Weeks of December 23, 2024 - January 12, 2025

From the President

I join in extending sincere thanks to all the Curley families who contributed to a generous Christmas gift for each faculty and staff member. Your kindness is appreciated. I also want to send prayers and best wishes to you, asking the Lord to help you and your loved ones know the true joy and peace of Christmas. On Christmas Eve Pope Francis will also open the Holy Year 2025 with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” These “Holy Years,” generally held every 25 years, remind us of God’s goodness and mercy. It seems to me that Pope Francis sees the need for us as individuals, and as a worldwide community, to re-discover the hope that comes from knowing we are saved. The reason Jesus came into the world is to bring salvation, to fulfill the Messianic promises so we can be a people of hope and joy, and it can be a special point of reflection as we celebrate Christmas this year. Wishes for a hopeful New Year as well!

-- Fr. Donald

From the Principal

This has been a very busy December, but that is certainly true every year. I hope that Christmas break is a time of relaxation for our faculty, staff and students…and for their parents! I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. Please know that you and your family will be in my prayers during this holy season. I hope that it is a time of peace and rest for you and your sons. May it also be a time of prayer and rejoicing for all in the Curley Family as we welcome Christ into our hearts and our homes.

As a reminder, we return to classes on Thursday, January 2nd, which will be Day 1 on the school calendar. At that point, we will have two and a half weeks remaining in the second quarter, which ends on January 17th. Students should come back to school ready to finish the quarter strong. The first two quarters and the mid-term exams are factored into the semester grade.

-- Jeremy Joseph ’96

From the Finance Office

The deadline of January 2, 2025, for your Grant and Aid Application is approaching very quickly. Please remember that any student who currently receives any type of need-based tuition assistance MUST re-apply. Please check out the Curley website for updated external aid options.

A friendly reminder that any payment date changes to payments must be made before Friday, December 20, 2024, as the Finance Office will be closed until January 2, 2025. Please contact Cris Wilson at cwilson@archbishopcurley.org or (410) 485-5000 x204.

The next Curley Family Weekly Bulletin

will be emailed to families on January 9, 2025.

From the Assistant Principal of Academics

I wish each of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope everyone has time to relax and spend time with family and friends. If your son missed an exam this past week and did not attend the make up session, make up exams will be given the day we return, Thursday, January 2nd. When we return to school in the New Year there will be two weeks left in the second quarter. Please make sure to remind your son to continue to check his plus portals account and ask his teacher(s) if he has any questions or needs additional support.

-- Ken Pipkin

Blackfriars' Theatre

After leaving a phone message and sending an email to the rep at Music Theatre International, we finally heard back this week and the gag order on making the announcement of Blackfriars' Theatre Spring Musical has been lifted. Many students and parents guessed what they thought the musical would be and several of them were right! The Spring Musical will be Damn Yankees. The musical is scheduled for the weekend of March 14 -16, 2025. Auditions will be held the week of January 5, 2025. The exact dates for vocal, dance, and script readings are still being worked out with our musical director and choreographer, so those interested in being in the show please keep January 5-7 open on your busy calendars. Once the exact dates are confirmed they will be posted on the Curley website, as well as several Blackfriars' Theatre Facebook pages.

To clarify the hints used in last week's newsletter: hint #1 - Music Theatre International (this company holds the rights to the show which narrowed the choices on what show we would be doing), hint #2 - season (a baseball season), hint #3 - New York (the Yankees are a baseball team in New York), and hint #4 - hit (a baseball term and what we hope our musical will be in March).

From all the student members of Blackfriars' Theatre and all the adults of our production staff, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Semper Fi Scholarship

The Semper Fi Scholarship is open to Catholic students at Curley. The scholarship process involves the completion of an application, along with supporting documents from the parish and the pastor that evidence a commitment by the applicant and his family to living their Catholic faith. Essays from the parent and student are part of the application.

A student may receive this scholarship in any year of his education, and it is renewable on an annual basis. A committee, comprised of the donor and Archbishop Curley High School administration, will determine the annual awards.

The applicant is responsible for meeting the deadline of January 8, 2025, and having all related materials submitted by that date. Applications, in print or digital form, may be obtained in the Main Office from Mrs. Raynor.

Volunteer with the Friar "C" Club

The Friar "C" Club needs your help to staff the concession stands for the following events. We can't wait to see you in the stand!

Winter Athletics -- go HERE
Friar Duals -- go HERE
Junior League Day -- go HERE

Can't volunteer? No Problem! You can still support Friar "C" and Curley Athletics by sending in donations for needed items. Please go HERE to sign up to donate. All items should be brought into the Main Office and labeled Friar "C". For further information or questions, please email archbishopcurleyfriarc@gmail.com. Thank you for your support of Curley Athletics!!

Nite at the Races

The event is about five weeks away on January 25th, but the $5 discount on tickets is less than two weeks away. About half of the 200 tickets have already been purchased and sales will pick up over the next 10 days. Based on the sales of previous years, there won't be many tickets left (if any) after December 31st. As you gather with friends and family for the holidays, get your group together to support the Performing Ensembles at Curley. Buy a table (8-10 people) or two or purchase horses (which you get to name) for $25 with the chance to win $125. Horse winners do not need to be present to win. Get those tickets before December 31st and save $5 per ticket. Please contact Ed Lawrence (elawrence@archbishopcurley.org) with any questions or to purchase tickets and/or horses. Tickets and horses can also be purchased online HERE.

Knights of Columbus High School Scholarships

The Maryland State Council of the Knights of Columbus is the sponsor of several high school scholarships, some for children of members (the Frederick M. Gossman Memorial Scholarships), and others for Catholic students in general (the William J. O’Brien Memorial Scholarships). The awards may be applied to tuition only for the 2025-26 school year. The application period is now open, and all applications must be received in their entirety by the Scholarship Committee no later than February 1, 2025. Scholarship applications are available HERE. If you have a problem accessing the information, Fr. Donald can get you an application packet.