1 March 2010
Dear Parents,
During our Winter Break, our Church opened our most solemn time of the year – Lent. Many of us were in various parts of the country –or even in Europe for Ash Wednesday and we did not have the opportunity to observe this day as a school community. However, that does not lessen the importance of this most holy of seasons. During Lent we are asked to fast, pray and give alms and your sons will be given a number of opportunities to do that here on Campus. Already our Campus Ministry Team has planned additional liturgies, service opportunities and other events to help us prepare for Christ’s triumph over sin and death. Just the other day our freshmen class joined together to pray the Stations of the Cross. I ask all of you to join us in this spiritual journey by setting aside time each day to say a prayer for your son and our school community.
This week we enter into Project: Mission Peru. Over the spring break twenty six members of the Bishop Hendricken community will travel to some of the poorest sections of Peru bringing the Good News of Jesus to all we meet. We will also bring large quantities of school, medical and other supplies with us. Your son has been asked to help bring our message of joy and hope to our brothers and sisters in Peru. If he hasn’t already done so, he will bring home more information about how you can help us help others.
On Sunday March 14th we will hold our annual spring Open House from 1:00 PM until 3:30 PM. The day is designed to allow seventh graders and their parents an opportunity to visit our campus and find out about our programs. If you know any boys in seventh or eighth grade who might be interested in the Bishop Hendricken Experience, please invite them to our Open House. We are always looking for a few good men!
Our winter sport athletes have had another successful season. Thus far, the indoor track team took their sixteenth state title while our swimming team brought home their twenty-first straight state title. Congratulations to those student athletes and their coaches. Our basketball and hockey teams are still working toward the end of their respective seasons and looking forward to competing for the state title. Our spring sports season begins on Monday, March 15th.
Over March 25, 26, 27 and 28, our young thespians and musicians will dazzle us with Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I have dropped into a couple of rehearsals and can tell you it will be a great show. Tickets are available online at Hendricken.com. Get them early – I can assure you each performance will be a complete sell out! While all this is happening, our Marching Band will be honing their skills for their appearance in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
On March 22nd the faculty will be involved in professional development, so there will be no classes that day. Kindly keep yourself informed as to your son’s progress by checking EdLine frequently. Should you have any questions regarding your son’s grades you can easily e-mail any of his teachers. Our website, www.hendricken.com, has a listing of all teachers and their e-mail addresses.
The Parents’ Council is working very hard on this year’s Fashion Show, showcasing fashions by Nordstroms, boutique shopping and our special featured guest, local author Ann Hood, who will be with us signing advance copies of her latest book “The Red Thread.”. Invitations have been mailed home so send in your reservations early. We fully expect to have another “sell out” crowd for this event. Also, we recently mailed home raffle tickets to help support our Inner City Boys’ Scholarship Fund. This fund enables us to offer the Hendricken Experience to a young man who otherwise would never be able to afford attending. Raffle tickets are $25 each or five for $100. The winner will be picked at our Annual Inner City Boys’ Scholarship Dinner to be held at the Alpine Country Club on May 27th. If you need information about this event and/or the car raffle please call Caren Cotoia at extension 131.
In the next day or so you will receive an e-mail letter from Mr. Paul Danesi, our Vice President for Finances, outlining our tuition collection policies and plans for the coming academic year. In past years we asked for a $400 registration deposit for the coming year. Realizing that all of us are experiencing difficult times, we have done away with that requirement. Tuition Management Systems has provided an easier way to reregister. Please follow the directions in Mr. Danesi’s letter. Should you have any questions, please call.
Know that you and your family are in my prayers for a most blessed Lenten season.
God bless,
Bro. Thomas R. Leto
President
TRL:jlo