courage doesn’t always roar. sometimes · courage doesn’t always roar. ... , alvernians, jazz...

Couragedoesn’talwaysroar.Sometimescourageisthequietvoiceattheendofthedaysaying,

“Iwilltryagaintomorrow.”‐‐MaryAnneRadmacher

FromthedeskofMr.McLaughlin:MerryChristmas!

WecelebratethebirthofourLordandSavior,JesusChrist.AsFranciscansduringthisChristmasseason,wecontinuetoliveoutourschoolmissionandtheidealsandvaluesofourpatronSt.Francis.Weareacommunitythatseekstodevelopthewholechild,andwestrivetomodelpeace,love,andrespecteveryday.

Weareveryproudofourstudents,parents,faculty,staff,andalumniwhodemonstratetheSFPmissionatalltimes.ThisDecemberNewsletterpointstosomeofthegreatthingsthathappenedinourcommunitythispastmonth.GodBless!

ABlessedNewYeartoall!

ANewTradition

TheChristmasSpiritwasthrivingatSt.St.FrancisPrepstartinginearlyDecemberby“PreppingtheHalls.”AllstudentsduringCorwerepermittedtousethetimetodecoratethecorridorsandtheirlockers.OurfinaleventinpreparingforChristmaswasonThursday,21December.

WebeganandendedwithCorsoCorteachersandstudentswouldhavesomespecialbondingtime.

AllstudentsattendedMasswiththeirCor;2separateMassesaccommodatedeveryone. TherewereperformancesandsingingintheGym.Again,thereweretwosessionsofthisso

everyonecouldattend. Dismissalwasat11:45a.m.

OurfocusforallofAdventhasbeentoproclaimjoyandhope–oneofourcoreFranciscanvalues.ThislastdaybeforeChristmasvacationwasagreatnewtraditionatSt.FrancisPrep.Somecommentsfromstudents:

"Ihopewe'redoingthisagainnextyear!"

"Ihadsomuchfun!""Thiswasawesome!"

"Iwasn'tsureyoucouldpullthisoff,butIhavetosaythiswasthebestthingweeverdidatPrep."

ThankstoMr.Castellanoandhiscommittee,theDanceTeam,Alvernians,JazzBand,andCampusMinistryfortheirtime,talent,organization,andthoughtfulness.

JulieChen,SFPClassof1987,VisitsthePrepOnTuesdayafternoon,December19,PrephadaspecialvisitfromJulieChen,Classof1987andCBStelevisionhostofthepopularprogramsBigBrotherandTheTalk.JuliewasfilmingaspecialpersonalinterviewsessionwithNY1andtheirweeklyprogramSpotlightNY,andsherequestedthatthefilmingtakeplaceatSt.FrancisPrep.Duringthesession,shetouredtheschool'sfacilities,sharedstoriesaboutherexperiencesasastudentatPrep,andtalkedaboutthepathshetooktoasuccessfulcareerinthetelevisionindustry.JuliemetwithBrotherLeonard,Mr.McLaughlin,severalofherformerteachers,andanenthusiasticgroupofstudentswhoaskedanumberofquestionsthatsheansweredinadelightful,meaningfulway.Shealsoposedformanyphotoswiththestudentsandstaff.

FromthedeskofMr.Castellano

COURSESELECTION

DuringthefirstweekofJanuary,wewillbegintheprocessofcourseselectionforthe2018‐2019schoolyear.Studentswillattendassembliestohearabouttheprocess,andguidancecounselorswillvisitaclassoneveryleveltodiscusscourseselection.Studentswillhaveuntil4Februarytodiscusscourseswithteachers,counselors,andparentsandguardians:allcourseselectionmustbecompletedby4February.Pleaseencourageyourchildtotakefulladvantageofthistimeinordertomakethebestchoicesforthenextschoolyear.WemakesomechangesinJune,butmanyclassescloseandarenotavailable;changescost$40.Studentsarebestservedtomakewisechoicesnow.TheentirecoursebookispostedontheschoolwebsiteHERE.StudentsmaychoosetotakeanextracreditoranHperiodclassiftheyareingoodacademicstandingandhavegoodattendanceandpunctuality.Thereisnoapplicationform.StudentswhodonotmeetthecriteriaforHperiodorextracreditswillberemovedfromtheseextraclasses.

Pre‐registrationforcertainclasseswillbeginonSunday,28January.Therewillbeinformationaboutpre‐registrationonthewebsite,andstudentswillgetmoreinformationatassembliesandduringclassvisits.

Weencouragestudentstotakethemostappropriatelychallengingclassesforwhichtheyareeligible.Thisselectionisuniqueforeachstudent.Pleaseencourageyourchildtospeakwithhisorherteachersandguidancecounselortomakethebestdecision.EachdepartmenthasitsowncriteriaforhonorsandA.P.classesanditsownprocessforreceivingapproval.Classroomsteachersarethebestsourceofinformationabouthowtoproceed.

Onceyourchildhasselectedandsubmittedthechoicesforclasses,pleasehavehimorherprintoutthesheetwithclasseslisted.ParentsorguardianswillsignthisandstudentswillreturnittoschoolonMonday,5February.Thankyouforyourguidancewiththisprocessandforencouragingyourchildtomeetwithcounselorsandkeepwithalldeadlines.

Pleasecontactyourchild’sguidancecounselororMr.Castellano(ext.209)withquestionsaboutcourseselection.

PSATRESULTSandPREPARINGFORTHESAT

OursophomoreandjuniorstudentstookthePSATinOctober.ThePSATisapracticetestfortheSAT,amajorcollegeadmissiontest.About1%ofthestudentsinthenationreceiverecognitionfromtheNationalMeritScholarshipCorporationbasedontheirPSATresults.Eachyear,wehavebetween10and15studentswhoaresorecognized.Forthevastmajorityofstudents,however,thePSATservesaspracticeandpreparationfortheSAT.PSATscoresarenotseenbycollegesanddonotinfluencecollegeacceptance.

Studentsshouldhavereceivedane‐mailfromtheCollegeBoard(theorganizationthatoverseesthePSAT)sayingthattheirscoresarenowavailableon‐line.Thise‐mailprovidedthemwiththeinformationsotheycanviewtheirPSATresults.InJanuary,wewillhaveassembliesabouthowtounderstandtheresults,interpretthescorereport,andpreparefortheSAT.Atthattime,wewillalsoreturntostudentstheirtestbooklet.Weencouragestudentstogooverthescorereportwithparentsandguardiansandtoreviewtheirentiretestontheirown.StudentswithquestionsaboutthePSATshouldspeakwiththeirguidancecounselor.

AlljuniorsshouldtaketheSATortheACT(anothermajorcollegeadmissiontest)sometimeintheSpringsemester.CollegesaccepteitherSATorACTscoresforapplications.SATandACTscoresareimportantbecausetheyinfluencecollegeacceptanceandcanqualifystudentsforvariousscholarships.Juniorsshoulddiscussthetimingoftheirtestwiththeirparentsandguardiansandtheirguidancecounselors.Westronglyrecommendthatallstudentsdosometypeofexplicittestpreparation.Thispreparationmaybeacourse,individualtutoring,oratestpreparationbookoron‐lineprogram.Thatisafamilydecision.Pleasefeelfreetocallyourchild’sguidancecounselortodiscussthisdecision.

SophomoreswilltakethePSATagainintheFallofjunioryear.ThereismoreinformationavailableontheCollegeBoardwebsite:www.collegeboard.org.

SATscoresareimportant;theyare1pieceoftheapplicationpackagestudentswillsendtocollegesintheFallofsenioryear.Collegesalsolookatthefollowingitems:overallaverage;classestaken;levelofdifficultyofclasses;extra‐curricularactivities;service;recommendations;studentessay.ReceivingthePSATisagoodopportunityforstudentstore‐dedicatethemselvestotheirschoolwork.GoodgradesingoodclassesareasimportantasgoodSATscores,andgoodworkinschoolwillresultinimprovedSATscores.

SATREGISTRATION

TheCollegeBoardofferstheSATatmanylocationsondifferentdatesthroughouttheSpring.Studentsmaycheckthisinformationatwww.collegeboard.org.RegistrationisdonethroughtheCollegeBoardwebsite.ThisSpring,St.FrancisPrepisofferingtheSATonSaturday,5May.WeencouragestudentswhowanttotaketheSATatSt.FrancisPreptoregisterearly:therearealimitednumberofseatsavailable,andtheseseatsfillupearly.St.FrancisPrepdoesnotcontrolwhogetstotakethetestattheschool.Pleaseencourageyourchildtoregisterearly.Studentsshoulddoexplicittestpreparation.

Wewishstudentsallthebestonthisphaseoncollegepreparation.

 FranciscanYouthMovement

VisittoQueenofPeaceNursingHomeDecember18,2017.

FaceBookSlideshow

PROJECTJOY,conductedbytheFranciscanYouthMovement(FYM),invitedourSFPcommunitytobringjoytotheelderlybywritingChristmasletters.OverathousandlettersinEnglishandSpanisharedeliveredbygroupsofFYMmemberstoNursingHomesanddroppedoffatVeteransHospitals.FYMvisitedtheelderlyintheirrooms,sangCarolsforthem,deliveredsmallgifts,andspenttimeindividuallywitheachoftheresidents.BrotherJames,FranciscanMissionCoordinator,said,“ThisisjustonewaythatweputourFranciscanvalueTOPROCLAIMJOYANDHOPE”intopractice.FYMworkswithallfacetsoftheSFPFamilytopromoteourfourFranciscanvalues.Specialthankstoallteachersandstudentsinvolved,particularlytheReligionandForeignLanguageDepartmentsandtheKeyClubfortheirsupport.ThesepicturesweretakenatQueenofPeaceNursingHomewhereFYMalsoleadsdaylongServiceRetreatsmonthly.

4thAnnualChristmasTreeLighting

AlverniansThisyear’sFallDrama,ThePhantomoftheOpera,wasahugesuccess.ThankstoMs.Mejiaandtheentirecastforaspectacularjob!ChristmasPartyforourFriendswithSpecialNeeds

"PreachtheGospelatalltimesandwhennecessaryusewords."‐St.FrancisofAssisiWewouldliketotakeamomenttothankeveryonewho,throughgreatgenerosity,gaveothersawonderfulChristmas.ThepartyonSaturday,December16th,couldneverhavebeenassuccessfulasitwaswithoutyourgenerosityandthesupportofourstudents,teachers,staff,parents,andalumni.EveryguestlefthappyandgratefultotheentirePrepCommunityforthisevent.YouhaveshownwhatitmeanstolivethewordsofSt.Francis.Thankyou!MerryChristmasandaHappyNewYear!

Mrs.CamusandMrs.Rich

FaceBookSlideshowModelUN

TheSt.FrancisPreparatorySchoolModelUnitedNationsTeamparticipatedinaconferencehostedbyPlainview‐OldBethpageHighSchoolwithabout500studentsfrom16highschoolsattending.Ourdelegationof19hadastrongshowingandearnedanumberofawards.WecurrentlyareintheprocessofpreparingforourownconferencetobeheldonSaturday,January13,2018.

1. PendaMartin310*2. KaylaKeenan409

3. FranzBleus202‐HonorableMentionintheUNPopulationFund4. VincentSmedile315

5. ChristinaLino410*6. JoanneGotanco307

7. AbigailBossa302*8. JoshuaMatthews311

9. AshleyMangra41010. DanielHodurski109

11. TimHyland109*

 12. KatieZahner317

13. MatthewVanPraagh31714. AndrewLee409

15. ThanasiDilos204‐HonorableMentionintheSecurityCouncil

16. HenrikIsraelian20717. MarkMoritz112*

18. 18.NicoleO’Connor41219. 19.OliviaFratangelo107*‐HonorableMentionintheHumanRightsCommittee

ArtDepartment

OnDecember12th,theNationalArtHonorSocietyheldtheirChristmaspartyinauniqueway.Theydecidedtocelebrateboththeartdepartment'sthemefortheyear,ComicCon,andmovie‐makingbyattendingthehitfilmJusticeLeague.Mrs.Buccino,Mr.Biondolillo,andMs.ShmerykowskyescortedninetystudentstotheAMCLoew’sFreshMeadowsTheaterafterschoolwheretheyallfeastedonpopcornwhilewatchingthefirst‐everliveactionteam‐upoftheclassicDCsuperheroes.Theafternoonwasgreatfunforeveryone!

EnglishDepartment

TheEnglishDept.took22SeniorstotheMuseumoftheCityofNewYorkonWed.Dec.13th.Weweregivenourowneducator,Hannah,whotookusonaveryinformativeandinterestingtourofalargeexhibit,specificallydealingwithNewYorkCity'shistoryfrom1870to1898(TheGildedAge).Thestudentsweregivenpostcardsandpencilstomakenotesonanyitemofpersonalinterest,whichtheythensharedwiththegroup.Duringthissharing,Hannahwouldelaborateontheitemsandtheirhistoricalcontext.ThistripwastohelpfacilitateanunderstandingofsettinginCarr'sTheAlienist,whichisanassignedreadingintheGothicismclass.

MusicDepartment

OnFriday,December8th,andSaturday,December16th,St.FrancisPrepMusicDepartmentpresenteditsChristmasConcerts.Saturday,Dec.16th,featuredallthreebands,PrepChorus,andChamberChoir.Ahighlightofthe16thwasourannual"HallelujahProject":ourensembleswerejoinedbychorusesfromOurLadyofHope,St.GregorytheGreat,St.AndrewAvellino,andIntermediateSchool77inHandel'sever‐popular"HallelujahChorus."

FaceBookSlideshow

 Athletics

GirlsBasketball

OurteamhadaverysuccessfultriptotheNikeTournamentofChampionsinPhoenix,Arizona.Thegirlscompletedthetournamentwitha3‐1recordagainstsomeofthetop‐rankedschoolsinthecountry!

BoysSoccer

CongratstotheboyssoccerseasononwinningtheBrooklyn‐QueensChampionship!AlsocongratstoseniorsoccerplayerShawnChackoandJuniorJustinSilvaonbeingselectedtotheallNYCFirstteambyMSGVarsity.

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