We have a holiday on January 20th in honor of the birthday of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a minister, this civil rights leader often promoted racial harmony from a faith perspective. Yes, it’s good to remember we are all God’s children. He also sought to bring change through non-violent means, yet he met a violent death. While progress has been made, Dr. King’s “dreams” are still just that for too many people. The brotherhood we promote at Curley cannot work if we then set up barriers, be they racial, economic, social or whatever. The message of the Gospel is that Jesus redeemed all people, and being “instruments of peace” in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi means we should make deliberate efforts for peace and harmony. May we each pray and work for social justice, locally, nationally and around the world.

-- Fr. Donald

Th second semester begins on January 21, a milestone as we pass the halfway point of the school year. It is a good time for everyone - students and teachers alike - to assess our progress, to make adjustments, and to prepare for a successful conclusion to the year. Families are encouraged to talk about this at home as well as we reflect on the first half of the year.

I hope you will join us for the presentation on the Teenage Brain on January 29, 2025. Details and an RSVP can be found in this newsletter. Your son will hear a companion presentation earlier in the day. We hope that these joint presentations will allow us to develop similar insights into the development of our Curley Men. 

-- Jeremy Joseph ’96

Catholic Schools Week: We look forward to celebrating Catholic Schools Week January 26-February 1. Go HERE for a list of activities and information about dress down days. Go HERE for a flyer needed for the Pizza John's fundraiser on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. All are invited to the Holy Hour scheduled for January 29 at 6:00 pm. More details to follow.

Service Hours: A reminder that Mission-4-Service hours are due on April 28. All hours are to be submitted on the Mission-4-Service Google Classroom. Half of the hours may be done at Curley and all other hours must be done outside of Curley. Please do not wait until the last minute!

The SGA is once again participating in the Special Olympics Maryland Polar Bear Plunge! As part of the Cool Schools Plunge initiative, the SGA will be traveling to Sandy Point State Park on January 29 to represent Curley at the Cool Schools Plunge. As has become tradition though, Curley will also host the Polar Bear Plunge for the Curley Community getting our own faculty and staff involved, on Thursday, February 6! There are currently 18 teachers signed up to participate and will begin raising money this week during lunch periods. Buckets will be in the SDR for students to donate spare change or big bucks to the teacher they want to see water dumped on! The more money a teacher gets, the more water they get dumped on them! The staff participating are: Mrs. Vandergriff, Mr. Muth, Mr. Benton, Mr. McCue, Mr. Olszewski, Mrs. Lindsay, Mr. Streckfus, Dcn. Tim, Dr. Osarczuk, Mrs. Burton, Fr. Chris, Mr. Ayd, Mr. Pipkin, Mr. Patino, Mrs. Wysocki, Mrs. Bartomioli, Dcn. Dan Miller, and Mr. Joseph. We encourage you to go HERE to donate online to our fundraising page!

 

If you are donating in honor of a certain teacher, please note that online upon donation so that teacher gets the credit! If you are donating on behalf of the SGA, please make that note too! We appreciate your support of Curley and of Special Olympics Maryland. 

A Nite at The Races is quickly approaching on January 25! Those attending are reminded that doors will open at 6:30 pm and your tickets are picked up at the door when you arrive. The buffet will be available as soon as you arrive that evening. The first post time for the night is scheduled for 7:40 pm. At this time you are only able to purchase horses online ($25 each). The deadline for horse purchases is Sunday evening, January 19. Tickets are no longer available. Horse race winners receive $125. Winners are not required to be present at the event to participate so you can support Curley’s Performing Ensembles by purchasing a horse. Horse ownerships can be purchased HERE. Contact Ed Lawrence (elawrence@archbishopcurley.org) with any questions.

Friday, January 17, is the end of the second quarter. Please check your son’s grades and reach out to his teachers if you have any questions or concerns. This also means the 3rd quarter begins Tuesday, January 21, which offers the opportunity for continued success or a fresh start. Please let me know if you have any questions or if your son needs any assistance. 

We will be hosting world renowned Neurologist, Dr. Frances Jensen to speak to the students on Wednesday, January 29, on the topic “The Teenage Brain” There will also be a parent session that same evening. Please review the flyer below and RSVP if you are able to join us.

-- Ken Pipkin

We are excited to announce our upcoming STEM Symposium, an event that highlights student achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The event will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2025. To make this event a success, we invite individuals and local businesses to partner with us as a sponsor. Your support and that of local businesses will help foster innovation and excellence in STEM education while showcasing your commitment to the development of future leaders in these fields. Below are the available sponsorship opportunities :  

Einstein Sponsor ($300)

Show your support at this impactful level. Benefits include:  

- Advertisement in the program  

- Logo displayed on a board at the STEM Symposium  

- Logo featured on award certificates  

Newton Sponsor ($200) 

Help fuel inspiration by sponsoring refreshments for attendees. Benefits include: 

- Display board at the refreshment area during the STEM Symposium  

- Advertisement in the program  

Mendel Sponsor ($100)  

Named after Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics. Benefits Include: 

- Advertisement in the program  

Family Sponsor ($30)

Support a student and help us subsidize printing costs for the event. Benefits include: 

- Name listed in the program  

Your generous sponsorship will directly impact students by enhancing the quality of our event and supporting their exploration of STEM disciplines. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, go HERE to donate. If you have any questions, please email Kim Burton, Science Department Chairperson.  

Thank you for your consideration. Together, we can inspire the next generation of innovators! 

Curley Gala 30 will be held on April 12, 2025. The event features both a silent and live auction, and we need your help!

Each year, our Gala Gift committee designs class “themed” gift registries. We are encouraging our families to donate a gift to the auction based on your son's class theme –

Class of 2028: “Items for Him”

Class of 2027: “Items for Her”

Class of 2026: “Outdoor Adventure/Summer Fun”

Class of 2025: “Gift Cards”

The class with the highest percentage of gifts donated will win a dress down day and class pizza lunch. All parent names from the class with the highest percentage of gifts donated will be entered into a raffle and the winner will win (2) free tickets to the black tie Gala on April 12. We ask all gifts to be donated by March 12 at the latest. 

PLEASE NOTE –

• Gifts purchased from the Amazon registries will ship directly to Curley, unless otherwise changed/noted upon ordering.
• Your gift does not have to come from the registry list. If you find a gift that fits to your class theme elsewhere or you would like to make a gift basket, etc., we love that too!
• Consider a group gift! You are always welcome to organize a group gift with several families to purchase a larger gift or experience.
• Please make sure to add your student(s) name(s), his class and parent name to the gift when sending to or dropping off at school to ensure all students/families involved are given credit for the gift. Please have gifts sent or dropped off directly to school to Attention: Gala.

For other Gala opportunities, including hosting gift gathering parties, sponsoring, tickets or volunteering, please contact Mrs. Caroline Palmisano at cpalmisano@archbishopcurley.org or 410-485-5000, ext. 211. We thank you in advance for your support!