PRINCIPAL FOR STUDENT

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1 March 2014 Dear Parents, As mentioned in the November Parent Newsletter, part of our ongoing effort to increase family engagement at Archbishop Ryan High School, the Archbishop Ryan Parents Association was reestablished. Since December, ARPA has been working hard to develop an organization and plan family-friendly events. The leadership of the ARPA is hosting a Parents Meeting in the Archbishop Ryan Chapel on Monday, March 31 at 7 pm. The agenda includes members of the Ryan Literacy Initiative to discuss the new literacy program at Ryan. Also, two speakers, an attorney and a Pennsylvania Family Facilitator, plan to speak about the impact of drug and alcohol abuse on our young people and their families. The ARPA is also hosting Archbishop Ryan Family Night at the Phillies on Wednesday, May 28 when the Phillies play the Colorado Rockies. The flyer that explains this event is in this newsletter and on our website. During the game, our Ryan section will be featured on Phanavision and our name will be displayed on the stadium message boards. This is a family event so families are invited to bring siblings to the game, even if they do not yet attend Ryan. This event is a wonderful chance to spend time at a Phillies game with your family, while promoting Archbishop Ryan High School. The ARPA also represented our Ryan Family at our Open House on March 9. I am grateful for all that the ARPA has accomplished this year and the members of the group s executive board who have worked so hard. We hope to see many parents at our general meeting on March 31 and then at the Phillies on May 28. This issue of the newsletter also bolsters family engagement by providing valuable information. In this issue, readers will find our snow make up schedule, our Lenten activities, school dance information, summer courses at Holy Family, Junior Night, and many stories about all that is happening at Archbishop Ryan High School. May God bless you and your families during this Lenten season. Thank you for your sacrifices and your commitment to Catholic Education. Gratefully, James D. Meredith Principal FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS Mr. Frank Morris Student Affairs is springing into the best months at Archbishop Ryan High School. Josten s continues to accept rings that need resizing or adjustments in any way. Please send your student in for the form and return with all information complete to our office. On Friday, March 21 we will host the Freshman and Sophomore Cotillion in the South Cafeteria. The dance will start at 7:30 and end at 10:30. Tickets price of $5.00 per student will include DJ, dancing and refreshments. Dress Code is semiformal: no jeans, T-shirts, hoodies or sneakers. Boys should wear nice pants, golf shirt, button down shirts and girls can wear a nice dress, skirt, and blouse. Junior Dance is Friday April 4 at Kings II in Bristol PA. The Dance begins at 8:00 pm and ends at 11:30 pm. Prom forms or financial letters were distributed to the Juniors on Friday, March 7 in homeroom. If you received a white financial letter, please contact the Tuition Office, Mr. Tom Geisler at extension 239. Junior girls prom dresses must be approved prior to purchasing a ticket. Cost per ticket for a couple

2 is $ Deadline for seating for the dance is Friday, March 28. Senior Prom forms will be distributed to the Senior students the first week of April. If your student received a financial letter inquiry, please contact the Tuition Office, Mr. Tom Geisler at extension 239. Seating forms must be in to Student Affairs by Friday May 2. The prom is being held at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey. The Prom begins at 8:00 pm and ends at 12:00 midnight. The cost of the Prom per couple is $ FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR STUENT SERVICES Mr. Glen Galeone Seniors who believe that they have perfect attendance for twelve years should contact the Office of Student Services as soon as possible. Also, the Spring Uniform begins on April 1. Seniors who wish to donate their sweaters or ties once the Spring Uniforms begin later this month should stop by the Office of Student Services. Many families who have their last student graduating from Ryan have passed along their uniforms to our office that we donate to those in need. Our supplies are running low! Thank you. Rachel Malampy class of 2012, has started "Rachel's Prom Fantasy" an organization to help provide prom dresses to girls in need. Rachel has also donated a prom package she received from Mrs. Consalvo, mother of Samantha Consalvo, to an Archbishop Ryan student. Rachel has also purchased a prom dress for a student at Hallahan High School. We would like to thank Rachel and Mrs. Consalvo for their generosity and commend Rachel for her continuing support of Archbishop Ryan. FROM THE SCHOOL MINISTER Father John Donia Throughout the season of Lent, we humbly acknowledge our need for Jesus to have mercy on us. As in the past, so now, we are in need for Jesus to be near to us. We need Him to bestow on us his grace of reconciliation. By definition, the word reconciliation means to forgive, to heal, to restore, to make right whatever has been adversely affected by sin. The Lord s grace of reconciliation is the means by which new life springs forth in us. Traditionally, a good Lenten program consists of doing some form of prayer, fasting, almsgiving (work of charity) on each and every day of Lent. Your Lenten program will be the means through which God will be at work healing, forgiving, restoring, and making right whatever has become weak, defective or sinful in you. Through your Lenten discipline of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (work of charity) God s grace will enable new love, faith and goodness to come to life in you. Kairos Retreat The April Kairos retreat registration is now open. Students who wish to attend are asked to stop by the School Ministry Office for the required documents. Registration is conducted on a first come, first served basis until all spots have been filled. Please note that the Kairos retreat is first open to members of the senior class, with a limited number of spots available to juniors. For further information on Kairos, please go to the Ministry section of the Ryan website and click on the Kairos tab. Christian Service All students in grade 11 are required to complete 20 hours of Christian service by April 2. Students have received a packet of information pertaining to the program. Parents and guardians are urged to look over the material (also available on the Ministry section of the Ryan website by clicking on the Christian Service tab). Questions about the Christian service requirements can be ed to me. By April 2 each junior student should have submitted to his or her Theology teacher the completed verification forms and the reflection questions.

3 Confession is good for the Soul At this time of year, we remember and celebrate that Jesus willingly accepted death on the cross so that forgiveness of sin and new life would be possible for all people. Throughout the ages, many people have experienced the love of Jesus who has forgiven and brought them back after they sinned or strayed away. On April 8 and 9 we will celebrate our Lenten Penance Services here in school. All in the Ryan community will be afforded the opportunity to be reconciled with God. Just as I will encourage our students to celebrate the sacrament, I highly recommend that everyone make a good confession before Easter. In the sacrament of Reconciliation, Jesus is truly present forgiving, healing, restoring, and bringing back to life whatever has been adversely affected by sin. Do not be afraid! FROM THE DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE Mr. Jerome O Connell Parents please check the Guidance Office link on our web site. Go to the drop down bar to select the information you need. You will be able to see our Seniors acceptances and scholarships that they informed us they received. Scholarship information has been made available for our seniors. Seniors are asked to bring their acceptances and scholarships letters. We will make a copy for them. If any errors are found in the information please have your student inform the Guidance Office. The next SAT test students can register for: May 3 rd you must register before April 4 th. June 7 th you must register before May 9 th. Go to to register. You may also come to the Guidance Office for a brochure. Frequently used codes include: Pennsylvania State University (code #2660) and the NCAA Clearinghouse for sports (code #9999). The Clearinghouse requires students to have their scores sent to them from the SAT College Board program. They will not accept your scores from transcripts. Applications for Working Papers are available in the Guidance Office. If you live outside Philadelphia you must go to your local high school for working papers. April 9, 2014 is Junior Parent night. Junior parents will receive vital information from the Guidance Office concerning senior year. SNOW MAKE UP DATES The following dates are now school days: Wednesday, April 16 (E Schedule; no yellow bus transportation) Tuesday, April 22 (C Schedule) Thursday, May 1 (A Schedule for Grades 9,10,11; Grade 12 Retreat) Friday, May 23 (D Schedule) Thursday, May 29 (B Schedule) LITERACY INITIATIVE by Ms. Rosemary Naab Archbishop Ryan s Literacy Initiative began in the winter of 2013 to strengthen the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills of our students. The Literacy Committee, consisting of enthusiastic and dedicated teachers from various disciplines, met during the spring and summer of 2013 to create Mission and Vision Statements, and to assess the literacy needs of the teachers and students. In conjunction with the Office of Catholic Education and our president, Mr. Michael McArdle, we received funding to partner with the University of Pennsylvania Literacy Network to provide both training and professional development. The faculty had a very effective in service in September, 2014, and a group of 11 teachers has been

4 taking a series of classes with Dr. Bernadette Janis of the PLN to learn and implement literacy strategies. The group is comprised of teachers from a variety of departments including ELA, Theology, Social Studies, Math, Science, Fine Arts and the Bonaventure Program. The final project for the class is to develop a long range literacy plan for Archbishop Ryan that will take us into the future. The Literacy Initiative is a unique and exciting program in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and the students have been reaping the rewards with teachers implementing different literacy strategies in their classrooms. The entire faculty will be trained to use one strategy over the next two months as we continue to build the basis for literacy success in our school. ONE BOOK/ONE SCHOOL by Ms. Nancy Kurtz On Tuesday, February 25, Archbishop Ryan launched our One Book/One School 2014 program. This year s selection, sponsored by the Social Studies Department, is Killing Lincoln by Bill O Reilly. Abraham Lincoln is one of the most intriguing and influential presidents in United States history. This book goes beyond the more commonly known aspects of his presidency and delves into the events leading up to his assassination and the epic manhunt which followed. At the assembly, which included a public reading of the prologue of the book, movie clips and a historical talk given by Mr. McArdle, students learned more about the end of Lincoln's life. Students were also given the deadline of March 18 by which to purchase the book. A flyer was given out with information concerning options for purchasing the book. This flyer can also be found through a link on the Archbishop Ryan home page. During the end of March and the beginning of April students will be engaged in activities based on the book in all of their classes. One Book/One School is definitely a school wide effort to encourage community spirit through reading. We encourage family members to join us in reading the book. Discussions at home as well as at school will only deepen the experience for our students. We are excited about this book selection. Happy reading! WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP SEMINAR by Ms. Kathi Szymborski Seventeen junior girls participated in a Women in Leadership Seminar at Holy Family University on Friday, March 7. The event was organized by former Congressman Charlie Dougherty and co-sponsored by ACT and Holy Family University. Rita Schwartz and Irene Tori, ACT president and vice president, were among the facilitators. This is the first time students from Ryan were invited, and they represented the only coed school. Other girls attended from St. Hubert, Little Flower, Hallahan, St. Basil, and Nazareth Academy. During opening and closing sessions as well as panel discussions, the girls were encouraged to think about the possibilities for leadership they could pursue in careers that still are dominated by a larger percentage of men. The message for the girls, who were assigned to six groups comprised of students from different schools, was that women are still sometimes held back from attaining high goals due to societal and cultural perceptions. More importantly, the speakers empowered the

5 students to consider all options in choosing career paths. The girls attended four sessions that were led by accomplished women who all graduated from a Catholic high school and who have ties to the Philadelphia area. Among the presenters were Diane Heery, President of Heery Casting; Kathy Ott Lovell, Executive Director of the Fairmount Park Conservancy; Katie Shields, Associate Vice- President of Development at Saint Joseph University; Cheryl Mrazik, Manager of Catholic Relief Services; Karen Toner, Manager of Communications for Parente Beard (Top 25 Accounting Firm); and Lynn Tarini, Director, Communications for GlaxoSmithKline. ARCHBISHOP RYAN-HOLY FAMILY PARTNERSHIP One of the benefits of our partnership allows for Archbishop Ryan students to take classes on campus at Holy Family with the cost being $400 per course during the academic year. We wanted to let you know that we are happy to extend this option to allow interested junior students to also take one course in the summer at this discounted rate. Holy Family University requires a letter of permission from a principal or guidance counselor and would encourage students interested in taking a course to contact the Admissions Office ( or admissions@holyfamily.edu) if they need advice about course selection. Registration opens on April 29. Summer Session I begins May 19. Summer Session II begins July 7. YOUTH SYMPOSIUM ON THE HOLOCAUST by Ms. Pam Yohlin Several members of the No Place for Hate Club accompanied Director of Guidance, Jerry O'Connell, Cora Counselor, Pam Yohlin, and Guidance Intern, Jaclyn Murphy, to an annual Youth Symposium on the Holocaust. They joined approximately 400 other students from Philadelphia area Catholic and public schools. Our student attendees included, Jenn Lawrence, Co- President of the NPFH Club, and Club members, Jen Day, Brigid Gallagher, Ray Gallagher, Shana Herron, Kyle Knudson, Taeyoung Oh, and Jarred Zelenski. The symposium provided students with a unique opportunity to learn about the destructive nature of prejudice and discrimination, the need for courage in the face of tyranny and injustice, and other important universal lessons of the Holocaust. Our students agreed that the highlight of the program was engaging in small group dialogue with Holocaust survivors. The group came away with a greater understanding of the lessons of this dark period in history, as well as with renewed energy in their efforts to promote tolerance, understanding, and acceptance of others. We are proud of this small but mighty group who plays an important leadership role in making our community and the world a better place. HOLY SPIRIT GIFT OF THE MONTH See the Parent Portal on our website for more information about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

6 FACULTY FOCUS: Sister Eileen Frances Cooke, Theology Department by Father John Donia Our own Sister Eileen Frances Cooke recently joined with pilgrims from the Diocese of Camden on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The 41 Camden pilgrims arrived in the Holy Land, after a one-day snow-delay, on Feb. 11 and returned to South Jersey Feb. 18. of Jerusalem presented the Pilgrim Shell, described as the choicest decoration of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, to Father Joseph Byerley, Father Michael Romano and Father Robert E. Hughes. Any Knight or Lady of the Order in good standing, who makes a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and prays at the site of the Holy Sepulchre of our Risen Lord, can earn the Pilgrim Shell. It testifies that the Knight or Lady of the Order has seen the results of his or her charity and knows the importance of the mission of the Order and the fulfillment of the apostolate. published program entry/participation requirements. Only 15,000 Semifinalists advance to Finalist standing. Congratulations, Craig! DIVISION CHAMPIONS! The Archbishop Ryan Mathletes captured the Northern Division Championship in March. Congrats, Mathletes, as they work toward the Catholic League and City Titles. Three priests of the Diocese of Camden were among the pilgrims who went to Jerusalem this month, and they received the Pilgrim Shell while there. Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate STUDENT OF THE MONTH February Kaitlyn Milgrom Congratulations! CONGRATULATIONS! Senior Craig Carr has been named as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist. As described on its website, The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT ) a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year and by meeting COMING ATTRACTIONS: Stay tuned for the April Newsletter for the listing of our AR Winter Student Athletes who earned All-Catholic honors! IN MEMORIAM Please remember in prayer those members of our Ryan Family who have gone to their Eternal Rest during the past month, especially: -Ronald Cargan, father of Ms. Megan Hay

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