Sacred Heart-Griffin February, 2015 ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN A COMMUNITY OF FAITH A word from the principal… Dear Parents, Students, and other Readers, Since Family Dance is in February, I would like to briefly reflect on “traditions” at SHG. The Family Dance is rooted in the Sacred Heart Academy tradition of the Father-Daughter Dance. It has been well attended since its beginnings back in 1957. One of our 1980 graduates said it was a given that everyone would attend! With the combining of SHA and GHS traditions in 1988, the dance invitation was extended to Mothers and Sons as well. Over the years I have heard many comments about how much fun it is and many reminiscences from parents who remember having gone as a high school student. The 2015 Family Dance (shortened title for Father-Daughter and Mother-Son Dance) is on Saturday, February 14, 8:00-11:00 p.m. Students purchase the $10 ticket (one ticket per family) during lunch hour the week of the dance. Besides the Family Dance, we have a tradition of celebrating Catholic Schools the last week in January. Many of you have just participated in a variety of ways. The all-school Mass is a great tradition here at SHG. Over the last 10 or more years, the whole student body and faculty gather in the gym. The Music Department always provides great singing and music. Everyone is encouraged to participate as the words to all the songs are projected on the screen. We have had a great variety of priests who have celebrated the Mass with us. It is a unifying prayer experience. Throughout the week we pray for other significant SHG family members: parents, students, alumni, benefactors, and friends. Every week and every day has the Catholic school tradition of prayer, Catholic values, and Catholic teachings. Another tradition we have every January is City Tournament. The goal that fades in and out of the limelight of its history is a sense of unity in supporting education in all of the Springfield high schools. This education is extended to extra-curricular activities such as athletics. The cheerleaders over many years have performed the City Cheer which includes the physical formation of each of the school’s letters (i.e., SHG) by all the cheerleading squads as they give a yell out to each school. This basketball tradition also includes the girls’ teams which rotate to the different high schools. (An experiment had the girls at the convention center preceding the boys’ games one year. There is also a City event for Volleyball, Baseball, Wrestling, Golf, and Swimming & Diving.) The spirit award has its own history. In more recent years the tournament has also had a food collection from the high schools to be distributed in Springfield. This tradition was extended to include the grade schools in the whole city. SHG has its own traditions within the tradition. The student body has participated in the Poms routine. The routines particularly accented the great things students can do when they work together. SCHOOL SPIRIT is every school’s tradition. What makes it memorable is when it truly exists and the energy exuded comes from loyalty and pride. In turn, it magnifies and grows loyalty and pride. Each year has its unique experience of school spirit. Every alum has the memory of how it was in their day. And in that memory, each person knows what she/he contributed to make it so! SHG won the Spirit Award this year. That says a lot about our SHG tradition. Student leadership is also a valued tradition. The SHG Student Council is elected each year by the student body. One of the responsibilities of the council is to promote school spirit. Each class also elects 5-7 “class leaders” who become representatives on the Student Council. Their task is to bring the voice of their classmates to the meetings. The leadership is manifested in service, initiatives, and leading by example. These elections happen in the spring. An extremely important tradition that continues to be manifest at SHG is “ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN A COMMUNITY OF FAITH.” The faculty and staff continue to build the curriculum in which they challenge our students to be career and college ready. They engage the students in learning, problem solving, higher order thinking, and creativity. Our faith inspires effort, caring, commitment, compassion, and a sense of belonging in all of our students, teachers, staff, and larger family. SHG is the dynamic which drives the relationship of academics and faith. SHG is successful because of the tradition of support from parents, alums, and benefactors. For frequent updates of what’s going on at SHG, join the newer traditions of following us on Facebook and our website. Thanks for being part of our tradition. God bless you. With appreciation for the SHG tradition, Sr. Margaret Joanne Grueter, O.P. 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. Why Black History Month? Elizabeth Williams “The lion’s story will never be heard as long as the hunter is the one to tell it”. West African Proverb Black History month began as Negro History Week. In 1926, historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson conceived an idea to expose and celebrate the history of black Americans here in the United States. Woodson chose the second week in February for Negro History Week because it coincided with the birth dates of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Armed with a Ph.D. in History from Harvard, Woodson found little mention in his studies of the contributions of black Americans to the greatness of this country. He believed that making those contributions known and celebrated would uplift generations of black Americans and would open the door to equality for black Americans. In 1978 Negro History Week was renamed and extended to Black History Month with a Proclamation from President Jimmy Carter stating that “calling attention to the contributions of black people to our overall progress and development, the month of February thus serves to build goodwill and understanding between all people. It gives each of us a keener appreciation of an important part of the priceless legacy which Americans of every creed, color and national origin are fortunate to share.” Increased awareness of the history of African Americans in this country is only the beginning of a great conversation. There is so much more to discuss than athletes and entertainers, though they too have made a significant contribution to the story. Talk about Phillis Wheatley, Lewis Latimer, Marjorie Lee Browne, David Blackwell, Etta Falconer, Mae Jemison, Daisy Bates, Rita Dove, Benjamin Banneker, and Lonnie Johnson, to name a few. The recognition and celebration of Black History Month offers a moment to pause and seek out the names and deeds of those individuals whose stories and contributions were purposefully left out of our American history. It also provides an opportunity to reflect on the successes and challenging endeavors of those men and women with whom we are familiar. Black History Month brings us together as Americans, aware, curious and inspired to create a conversation that acknowledges survival and thriving in spite of so many attempts to deny full citizenship rights and privileges to one group of people even though those rights and privileges are said to be the foundation of this country. Most significantly, it is an opportunity to acknowledge that Black History is American History. ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN A COMMUNITY OF FAITH Around the school…. Prevention OPERATION SNOWBALL – Thank you to all the parents who volunteered at and/or donated to the SHG Operation Snowball event in January! We had close to 100 local high school students participating, and it would not have been possible with your time and support. ~ Family Dance – The Sacred Heart-Griffin Annual Family Dance will be held on Saturday, February 14, 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. See flyer for pictures at the end of newsletter! ~ Blood Drive Give what’s in your heart. Bring Photo I.D. with date of birth for everyone and consent forms for sixteen year olds. Please join us to donate blood at Sacred Heart-Griffin on Tuesday, February 10 in support of the Central Illinois blood supply. We welcome students and staff to donate from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central Illinois Community Blood Center is the blood provider to area patients of fourteen counties at twelve central Illinois hospitals. They are the only provider of blood to Memorial Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital. Please join us for this life-saving event. Students are to sign up in their Theology classroom. ~ Mostaccioli Dinner – Sacred Heart-Griffin’s 56th 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 was Wednesday, January 21. On the kick-off day, each SHG student received 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). Parents, please ask your student(s) for the packet so that it is not left in their locker or book bag. Information is included in the packet regarding collection days and student incentives. ~ 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. Get your reservation in now! The tables are filling up quickly! See the flyer at the end of this newsletter! 2015-2016 Tuition/Financial Grants – The 2015-2016 Tuition Packet and Tuition Grant information is now available on the SHG website's Admissions page. The deadline for registration and financial assistance is Monday, March 16. If you have any questions regarding tuition and grants, please contact Mrs. Becky Jones at 787-1595 ext. 156. ~ Father Thomas Pisors Scholarship – The Father Thomas Pisors Scholarship for the 2015-2016 school year will be awarded to two current Juniors who are in good standing at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School and who are registered for the 2015-2016 school year. Each recipient will receive a $500 scholarship toward next year’s tuition. The SHG Science Department will select the recipients. Applications are now available in the Main Office or on the SHG website on the Admissions page. Completed applications must be returned to Sr. Katherine O’Connor, OP, President, Sacred Heart-Griffin, 1200 West Washington Street, Springfield, IL, 62702 by March 16, 2015. ~ Sacred Heart-Griffin Internship Program – Attention: Sophomores and Juniors Are you interested in reducing tuition costs for next year? Are you interested in professional work experience? Are you interested in earning 0.5 business elective credit? Then the Sacred Heart-Griffin Internship Program may be for you. Interested students may pick up an internship application in the Main Office, the Finance Office, or on line (Admission>SHG Internship Program). Please see Mrs. Garvey in the Finance Office for more information. Completed applications are due by March 16, 2015. ~ The Sr. Mary Paul McCaughey and Fr. Robert Erickson Scholarship The Sr. Mary Paul McCaughey and Fr. Robert Erickson Scholarship for the 2015-2016 school year will be awarded to an incoming senior who has demonstrated leadership, vision, and courage during her/his three years at SHG. The recipient of this scholarship will receive $1000 to be applied towards the 2015-2016 tuition. Applications are now available in the Main Office or on the SHG website on the Admissions page. Completed applications must be returned to Sr. Katherine O’Connor, OP, President, Sacred Heart-Griffin, 1200 West Washington Street, Springfield, IL, 62702 by March 16, 2015. ~ SHG Alumni Scholarship and SHG Hall of Fame For information about the SHG Alumni Scholarship for Incoming Freshmen please go to our website at www.shg.org and click on the Admissions Tab. To download an application, please click on the link below. Applications are due by March 20, 2015 http://www.shg.org/sites/default/files/HallofFame/AlumniScholarshipForm2015.pdf For information about the SHG Hall of Fame, please go to our website at www.shg.org and click on the Alumni Tab. If you have someone that you would like to nominate, click on the link below to download a nomination form. All forms are due by March 20, 2015. http://www.shg.org/sites/default/files/HallofFame/HallofFameNomForm2015.pdf If you have any questions regarding either of these, please contact Michele Reavy at [email protected]. ~ 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 again 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! ~ SHG On-Line Auction is back Again! The on-line auction has been such a success over the last two years that we are going to hold it again this year beginning on Wed., March 18 and closing at 3 p.m. on Fri., March 27. You can bid on some great items: Prime graduation seats, prime parking spots, dinners, spa packages, art, food, jewelry, various tickets and many other great items, all from the comfort of your own home! You will be hearing more about this in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, we are inviting everyone to get creative and think about something you might be able to contribute to the auction! We would like this auction to have something for everyone. If you have an item(s) to contribute, please call or e-mail Jennifer Bettis at 787-9732 or [email protected]. The proceeds of the on-line auction will go towards the operating budget.Thank you! ~ SHG Monthly Calendar – See the monthly calendar at the end of this newsletter for some of the important events happening in February at SHG. ~ SHG GUIDANCE OFFICE UPDATES SHG INCOMING FRESHMEN MEETINGS Eighth graders and parents should attend one of two meetings being held regarding freshmen placement exam results, course placement and registration procedures. There will be two meetings and parents/students may choose either one. Meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the SHG Auditorium on Tuesday, February 3 or Wednesday, February 11. If you have questions, please contact Theresa Duffin at 787-1595 ext. 125 or email [email protected]. 2015-2016 COURSE REGISTRATION Registration for next year’s classes will begin in February beginning with the students in the current junior class. Each student will meet with his/her guidance counselor to select classes for the upcoming academic year. A copy of selected courses will be mailed to the parents for approval before the schedule is finalized. ACT/SAT PREPARATION CLASSES 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. 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. Please check the starting dates for the Springfield area prep classes. All juniors will have the opportunity to register for the SHG prep which will begin on February COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS The seniors have applied to colleges, received admission decisions in many cases, and are narrowing their choices down. In addition, they are looking for ways to pay for college. On the SHG website, we have listed the scholarships that we have received information on in our office. There are many university scholarships that are not listed here but can be found at the university’s website. We encourage you to check our website at http://www.shg.org/?q=content/college-scholarships. A brief description of each scholarship, applicable due date, and criteria for the scholarship is listed. We encourage you to read these to see if the scholarship might fit your student. Applications can either be downloaded or obtained in the Guidance Department. In addition, a national scholarship search site can be found on Naviance and is hosted by Sallie Mae. 56th Annual Mostaccioli Dinner! The 56th Annual Mostaccioli Dinner kicked off Wednesday, January 21. Each student should have received a packet of 6 dinner tickets and 4 raffle books to sell. Details are in their packets. Thank you in advance for your help! Please save the date: The Mostaccioli Dinner will be held on Sunday, March 1 at SHG's West Campus from 11 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. The students, parents and alumni are the key to the success of the event. With everyone's help, SHG is able to serve almost 9,000 dinners each year! Volunteering is a lot of fun and a great way to get to know other parents, students, faculty, staff and alumni! Our volunteer coordinator, Mary Leach has a big job securing parents and students to fill all of the shifts. See the shift options below and please consider what would work best for you and your student(s). Please note: WE REALLY NEED A LOT OF ADULT HELP FOR ALL SHIFTS. ~ Wednesday February 25 from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 is pot and pan washing night at West Campus in preparation for the dinner. We're usually done by 7 or 7:30 p.m. ~ Sunday, March 1 from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. (be there at 10 a.m.) DOUBLE SERVICE HOURS GIVEN ON THIS SHIFT ONLY IF STUDENT IS SIGNED UP WITH AN ADULT. ~ Sunday, March 1 from 2:30 - 7 p.m. (be there at 2 p.m.) DOUBLE SERVICE HOURS GIVEN ON THIS SHIFT ONLY IF STUDENT IS SIGNED UP WITH AN ADULT. ~ Sunday, March 1 from 6:30 p.m. - ? CLEAN UP --- NEED MOSTLY ADULTS Please consider a shift and e-mail Mary at [email protected] or call Mary's cell phone at 899-2575. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pizzelles: Donations of Pizzelle cookies needed Saturday, February 21 at West Campus, dropoff time to be announced. Students can earn service hours for each batch donated (5 dozen cookies = 2 hours). Please RSVP to either Jeris Creasey at 525-0762 or Danielle Fulgenzi Giacomini at 306-4408 or email to [email protected] for more details. Country Cupboard - Homemade baked goods are being sought for Country Cupboard. See below for more details. Call or e-mail Jennifer Turley at 725-1016 or [email protected] sign up to volunteer at Country Cupboard or if you have questions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Thank you so very much for volunteering for this year's Mostaccioli Dinner. As many of you know, this dinner is a long-standing tradition and is in its 56th year. It's the biggest sit-down dinner in Springfield and is a very important fundraiser for SHG's operating budget. (Tuition would be approximately $3,000 higher per student if it weren't for initiatives such as the Mostaccioli Dinner, Mega-Raffle and Annual Fund). Thanks again! Jen Bettis Director of Advancement COUNTRY CUPBOARD SHG MOSTACCIOLI DINNER March 1, 2015 Needed: Your HOMEMADE pies, cookies, breads, etc. Please package to sell: Clear wrap (no foil) or disposable container. Label contents. Students Can Earn Service Hours!! Baking for a bake sale is considered service – so be sure to sign the sheet when you drop off items! Examples: 3 doz. Cookies = 1 hour of service (3 hr. limit); Pie = 2 hours; Bread = 1 hour TIMES TO DROP OFF ITEMS: Friday, February 27 before school in the cafeteria; Saturday, February 28 during set up in the morning at West Campus; and this year, students who drop off items at the Mostaccioli Dinner after 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 1 (when we start running out of items) get DOUBLE SERVICE HOURS! BEST SELLERS - Rice Krispie treats, angel food cake, pies, brownies, and cinnamon rolls. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!! Call or e-mail Jennifer Turley at 725-1016 or [email protected] to sign up to volunteer at Country Cupboard or if you have questions. February 2015 Black History Month Sunday Monday Tuesday ue Wednesday Thursday u Friday Fri Saturday at 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 12 13 14 German National Honor Society Induction (7:10 am) Valentines Day th 8 Grade Meeting (6:00) 8 9 10 Mostaccioli Collection 11 Mostaccioli Collection th 8 Grade Meeting (6:00) Science Olympiad Regionals Family Dance (8:00-11:00) 15 16 Presidents Day – No School 17 th 8 Grade Meeting (6:00) 18 19 20 21 26 27 28 Mostaccioli Collection Ash Wednesday 22 23 24 25 Mostaccioli Collection
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