13057
Robotics. Students compete on an
individual basis. Bishop Grimes is looking
for parent and faculty volunteers. If you are
interested in helping out with the Games,
either serving as a judge, being a host/
hostess at a welcome table, etc., please
contact the Mission Advancement Office by
emailing kfirenze@syrdiocese.org. Many
hands are needed for the success of the
Academic Games.
BISHOP GRIMES WILL SOON HAVE
A NEW LOOK
With unseasonable temperatures and
heavy snowfall this winter, the installation
of our new front sign has been delayed
but the sign should be installed early
spring. Below is a rendering of what the
sign will look like. Bishop Grimes would
like to thank all those involved with the
acquisition and installation of the sign.
The sign will be a great addition to our
campus.
(315) 437-0356
www.bishopgrimes.org
Thank you...
BG Community for the tremendous support
you showed on the day of the dress down day
in remembrance of Sister James Therese
Downey, OSF. With your help, the BG
Community raised almost $1,400 to put
towards the purchase of a special stainedglass window in memory of Sister J.T.
MISSION STATEMENT
Bishop Grimes shares in the evangelizing mission of
the Roman Catholic Church, a mission that has been
handed on by Christ and his apostles and received
by generations of believers. Therefore, we seek to
help students take part, with the current generation
of believers, in receiving and handing on their
Catholic faith by coming to know it, live it, and share
it. We accomplish this mission by providing a high
quality and rigorous Catholic education that prepares students in mind, body, and spirit to
encounter Christ, live their faith in the context of His
Church, and serve others in His name, particularly
the poor and those who are in need.
March, 2015
BISHOP GRIMES
JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL
FAITH
•
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
•
SERVICE
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/teacher conferences have been scheduled for Wednesday, March 4th
from 4:00 p.m.—6:00 p.m. Teachers will be available to speak with you about
your student’s first semester as well as how your child is currently doing in class.
We look forward to seeing you.
No School…
Reminders from Mr. Kinne
for students on Friday, March 20
as the Bishop Grimes faculty will
be attending an in-service
conference focused on the topics
on various forms of bullying. This
in-service has two parts. One is
sponsored by the school’s chapter
of No Place for Hate and will be led
by professionals from the AntiDefamation League. The second
part of the in-service will be
sponsored by our very own Bishop
Grimes Student Peer Leaders who
will walk the faculty through some
awareness activities that they
learned during their training this
past fall.

Students who drive to school are not
to park in the first three rows
(handicap parking and the following
two rows) of the parking lot behind
the school. These first rows are for
faculty and staff members only.
Failure to abide by this rule may
result in the forfeiture of your driving
privileges.
 Even on cold days, the Bishop
Grimes Dress Code is still in effect!
Students are expected to be in Dress
Code at all times. Students are not
to wear hoodies or jackets during the
school day. There are BG sweaters
and long sleeve shirts available to
purchase through Lands’ End or
Flynn and O’Hara. Students may
also purchase a BG quarter-zip from
the School Store. In addition, please
remind your daughter(s) that Ugg
boots and their look-alikes are not
part of the Dress Code. Please refer
to the Student Handbook, pages 3233 for a description of permissible
footwear.
Communications…


School Physicals
If your child is in need of a school
physical, please contact the school nurse
to sign up your son/daughter for a free
school physical. The physicals will be
given at the beginning of the month, so
please do not delay in reserving his/her
spot. The school nurse, Mrs. Goode, can
be reached at 463.8917 or at:
bgoode@syrdiocese.org.

Calendar Changes
Please note! There have
been a few significant
changes to the end-ofthe-year calendar.
Please mark your calendars accordingly:


June 11: School Final Exams
June 11: Baccalaureate Mass at
Blessed Sacrament Church, Eastwood
at 6:30 p.m.
 June 12: Grimes Day (11:15 a.m.
dismissal)
 June 13: BG Commencement
Ceremony at Bishop Grimes, 10:00
a.m.
 June 16-24: School Finals and
Regents Exams
Bi
sh
op
If you are not receiving email
reminders and notices from
the school, and/or your
son’s/daughter’s teachers,
please contact the Guidance
Office at 314.7214.
Please be sure to check out
Bishop Grimes Facebook
page for up to date school
information.
Has your child won an award
or competition? Has he/she
participated in a special
project or done something
notable in the community?
We are eager to learn about
our students accomplishments—even those not
related to Bishop Grimes.
Please let us know about their
accomplishments by
contacting the Main Office at
437.0356, or sending a note
to Mr. Kinne’s attention at:
pkinne@syrdiocese.org.
iPad Update
iPads for the 7th and 8th
graders have been reconfigured. The Administration
heard the concerns and wishes
of many parents and teachers
and worked with our Diocesan
IT staff to create a more
educational-friendly user
profile. Students have access to a number
of educational apps and resources with this
profile in addition to more restrictions
regarding downloading games and apps.
Please help us by reminding your child that
the iPads are intended to be used as a
learning tool rather than a toy. Thank you.
March, 2015
BISHOP GRIMES
JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL
FAITH
•
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
•
SERVICE
Congratulations!
Congratulations to the following students who were honored at Bishop Grimes’
Annual Honors Breakfast on February 27th. All students in attendance were on
First Honor Roll for both the first and second marking periods.
7th Grade
Lenora Cedrone
Colby Evans
Makenna Gadway
Rachel Mantz
Nicolas Perez
Matthew Tarby
8th Grade
Abigail Fletcher
Ethan Fritz
Kathleen Mathewson
Raquel McDonald
Emily Patrick
Jessilyn Perry
Rebecca Vinciquerra
9th Grade
Emily Cone
Aiden Keenan
Joseph Knapp
Kendall Mancuso
Sarah Mantz
Brennan McConnell
Maria Naylor
Tran Nguyen
Alexa Shahine
Brianna Squier
Azariah Wade
10th Grade
Lucas Burnette
Mary Castricone
Sara Hopkins
11th Grade
Emily Blasland
Anna Cummings
Elizabeth Kozlowski
Christopher Mancuso
Isabella Naylor
Phuong Nguyen
Sarah Schultz
Jordan Sloan
Alivia Spaulding
Kennedy Yearby
Danielle Yerdon
12th Grade
Emily Collins
Julia Freeman
Olivia Geruso
Maria Gronau
Kyler Johnson
Graceann LaBeff
Toni Laneve
Juliana Martin
Matthew Miller
Harrison Pelletier
James Perra
Jack Rotondo
Shannon Roy
Teresa Shattuck
Rebecca Wolken
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
This and That…

Please join the BG Community by
cheering on the school at
the Syracuse St. Patrick’s
Day Parade on Saturday,
Jr./Sr. The
High School
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at noon.
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be entering
a

float designed and constructed by the Art Department and
the Pep Band will be performing
throughout the procession.
The Student Council is looking for
some helpers to participate in the
parade. For almost ten years, Bishop
Grimes’ families have been the
official banner carriers for the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade.
Students and/or families wishing to
walk the parade route, please contact
the Mission Advancement Office and
those wishing to be a banner carrier,
please contact Mrs. Kinne.


Congratulations to our BG Blood Drive
Donors. On February 12th, over 20
students helped to save the lives of over
60 people by participating in this year’s
annual Blood Drive sponsored by the
(315) 437-0356
Student Council.
www.bishopgrimes.org
Join us in welcoming Mr. Lenish to the
Bishop Grimes faculty. Mr. Lenish will
be teaching a number of our Physical
Education classes due to the resignation
of Mr. Weinheimer. We wish Mr.
Weinheimer all the best while extending
a warm welcome to Mr. Lenish.
Progress Reports for the first half of the
third marking period will be posted
electronically to My Student’s Progress
on Friday, March 6th.
Please mark your calendars as a few
dress down days have been added to
the schedule:
February 27, March 13, March 27
March, 2015
BISHOP GRIMES
JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL
FAITH
•
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
•
SERVICE
Middle States Accreditation Process
Throughout the past three years, Bishop Grimes has been undergoing a review
in order to seek re-accreditation from the Middle States Association. This
process has been thorough and has been in conjunction with the other Catholic
schools within the Diocese of Syracuse. Reports include a profile of students
and their abilities upon graduating from the Diocese and how our own BG
students have performed on various assessments. Sub-committees of
teachers, parents, Board members, and administrators reviewed how Bishop
Grimes is performing with regards to twelve standards that are required by
Middle States. These standards include: Philosophy and Mission, Governance
and Leadership, School Improvement Planning, Finances, Facilities, School
Climate and Organization, Health and Safety, Educational Program,
Assessment and Evidence of Student Learning, Student Services, Student Life
and Activities, and Information Resource and Technology. Thank you to the
many hours that our faculty members, parents, and Board members have put
into working through this process.
During the process, the system of diocesan schools consistently noted two
areas of concern in Math and English Language Arts that developed into
system-wide goals for student performance/achievement that all of the
diocesan schools will be working to achieve throughout the next seven years.
Our goals for Bishop Grimes, as well as all of the other schools in the Diocese
of Syracuse, are as follows:
Objective #1
By the school year 2021/2022, students in the Catholic Schools in the Diocese
of Syracuse will demonstrate improved performance in ELA skills as measured
by the following assessments.
 85% of students in PK-2 will achieve mastery level scores on component
school selected internal assessments of ELA skills.
 An annual 2 percentage point increase in the percentage of students
achieving scores of 3 and 4 on the NYS Common Core ELA assessments in
grades 3-8.
 85% of students in Grades 3-8 will achieve scores that reflect mastery
levels on internal school assessments of benchmarks.
 100% of students will score 65% or above on NYS Regents exams in
Comprehensive English.
 85% of students in Grades 9-12 will achieve scores that reflect mastery
levels on internal school assessments of benchmarks.
Objective #2
By the school year 2021/2022, students in the Catholic Schools in the Diocese
of Syracuse will demonstrate improved performance in Math skills as
measured by the following assessments.
 80% of students in PK-2 will achieve scores that reflect mastery levels on
component school selected internal assessments of benchmarks.
 An annual 2 percentage point increase in the percentage of students
Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School
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in grades 3-8.
 80% of students in Grades 3-8 will achieve scores that reflect mastery
levels on internal school assessments of benchmarks.
 An annual 2 percentage point increase in the percentage of students
scoring 65% or above on NYS Regents exams in Algebra, Geometry, and
Trigonometry.
 80% of students in Grades 9-12 will achieve scores that reflect mastery
levels on internal school assessments of benchmarks.
Each month you will be provided with information in the newsletter regarding
the Middle States process as we await the visit of the Middle States team in
May.
If you have further questions or would like to get involved with our own internal
Middle States team, do not hesitate to contact Mr. Kinne who is the
coordinator for Bishop Grimes on the Diocesan-wide system team as well as
the local Bishop Grimes internal planning team.
March, 2015
BISHOP GRIMES
JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL
FAITH
•
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
•
SERVICE
From the desk of Mr. Kinne
In his devotional guide, “Let’s Talk about Bullying” (2014) Dr. Pat Fosarelli asks
the question, “As disciples of Christ, what are strategies to prevent bullying?”
Among his responses are the following ideas that parents can do to help prevent
bullying in the lives of their children and teens:
1) Keep the lines of communication open with your children. Many times, older
children and teens think that their parents are just being nosy about their
activities and friends, but this impression is less likely if good communication
has existed throughout their lives. Let your child or teen know the reason that
you ask questions is because of love and care, not nosiness. Encourage him
to tell you whenever something happens in his life that makes him feel
uncomfortable, scared, or “weird”.
2) Know her friends (and their families).
3) Know how much time he spends online and what he is doing while
connected.
4) Encourage her to have trusted adults at school, sports practices, church, or
social activities in whom she can safely confide about bullying.
5) Help children and teens to understand what bullying is and why some kids
bully. Always be clear that bullying is never acceptable.
6) Model respectful behavior yourself- to your children/teens and their friends
as well as others. When you see someone bullied in real life or even in a
movie or on a TV program, discuss with your child or teen why that behavior is
morally wrong.
7) Encourage your child or teen to pray for peace – not just in the world at large
but in their own world.
8) Make it clear that you expect your child or teen to take action if he is bullied
or if she sees someone else being bullied; role-play various scenarios until
you are satisfied with the responses. Don’t role-play only once but do so over
time.
9) Remember Luke’s Gospel message – “Love your enemies, do good to those
who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Do
to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:27-28, 31).
Dr. Fosarelli also suggests that parents can provide children and teens with these
preventive strategies when they see bullying or are bullied:
1) Be assertive (e.g., saying “Stop” or walking away with confidence).
2) Walk away without giving the bully an audience.
3) Stay near adults or other groups of young people who do not bully and do not
condone it.
4) Know which adult to turn to in case bullying escalates or preventive
measures fail to work.
5) Be a good example of how to treat others with respect and compassion.
6) Be friends with a variety of young people.
7) Be a person of prayer for their friends, their families, the bullied and their
families, and bullies and their families.
Applications for Re-admission
Please contact Joanna Salisbury at 437.0356
(110) if you have not received your child’s readmission packet for admission. Packets were
mailed out on February 13th.
Please forward any admission questions to Sue
Collins, Director of Admissions 314.7157 (143).
Introducing…
Coby the Cobra! He’s the newest member of the BG
Community. Coby was able to attend our most recent
Open House as well as making an appearance at a
number of home basketball games. This spring, Coby
will be out and about at Bishop Grimes and
attending community events. Many thanks to
the Student Council, Booster Club, and BG
families who made the purchase of Coby
possible.
March, 2015
BISHOP GRIMES
JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL
FAITH
•
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
•
SERVICE
Music & Arts Showcase
On March 27th, the BG Fan Club will be
sponsoring its annual Music & Arts Showcase.
There will be dinner, live entertainment from our
own BG students as well as a number of Catholic
grade schools, art displays, and raffles. If you would like to
volunteer, please email the officers at
bgfanclub@hotmail.com. If you are unable to assist, please
consider attending this wonderful event.
Open House
Fundraising Activities:
Do you know of a family that is interested
in sending their child to Bishop Grimes?
If so, please let them know that our next
Open House is scheduled for Thursday,
May 28th from 3:30—5:30 p.m.

BG Fashion Show (proceeds
benefiting the prom) is scheduled
for Saturday, March 22nd at 2:00
p.m. Cost of tickets: $10. Please
contact Mrs. Bearer for tickets.

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!
The Bishop Grimes Community is
invited to attend a Syracuse
Chiefs game at the NBT Stadium.
Former alum Jason Smorel has
set a special evening up just for
Bishop Grimes. More information
to follow.

Save the date for the Cobra Golf
Classic scheduled for Saturday,
July 25th at Rogues Roost.

Mark your calendars for Bishop
Grimes Dinner Auction. Next
year’s event will be held on
Saturday, October 24th.
Also, the Director of Admissions is
available to schedule school tours. To
schedule an appointment, or for more
information, please contact Mrs. Collins
at 314.7157 (143) or email Mrs. Collins
at: scollins@syrdiocese.org.
BG Alumni News…
The Alumni Committee, BG Booster Club
and the Office of Mission Advancement
recently partnered by hosting an Alumni
Basketball Reunion Weekend. More
than 45 alums were registered to attend
and participate at the event.
Players were treated to a private
reception, a private school tour, and
complimentary tickets to the basketball
game on Friday, January 30th. On
Saturday, January 31st, players took to
the court followed by a complimentary
dinner. Lots of enthusiasm and Cobra
spirit were prevalent throughout the
weekend. Bishop Grimes looks forward
to next year’s reunion.
SPRING MUSICAL
“BG Takes Broadway” is our spring musical
this year. Mrs. Williams and Mr. Kammerer are
writing and co-directing this production which
is sure to please all audiences. The show will
feature songs from various Broadway musicals
that are woven together to tell a story. The
show will be performed on May 1st and 2nd.
All BG students are encouraged to get involved
with our musical and this exciting opportunity.
Thank you BG Community
Special thanks to:
Renee Baker
Chuck Barry
Peter Capponi
John Cifionelli
Sue Collins
Jim Firenze
Joe Insel
Pat Shandorf
Mark Shattuck
Teresa Shattuck
Holly Wait
BG Families
BG Spectators
Maintenance Staff
Board of Trustees
Fr. Chris Ballard
Dan Cummings
Mary Ann Donnelly
Henry Fust
Richard Kane
Joseph Mancuso
John Martin
James O’Shea
Joan Roueche
Brian Schultz
Fr. Christopher Seibt
Patrick Shandorf
Mark Shattuck
Robert Will
David Wheeler
Randy Wolken
March, 2015
BISHOP GRIMES
JR./SR. HIGH SCHOOL
FAITH
•
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
•
SERVICE
Our Students Give Back in a
BIG Way
Cobra Coaches: February’s Open House
Pep Band at the Silver
Knights Event
BG Buddy Bags for
the Homeless
Cleaning at Most Holy
Rosary School
Donated to the Francis House
ALS
Food Bank of CNY
Francis House
MDA
Lady of Lourdes
St. Jude’s
Christmas Bureau
Oxford Inn
Assumption Church
Most Holy Rosary
Blessed Sacrament
Interreligious Food Consortium
St. Baldrick’s Foundation
Bowling Team: Assumption
Church’s Soup Kitchen
Athletics: Upstate—More Than a Game Foundation
Athletics: Basketball Clinics
Ccheerleaders: MDA