MCCHS Friday Focus
299th Issue - August 30, 2024
From the Desk of Mr. Brad Williams
Marian Central is full of energy and excitement as we approach the end of our first month of the 2024-2025 school year. Students are happy and hungry to learn. Teachers are enthusiastic and excited to have a positive influence on the lives of our students. Entering my eleventh year at Marian, I am confident in saying that this is one of the strongest and sturdiest starts in my tenure. Thank you to all our families, students, faculty and staff for making this an excellent start to the year! Although we are in late August, there are a lot of activities kicked into gear as well as upcoming events.
The production for the fall play has been announced—Dracula! We are excited to see our faculty directors and student participants express their creativity and passion for arts over the coming weeks, culminating in the showing of the fall play at Marian Central, November 15-17.
Several sports are in full swing, including boys’ soccer, volleyball, football, cross country, cheerleading, poms, boys’ golf and girls’ golf. This past week we celebrate our volleyball team’s win vs. Antioch, our boys’ golf win vs. Aurora Christian, and our girls’ golf win vs. St. Ed’s.
Good luck to our football team in their first home game against Richmond-Burton at George Harding Field tonight!
As the fall season continues, please check the schedules for all sports and come out to support our student-athletes.
Go Canes!!!
Whether it’s fine arts, sports, or our many clubs and organizations, there is an activity for everyone at Marian Central and we encourage all students to explore the different offerings and become involved.
I wanted to close by commenting on an element of the football games for both students and parents, as well as a respectful request. Football games are one of our most front facing public events. We are proud of our coaches and players, of the product they put on the field, and of the countless hours put in by athletic trainers and administrators to make Friday nights at Marian a special place.
Part of those operations is the concession stand. Money generated from concessions is a huge contribution to the school, primarily for the junior-senior prom in the Spring. Any junior or senior who works a concession shift will receive 50% off a prom ticket. Based on last year’s prom, that is a $60 discount. Any freshman or sophomore is eligible for credit towards our Service Hour program. We also need parent volunteers to handle money. Please, take a moment and look through the link at the bottom of this message to find time to volunteer, both parents and students. It is greatly appreciated and a huge contribution to the success of our school, both on Friday night football games and beyond.
The administration would like to make a respectful request to all drivers in the parking lots of our school, both students and parents, to please be careful of the surroundings and drive slowly. Pick up, dismissal, and sporting events are especially busy times. Be cautious, be aware and please drive in a way that reflects an essential and important goal of our school—the safety of the students.
Link to Concessions Sign Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FAEAA22A0FFC16-50546870-football#/
Brad Williams
Dean of Students
Powder Puff Shirts
The annual Powder Puff event between the Junior and Senior girls will take place on Thursday, September 26th. T shirts can be ordered through the link below.
The deadline to order shirts is Monday, September 9th.
Marian Central Powderpuff Football | Sportdecals Inc. (itemorder.com)
Grandparents Mass at Marian Central; October 9th
Grandparents play an important part in our students' lives! Marian Central Catholic High School would like to celebrate and honor our grandparents for all they do and the role they play in the lives of their grandchildren. Enjoy a day dedicated to our grandparents on Wednesday, October 9! Grandparents Mass is at 10:30am, followed by light refreshments and a tour of the school. Please pass along this event and have grandparents RSVP here.
Can't attend Grandparents' Mass, but want to receive invitations to special events and the Hurricane Alert magazine? Grandparents, share your info here.
Questions? Contact Mrs. Bordeaux at kbordeaux@marian.com.
Food Pantry Collection
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave
me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in”
-Matthew 25: 35
Food pantries’ collections are at an all time low, leaving hundreds hungry in McHenry Country alone. Marian Central’s Key Club is working to revive the pre-COVID “Marian Cares” tradition of feeding the hungry. Our goal is to provide as much relief to those in need as possible. With your help, a donation of non-perishable food can support our local food pantries, and by extension, those in need in our immediate community.
At varsity home football games, there will be a Key Club table stationed to collect any food items that are brought in. We look forward to seeing you all at the football games!
God bless, and go Canes!
College Visits Next Week
All juniors and seniors may attend these visits. Students must receive permission from their teachers to attend each visit and must sign up for all visits in SCOIR.
Wednesday 9/4: University of Findlay (Virtual)-4th period, University of Central Florida (Virtual)-9th Period
Thursday 9/5: University of Kansas-3rd Period, College of St. Benedict/St. John University-9th Period
September/October Calendar
Monday, September 2nd - Labor Day; No School
Wednesday, September 4th - Late Start; 9:45 am start time
Wednesday, October 2nd - Late Start; 9:45 am start time
Friday, October 4th - 8th Grade Visit Day; No Classes
Friday, October 11th - Noon Dismissal
Monday, October 14th - Columbus Day; No School
Tuesday, October 15th - Testing Day; Early Dismissal
Thursday, October 24th - Parent/Teacher Conferences; Noon Dismissal
Friday, October 25th - Parent/Teacher Conferences; No School
Required Health Documentation
Freshmen:
Certificate of Child Health Examination forms and original birth certificates are due no later than October 15, 2024.
Seniors:
Proof of having received your second meningococcal vaccine is due no later than October 15, 2024.
If you are planning on applying for a Religious Exemption, the paperwork is due to the main office by SEPTEMBER 1, 2024.
October Testing for Juniors
In the past we have used the October test date for our current Juniors to take the PSAT/NMSQT, a practice SAT test, while the freshmen and sophomores took the PreACT. What we realized is that this process did not allow us to measure student progress and growth over time. We decided to have all Juniors take the ACT test this year on Tuesday, October 15, at 8:00am. This will help us to align and analyze data more effectively and will also provide our students with an early indicator of how they might perform on the ACT in the spring. Students will not need to register for this test, nor pay any additional fees.
This decision will help our Juniors identify the areas in which further concentration and support are needed throughout the remainder of their Junior year in preparation for the spring ACT test. Marian Central is a test site for the ACT National Test on Saturday, April 5, 2025. More information on registration for that date will be sent out later this year.
We will continue to offer our Juniors the opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT test, if desired. Taking this optional test gives students practice for the SAT test and provides a predicted SAT score. In addition, it is the only opportunity for our most academically gifted students to potentially qualify for the National Merit Scholarship.
The PSAT/NMSQT will be administered on Thursday, October 24, starting at 8:00am. More information regarding registration and test fees will be coming in early September.
If there are any questions about either the ACT or PSAT/NMSQT, please contact Mrs. Kelly Hilton, Guidance Director at khilton@marian.com.
Color Run - Kick off Homecoming Week!
Hurricanes, get ready to kick off Homecoming week with a colorful splash!
The National Honor Society will be holding its second annual COLOR RUN Sunday, September 22nd, from 3-5:15 pm. It will take place on the Marian Central Track and is open to all students, families, alumni, and faculty. Get ready to get a little messy as you run for a great cause.
The $10 fee will cover an X-Large white T-shirt to wear during the Color Run and all of the proceeds will go to the Poor Clare Nuns of Rockford. To sign up please scan the QR code or click here and fill out the google form which will hold more details! Go Canes!
Meat Raffle - Support our Hurricanes Football Team!
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲!
𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲-𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞'𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐁𝐚𝐫 & 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞.
All Marian Central families and guests are welcome!
Hosted by: Marian Central Catholic High School Boosters
Date: Sunday, September 8th
Time: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Location: Offside's Restaurant, Woodstock
All proceeds will benefit the football team, and we guarantee a fun time for everyone!
𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬? Tickets can be purchased in advance, and you do not need to be present to win (except for the beer and wine pulls). Purchase your raffle tickets beforehand or in person and then sit back and hope your number is chosen!
Dine on your lunch and watch the football game. Raffles available for ribs, steaks, seafood, breakfast, burgers, and good ole' ballpark franks! 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞: "The Ribfest": 3lb pork baby back ribs, Wichita pork bacon applesmoked, mashed potatoes, and whiskey apple seasoning"
We look forward to seeing you!
Questions: mccanesfb@gmail.com
Student Volunteers Needed
Earn service hours by helping St. Mary at the Fall Fun Fair. See below for more info.