ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN A COMMUNITY OF FAITH A word

Sacred Heart-Griffin
January, 2015
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN A COMMUNITY OF FAITH
A word from the principal…
Dear Friends of SHG,
It’s almost a new year! (I am writing this in late December.) Schools have their own “new year
celebration” in August and a reNEWal in January as we start a new semester. It’s a great opportunity
to evaluate what has been and how we might improve in any arena. Wishing all of you some time for
reflection, wisdom in making plans, and energy to commit to that improvement plan! Continue to be a
blessing to all those in your life.
Last month I printed responses from teachers on the topic of an impressionable experience that our
constituents may not know is a part of our SHG experience. I asked the same question to the faculty
who are not “teachers” by label but by their roles and positions. Below are their responses:
*I enjoyed working with the Juniors to begin the college planning process early. Juniors with study hall
periods were introduced to a few of the college exploration and planning tools in Naviance. Specifically,
they were shown a career interest tool that can help them discover the types of work activities and
careers that match the student's interests. The Personality Assessment tool can help students gain
important insights into their educational, career, and relationship needs. The College "Super Match" tool
allows students to select up to 20 different criteria and find the schools that are the best match for them
and find out why. The "College Search" tool provides valuable admissions criteria and requirements as
students begin their college process. Because this is a web-based program, students can access this
program from a device at school or home offering them the flexibility to explore at their own pace.
*We have a group of students who chose to be the ones spear-heading our Safe Driving program. We
received the $2,000 Operation Teen Safe Driving grant, so this group of students will be going
throughout the school and community and making themselves and their beliefs known. We are using
the money for activities and supplies that will be given to students. Our mission is to make a difference
for all drivers, but especially teens. The slogan is "Look Up, Hang Up, Go Slow!" (#LuHuGS for social
media purposes)
*My most recent moment was when a rather quiet senior guy excitedly turned in his application to be a
leader for the spring guys Kairos. He said that he couldn't wait to have the opportunity to give back to
SHG some of what has been given to him since his freshman year. God works!
*A meaningful project for me was the mentoring of players where you get to know the student-athletes
on a whole different level and the father son jersey night where dads shared what their sons do or did
that makes them proud.
*We had a speaker come all the way from Ohio to help make sure SHG and all the surrounding school
are safe for the students. The speaker's only request was that there was enough people present to make
it worth his while and wanted a school lunch for his time! We ended up with over 50 people showing
up! The people ranged from educators to first responders. This was my WOW moment to see everyone
get involved in such an important matter, the safety of the students and staff!!!!!
*During one of my first days on the job this spring after school ended, a student followed me onto the
elevator. He politely introduced himself and explained how important it was for him to get a textbook
now so he can spend part of his summer preparing for the fall semester. He asked if he could purchase
one. Of course! I said, feeling impressed by this student's ambition, dedication and commitment to
excelling at SHG.
*For me, it has been when a student tells me they hate to read and grudgingly accepts a
recommendation that I have made only to come back with the finished book in hand and raving about
how much they enjoyed it. That is awesome and inspires me to be better.
*This was the first year that I had the opportunity to attend Preview Night as a parent instead of a staff
member. I was amazed and overjoyed with the warmth and energy that all of the student leaders and
staff members provided that night. Even my children were enthralled with the demonstrations and
presentations. They can't wait to be students here at SHG! I am always proud to be part of the SHG
staff, but that night I was so grateful to see our amazing school through a different perspective!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! GOD BLESS YOU! WISHING YOU THE BEST!
Sr. Margaret Joanne Grueter, O.P.
Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall be with
child andear a son, and they shall
name him Emmanuel” which
means God is with us.
SHG MISSION
Sacred Heart-Griffin is a Catholic, Dominican college
preparatory high school that welcomes a diverse student
population to pursue academic excellence within the
Dominican values of study, prayer, service and community.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN A COMMUNITY OF FAITH
Around the school….
Congratulations! –
The following students participated through audition for ILLINOIS MUSIC EDUCATORS
ASSOCIATION ALL DISTRICT BAND and have now been selected through audition for ALL
STATE BAND: Jenny Haley & Daniel McGrath
The following students participated through audition for ILLINOIS MUSIC EDUCATORS
ASSOCIATION ALL DISTRICT CHOIR and have now been selected through audition for ALL
STATE CHORUS: Will Charlton, Sydney Compton, Ian Davis, Nathan Ihlenfeldt
The following students participated through audition for ILLINOIS MUSIC EDUCATORS
ASSOCIATION ALL DISTRICT CHOIR and have now been selected through audition for ALL
STATE HONORS CHORUS: Andrew Kinsel-Jones, Michael Lanham, Tori Londrigan, Austin
Servais, Haley Tolan.
Congratulations to the Boys Varsity Football Team on Winning the Class 5A State
Championship two years in a row!
Congratulations to the following 2015-2016 Illinois State Scholars Monica Bell, Cody Bowman, Anna Brown, Charles Burns, Wyatt Bussone, Erin Cetindag, Sean
Chapin, James (Graham) Cross, Kelsey Cutler, Ian Davis, Erin Faloon, Patrick Flattery, Donald
(Joseph) George, Jennifer Haley, Kathryn Halford, Emma Hardy, Mary (Beth) Haxel, Danielle
Healey, Meghan Kramp, Dylan Londrigan, John Londrigan, Nicholas Martin, Bridget McClain,
Meghan McClain, Daniel McGrath, Marissa Miller, Matthew Mosley, Sophia Mounce, Andrew
Oreshkov, Maria Palazzolo, Albert Perlman, Cody Prosperini, Ariel Rhodes, Madeline Smith,
Madeline St. Aubin, Ryleigh Taylor, Rachel Treat, and Alexandria Yarnik.
Make Up Placement Test Tell your friends and family about the make-up placement test! All area eighth graders who
still need to take the Placement Test are invited to Sacred Heart-Griffin on Saturday, January
10, 2015 from 8:30 until 11:00 a.m. Students should enter through the circle drive entrance at
1200 W. Washington St. and bring two #2 pencils and the $10 testing fee. Calculators are
allowed. Registration begins at 8:00 a.m.
~
Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Cure for Cabin Fever Join us at SHG's 2nd Annual Trivia Night, "A Night on the Red Carpet" to be held on Friday,
February 20. Doors will open at 6:00 pm. and Trivia will begin at 7:00 pm. More details and
reservation information to follow. Tables fill up quickly so please mark the date and make plans
to come and enjoy a great evening!
~
Financial Statements –
The Finance Office will be sending statements of tuition and fee payments for 2014 after the first
of the year. This information can be used for the Illinois Education Expense Credit on your
Illinois state income tax return. You may contact Mrs. Becky Jones at 787-1595 ext. 156 if you
do not receive your statement by January 31, or if you have any questions regarding the tuition
information.
~
Financial Aid Applications –
The 2015-2016 Financial Aid application information will be available on the SHG website after
January 15. Please be aware the deadline for completed applications is Monday, March 16. You
may contact Mrs. Becky Jones at 787-1595 ext. 156 if you have any questions regarding the
Financial Aid process.
~
City Tournaments –
January is the month of the winter sports’ City Tournaments. Please support the Sacred HeartGriffin Cyclones teams! Fans are always welcomed and appreciated!
Boys Basketball - January 22-24
Girls Basketball - January 27-29
Wrestling City Duals - January 16
Swimming/Diving - January 27
~
Mostaccioli Dinner –
th
Sacred Heart-Griffin’s 56 Annual Mostaccioli Dinner and Raffle will be held on Sunday,
March 1, 2015 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The student kick-off will be Wednesday, January
21. On the kick-off day, each SHG student will receive six adult dinner tickets ($60) and four
raffle books ($40) totaling $100. The current financial policy states that “Each student is
required to sell the assigned quota for Mostaccioli Dinner/ Raffle. Any portion of the quota not
met will be charged to the student’s tuition account.” (2013-2014 Student Handbook, Tuition
and Fees, Page 4).
~
SHG Operation Snowball 2015 –
In January, Sacred Heart-Griffin is hosting the Sangamon County Operation Snowball event
(January 16-18, 2015). Over 300 students from local high schools participate in the event as one
way to have a drug-free, fun-filled weekend! What is Operation Snowball? “Through the
development of leadership skills, Operation Snowball shall be a youth and adult partnership,
providing awareness and prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, while encouraging
healthy decision making in an active community of caring” (www.os-iti-org). Over the course of
the weekend, students have the opportunity to listen to engaging speakers, participate in small
group discussions, try out for a talent show, enjoy a dance party, and get involved in many
different activities. Along with Ms. Pachlhofer, the students who were selected as Co-Directors
and who are helping in the planning of Snowball are: Rebecca Osborn, Allyson Padget, Hayley
Reed, Cody Rutherford, and Austin Spa. These students deserve special recognition for being
highly involved in the entire process. Congratulations to all of you!
~
National Honor Society –
Are you a junior or senior student anticipating applying for National Honor Society this month?
Following is a quick run down of the requirements for application.
Membership is based on the criteria of Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. To be
eligible, the candidate must have been in attendance for a period of five semesters at SHG; have
a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.8 (out of 4.0 weighted grade point average);
have a minimum of 65 hours of service on record by December (85 hours for seniors) with a
required 12 hours to the community, 12 hours to Church or religious community, and 12 hours
to SHG; are able to cite previously held offices of leadership or leadership roles with the school
or the larger community; and are able to present witnesses to the quality of the character.
The application may be found at the following link: http://goo.gl/GDitVM. Be working now to
get the necessary elements in place before the January 16, 2015 deadline.
~
Planning Ahead – Prom Dresses –
The Sacred Heart-Griffin Junior/Senior Prom is Saturday, May 9, 2015. We know that girls
begin shopping early for that special Prom dress. The following guidelines MUST be followed
when selecting a dress. Dresses should reflect a concern for Christian values in being both
modest and tasteful. The dress style should cover rather than reveal the bust line. Low cut, tight,
and/or revealing bust lines are neither modest nor acceptable. Bare mid-riffs ARE NOT
ALLOWED! Different body shapes and sizes have differing styles to address modesty and good
taste. NOTE - This year, ladies are allowed to wear flip-flops with their formal dresses. Consider
saving on shoes that are only worn for the first ten minutes of the event and then taken off.
Please dress according to guidelines so that we can all enjoy the evening. Those dressed
inappropriately will be asked to leave. This also applies to dates from other schools. PARENTS,
please do your part; if you have questions, call us!
~
Tips for Staying Healthy –
The following are guidelines/precautions to adhere to during this cold and flu season:
erature
If a student is not feeling well and appears to have flu like symptoms, we will call a parent
immediately to have them pick up the student. We may take the student’s temperature to help us
assess where we should have the student in the interim. Students with flu-like illness must
remain at home for at least 24 hours after they are free of fever, or signs of a fever, without the
use of fever-reducing medications.
~
Family Dance –
The Sacred Heart Griffin Annual Family Dance will be held on Saturday, February 14th, 2015
from 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. at the East Campus. This event is by far the favorite of all the social
activities at SHG. Fathers accompany their daughters and mothers accompany their sons for an
evening of visiting, dancing, and fun. Tickets will be for sale at SHG the week before the dance,
during all lunch shifts. Tickets are $10 per family.
~
SHG Monthly Calendar –
See the monthly calendar at the end of this newsletter for some of the important events
happening in January at SHG.
~
SHG GUIDANCE OFFICE UPDATE:
COLLEGE INFORMATION:
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
The Guidance Department receives information regarding various scholarship
opportunities for students attending college in the fall. This is by no means a complete
listing of all scholarships available to students. There are many university sponsored
scholarships that are not listed here but can be found on the university website or by
contacting the university’s financial aid department. We also file any individual college
scholarship offerings we receive in the College Counseling Center. As we receive
information on scholarship opportunities, we are updating our website. To view the
listing of these scholarships, go to www.shg.org and go to the Student tab. Click on to
the Guidance Office link and scroll down that page to the College Scholarships and
Financial Aid link. Scholarships are listed alphabetically in the month they are due with
a brief description and application information. For more information, please stop by the
Guidance Department. In addition, national scholarship offerings can be found by using
your Naviance account. Go to the Colleges tab and then click on the National
Scholarship Link under the Scholarships and Money heading. This website is hosted by
Sallie Mae.
The Office of Guidance and Counseling presents
PAYING FOR COLLEGE
When:
Wednesday, January 14 at 6:00 p.m.
The presentation will include information on scholarships,
loans, and financial aid. Particular emphasis will be placed
on completing the FAFSA form.
MID-YEAR REPORTS
Many universities require that a mid-year report be mailed for admission consideration.
Please ensure that your student has completed a mid-year report and notified his/her
counselor of the schools that require a mid-year report. These will not be mailed until
mid-January.
STANDARDIZED TESTING RESULTS
The Juniors took the PSAT on October 15. The results of this test will be distributed to
the students in the first part of January. The PSAT is not only a practice test for the
SAT but also the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship. Students who will be
considered for this scholarship based upon the test score will be notified in August.
Juniors will have free access to My College QuickStart. This resource will assist
students with preparing for the SAT test, career planning and college searches.
Students can access My College QuickStart through www.collegeboard.org/quickstart.
The access code can be found on your student's official score report.
COURSE REGISTRATION
Registration for the 2015-2016 school year will begin in February. The counselors will
be meeting with each student to discuss course options. A copy of the available
courses can be found on the SHG website in late January.
ACT/SAT PREPARATION CLASSES
The next ACT test will be given on Saturday, February 7. While we don’t offer at SHG,
it is given at other local high schools. We will offer the ACT at SHG on April 18. Many
students take a preparation class prior to taking the ACT and SAT exams. There are
several different prep classes offered throughout the Springfield area including one
offered at SHG. Please check the starting dates for the Springfield area prep classes.
Juniors will have the opportunity to register for the SHG prep class in late January with
the class beginning in February. Information on all prep classes can be found on the
SHG website. Click on Academics<College Counseling< ACT/SAT Test Dates or at:
http://www.shg.org/?q=content/actsat-information.
DID YOUR 8th GRADER MISS THE PLACEMENT EXAM?
A make-up placement exam will be held on Saturday, January 10 at 8:00
a.m. Students should enter through the circle drive entrance at 1200 W.
Washington and bring the $10 exam fee and a calculator. To register, please
contact Theresa Duffin in the Guidance Office at 787-1595 ext. 125.
SHG Incoming Freshman Information Meetings will be held on:
Tuesday, February 3 at 6:00 p.m. OR
Wednesday, February 11 at 6:00 p.m.
*Placement exam results will be returned and registration details for your
student will be covered. Topics to be covered include proper placement for
your student, course options, and registration details. Look for details in the
mail.
Parents,
Hello, my name is Denise Pachlhofer, and I am the Prevention Coordinator at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School.
On January 16-18, 2015, SHG will be hosting the Sangamon County Operation Snowball event. Snowball is a
three-day lock-in, emphasizing leadership through living healthy lifestyles. Last year, we had over 300 students
participate in the event and would love to have your support!
Please consider making a donation:
CHAPERONES: (THIS AREA IS IMPORTANT!)
_____ Friday evening: 6:00-7:00 p.m. – check-in duty
_____ Friday night: 7:30-9:00 p.m. – (there will be small groups and set-up for a speaker at this time)
Duty would be signing in late arrivals at the main door.
_____ Friday night/Saturday morning: 11:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. (speeches, free time, bed)
Duty would be monitoring the front desk
*Need 1 male and 1 female*
_____ Saturday morning: 7:00-9:00 a.m. – serve breakfast/light clean-up
_____ Saturday: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – serve lunch/light clean-up
_____ Saturday: 1:00-3:00 p.m. – there is free time and talent show tryouts
Duties would be monitoring halls and/or sitting at the check-in/check-out
table at the front door.
_____ Saturday: 5:00-7:00 p.m. – serve dinner/light clean-up
_____ Saturday: 9:00-11:00 p.m. – (talent show at this time).
Duty would be sitting at the check-in/check-out table at the front door.
_____ Saturday: 11:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. – (dance at this time).
Duty would be chaperoning the dance/monitoring the front desk.
_____ Sunday: 8:30-10:00 a.m. – serve breakfast and clean-up
FOOD DONATIONS: (please bring to SHG by Friday, January 9)
_____ I would be willing to donate the following (please indicate quantity):
___ Orange Juice ___ Milk ___Chips ___ Cookies ___Fruit ___ Bottled Water
SUPPLIES: (please bring to SHG by Friday, January 9)
_____ I would be willing to donate some of the following supplies (please mark quantity):
___ Napkins ___ Plastic Cups ___Paper Plates ___Plastic Forks/Spoons ___Styrofoam Bowls
Please return this form to SHG Snowball as soon as possible – I will follow up with more information. Thank you
for all your help and support! ~Denise Pachlhofer, SHG Prevention Coordinator (pachlhofer@shg.org)
Parent(s) Name: _________________________________
Phone Number(s): ___________________________________
E-mail Address:________________________________
CLASSES RESUME MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015
January 2015
Sunday
Monday
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Friday Fri
Saturday at
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Happy
New
Year!
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Classes
Resume
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Snowball 
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No School
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Catholic
Schools
Week
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All School
Mass
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Jr. Retreat
12pm
Dismissal
Teacher
Appreciation
Luncheon