Friends,
There is a beautiful silence thats has fallen over Morrissey Boulevard. The busyness of the last few weeks is behind us and we can take time to reflect on the many blessings bestowed upon our community. There are so many moments over the past month that have brought me great joy. The Presidential Scholars listening intently to Dr. Mary Dunn '53 during a lovely presentation and knowing the wisdom he imparts on each generation of BC High students is remarkable. The annual wrapping party for My Brother's Keeper, each of the Christmas concerts, Advent Lessons & Carols -- they each have a unique way to bring us closer to the peace and joy of the season.
As we close out the calendar year, I wanted to share with you a piece of an Advent examen offered by the Ignatian Spirituality Network. "Finally, prepare for the hope of Jesus Christ in your life. Think about what you are hopeful for, what you are looking forward to during Advent and the Christmas season. Is your hope like that of a child on Christmas morning? What gifts will you share to be hope for someone else? Ask God to bless all in your life as you prepare the way of the Lord, and ask God to be with you today and every day. Pray the Our Father."
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AMDG,
Grace Cotter Regan P'12
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I'm pleased to share with you the artwork from our very talented student, Max Bohane '26. His art has been featured across greater Boston and the south shore. He created this beautiful piece just for the BC High Christmas card this year.
I encourage you to take a moment to see the wonderful pieces on his website!
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Spreading Christmas Cheer -- Our Annual My Brother's Keeper Wrapping Party |
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Last week, in one of our school's most cherished traditions, we came together to support 30 families through the My Brother’s Keeper Adopt-a-Family Christmas program!
There truly is no other event on campus that so beautifully captures the excitement of this season, along with our deeper calling to service and companionship with those on the margins. Our students, faculty, and staff dress up in festive outfits and spend the afternoon carefully wrapping each present that their clubs, teams, and departments have gathered with anticipation to spread Christmas cheer among our brothers and sisters in Boston.
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Celebrating our Teacher of the Year |
Words cannot express how proud we are to congratulate Anthony Docanto '16, Pro Head of House and Social Studies teacher on being named a Fenway Bowl Teacher of the Year. Anthony was honored at halftime of the Fenway Wasabi Bowl on December 17.
Anthony's ability to connect with his students, understand their context, and meet them where they are, is deeply rooted in his many years of Jesuit education. He's a proud graduate of Nativity Prep Boston, BC High, and Boston College. We are so thrilled to have him back on the Boulevard!
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Winter Sports are Underway |
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Winter sports are underway and we are excited to cheer on our Eagles this season. Whether its on the mountain watching the ski team, the pool, the ice, the mat, the track, or the court, we hope you can find time to come out and support our student-athletes.
Special thanks to the hockey team for having me at the annual Blessing of the Helmets. A wonderful event for student athletes and their families!
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We were blessed to hear performances from our Liturgical Musicians, Piano 1, 2 & 3 students, Concert Choir. Jazz Rock, Concert Band, and the Jazz Big Band over the last several weeks.
What's certain is the amount of talent and dedication of our students and their teachers to performing at the very highest level.
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Believe - Belong - Become an Eagle |
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Help us find the next class of Eagles! The application deadline is January 15 and we want your help to spread the word.
Dr. Kara Kolomitz, P'26 and the Enrollment team have been hard at work getting to know each and every student and family that has expressed interest in a Jesuit, Catholic education.
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Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception |
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During the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, we were blessed to welcome Fr. Michael Davidson, SJ from Boston College to preside over mass.
Fr. Davidson presently serves as the director of the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center at Boston College. He also teaches a course entitled Courage to Know at Boston College and works with many of our young alumni at Boston College. Fr. Michael and I served as adult leaders in the Arrupe International Program at BC, where we worked with students in the Arrupe Program which culminated in service and immersion trips to Jamaica and Belize. Fr. Michael hails from Jamaica and celebrated his 25th Jubilee anniversary in the Society of Jesus this past September. We were blessed to welcome Fr. Michael at the BLSU event later that evening as well.
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From the Arrupe Division to the House hallways, BC High was decked out in all its holiday glory. The students, faculty, and staff enjoyed getting into the spirit of the season!
And to be sure that academics were well represented, Matt Aumiller and Dann Russo, Classics, accompanied students of Latin and Greek to the 75th annual Latin Christmas Carols celebration at Brown University. The program involves Brown professors reading scenes from the Nativity in Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit. Attendees then sing carols in Latin in response to the readings. The Classics Department looks forward to this even each year as a way to usher in the holiday season!
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The Rev. John J. Begley, SJ Scholarship provides funding for a rising senior(s) to pursue a learning opportunity beyond the classroom. The program is designed for a student to work with a faculty mentor and learn more about an area of particular interest, then create a project and bring it back to our community. Fr. Begley, a former faculty member, was an inspiration to the benefactor of this program during his years at BC High.
This years recipients were John Bernatavicius '23 and Thomas Eldridge '23, both members of Gonzaga House. They presented their findings in early December to a full theater of their peers with many faculty and staff in attendance as well. They both researched projects individually important to them and were excited to share with the community. Their presentations were eloquent and well-researched. It was evident the time and dedication that went into them.
Project-wise, John researched gene therapy and the socio-ethical considerations regarding a rare neurological disorder his sister faces, and Thomas has developed a system to collaborate with Vietnamese speakers on English Language Learning, connected to his interest in languages and his work with the St. Mark’s Citizenship classes here at BC High.
We want to thank Dr. Bryan Sears and Maureen Toner, John and Thomas’ respective mentors. They have been generous, kind, and wise in their work with the students on these ambitious projects. It’s clear that the kids could not have done it without them!
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Students from several clubs and classes got to attend the Earthshot Prize event at JFK Library in early December. They joined other middle and high school students in conversation about the environmental issues most important to today’s youth. Some of our Eagles even got to meet Caroline Kennedy and share how our school is committed to caring for the environment!
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On December 8, I was honored to be a part of our first ever BLSU (Black Latino Student Union) alumni event organized and led by Kenny Delino '16, Asst Director of Alumni Programs and Anthony Docanto '16, Pro Head of House, Social Studies. We were joined by Trustee Stephen Fulton P'25, our former Director of DEI, Dr. Ruth Evee P'18, '22, Nelson Miranda '92 P'16, '18, and Barbara O'Brien-Miller who were all so important in engaging our BLSU alumni
Kenny shared, "words cannot express how special the event was. I hope you all enjoyed spending time with each other and connecting with friends, classmates, and fellow BLSU alumni...BC High invites all of you to come back and be involved in our community. You are all welcome to campus at any time. Your presence matters for our boys and for the future of our school.
A great way to get involved will be through the Sankofa Mentoring Program. Sankofa will provide the opportunity for BLSU alumni to mentor current BLSU students. The program is set to start at the beginning of the new year. If you hope to get involved in Sankofa and be a mentor to current BLSU students, please contact me here."
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Welcoming our Newest Class of Hall of Famers |
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We had one of our largest turnouts in years for our annual Athletic Hall of Fame. We honored and welcomed eight individuals, one team, and two men who represent the values of the late Paul Hunter '53 and my father, Jim Cotter '55. It was a special night and we are eager to begin taking nominations for next years class!
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Last Thursday, nearly 200 alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends gathered to celebrate the generosity of our community for our annual Magis celebration. We were blessed to have Fr. McFarland, SJ, Board Chair welcome the crowd and Fr. Don MacMillan, SJ '60 offer a blessing.
Connor Nee '23, produced a wonderful video about the spirit of magis and where he finds magis in the big and small moments at BC High. Finally, Bennett Ronayne '23, Xavier Captain, spoke eloquently about his experience at BC High and the special community that he's developed within the House System.
Special thanks to Kelly DeGregorio, CFRE and the Advancement team for their work in putting together another wonderful event for our community to gather. The combined efforts of the Advancement team continue to amaze us as they set their sights on raising even more this year to support the student experience, financial aid, and the wonderful faculty and staff that help form our beautiful young men.
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Save the Date for Upcoming Alumni & Parent Events! |
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January 2023
- Young Alumni New Year’s Brunch with President Regan P’12 & Principal Lewis P’28 for the Classes of '18, ’19, ’20, ’21, ’22, January 4
- MLK, Jr. Prayer Service, Coffee & Pastries, January 13
February 2023
- Parents' Association speaker -- Dr. Carrie James -- Behind the Screen, Feb. 15
- Shields Center for Innovation -- Finding Innovative Solutions to Homelessness, Feb. 16
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Office of Student Life & School and College Counseling Office speaker -- Sarah Coughlin, LICSW, LADC-I, Adolescent Substance Use: Signs, Symptoms, Trends, and Treatment, Feb. 28
March 2023
- Arts Festival, Saturday, March 11
- Alumni Reception, Naples Florida, March 8
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BC Hire: Career Connections |
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BC Hire Career Connections has become a terrific program for our young alumni. This year, we have welcomed back alumni speakers to in-person luncheons for our current students as well. These programs help strengthen the alumni network and set BC High apart from other schools.
BC Hire Career Connections supports BC High’s current students and young alumni in securing meaningful summer jobs and internships, laying the groundwork for career success. Many of these internship opportunities are provided by the powerful BC High Alumni Network and our highly engaged parent community, while others are offered by firms in Greater Boston.
For more information, contact Kenny Delino '16, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, kdelino@bchigh.edu or visit the BC Hire page.
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Order Your Eagles Gear Today! |
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Get your Eagles gear today. Order online through our school store. Choose from any one of our teams, co-curriculars, or alumni gear. We are pleased to offer a wide selection for our whole community! |
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| Boston College High School | 617.474.5001 | www.bchigh.edu |
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