John Thornburg
Headmaster
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Dear Parents,
Welcome to the second week of March! We have our first Fall II athletic competitions this week as well as Daylight Savings Time this weekend. Our MC Parent Council did a wonderful job organizing our Women's Day of Recollection this past weekend and we had over 30 participants join in the event. I would like to give special thanks to Kathleen McGourthy and Deb Walsh for their leadership, time and tremendous skills in organizing such a detailed function.
Last week we mailed our informational letter to every family outlining our upcoming State of the School Address on Thursday, March 18, at 6:30 PM, and included an official MC magnet. We will be sending out a link next week for you and your family to register for the Address.
To help all of our families better prepare for the week ahead, we are planning to consolidate our communication and combine our Sunday letter from Principal Redman with the Headmaster Update. Going forward, you will receive the Headmaster Update on Sunday which will include a note from Principal Redman, and give you a comprehensive MC information source.
We have two weeks left of this quarter. I would like to remind all of our students to make sure to finish this quarter as strong as possible. The next few months will pass by quickly; this an opportunity to remain focused as we move toward the end of the school year.
Thank you for your support,
John K. Thornburg
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Monday, March 8
Blue Day 1
Tuesday, March 9
Gold Day 1
Wednesday, March 10
Fifth Day
Senior Day Blue Cohort | 9 AM
Senior Day Gold Cohort | 12 PM
Academic Enrichment Grades 10, 11, 12 | 8 AM
Lunch | 11:00 AM
Clubs | 11:45
Girls ROX Grade 9 | 1 PM - Mandatory
Boys Impact Group A Grade 9 | 1 PM - Mandatory
Girls with Impact Grades 10 and 11 | 1 PM - Mandatory
Thursday, March 11
Blue Day 2
Rosary in the Cafeteria | 7:30 AM
Friday, March 12
Gold Day 2
Rosary in the Cafeteria | 7:30 AM
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Jose Jorge
Spanish Teacher
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Dear Malden Catholic Community,
I recently joined Malden Catholic as a Spanish teacher, and I am honored to be able to help MC students grow in the understanding of the Spanish language. I hold a master’s degree in Ministry from St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, a business degree from University of Phoenix and I have been teaching Spanish for 5 years.
I truly enjoy working with the students and helping them grow in their understanding of Spanish. I speak three languages fluently and being trilingual has opened many doors for me. We live in a global economy and as they prepare for the future, my hope is to help Malden Catholic students understand the importance and the marketability of speaking multiple languages.
Even though I begin my year of teaching in the third semester here at Malden Catholic, my experience has been and continues to be amazing! The staff and the faculty are welcoming and willing to help at any given moment. Being a part of Malden Catholic is truly a blessing and I am very excited about meeting the families of MC and discovering what lies ahead for the remainder of the year.
Warmly,
Mr. Jorge
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Celebrating Women's History Month |
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MCPC Hosts Women's Day of Recollection |
Malden Catholic Parent Council Hosts Women's Day of Recollection
Thank you to everyone who attended our Women's Day of Recollection and Kathleen McGourthy and Deb Walsh for organizing such a beautiful event! We had over 30 participants who joined together for a lovely day filled with meditation, reflection, discussion and Mass with Father Sheridan.
The participants took a long walk in the Fells to reflect up on the year and met during the afternoon to review Sister Norma Pimentel's work and discuss how we can "break free" during Lent to help those in need. While doing God's work assisting refugees in a camp on the U.S. Mexican border, Sister Norma was not able to join the Women's Day of Recollection conference, but she will meet with participants online next Sunday for a live discussion.
Malden Catholic now has the distinct honor of having two recipients of the Laetare Medal address our school, the other being Sister Helen Prejean. The second honor was bestowed upon Sister Norma last year when Time Magazine listed her as one of the “The 100 Most Influential People of 2020.” Julian Castro, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, opened his brief biography of Sister Norma, saying, “For I was hungry, and you gave me food, I was thirsty, and you gave me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. These words from Matthew form the foundation of both the Catholic principle of faith through works and the life’s mission of Sister Norma Pimentel.” As we honor Catholic women this month, let us be inspired by Sister Norma’s courage and dedication to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and respect.
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National Merit Scholarship Nominee |
Congratulations to our two students who are Nominees for the National Merit Scholarship: Luke Stockless and Maxwell Lindbergh! These students had outstanding performances on the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. This is an amazing accomplishment!
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Catholic Conference Celebration & Senior Night |
Last Thursday, we celebrated the Boys Varsity Basketball Team Catholic Conference Championship win and presented our Senior athletes with awards. We are incredibly proud of our team and our Seniors! Way to go Lancers!
To view Facebook LIVE footage from the event, see our Facebook page.
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This weekend marked the beginning of the XBSS Retreat. This Retreat is rooted in the Xaverian Fundamental Principles and brings together over 90 students and 20 adults representing the 13 Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools to reflect upon their lived experience of the Xaverian Charism and spiritual lives.
After a competitive application and interview process for our juniors, our Administration in consultation with our Campus Ministers selected Khloe Camblin, Eavan Flood, Nathan Ford, Dan Hackett, Shadel Kibirige, Matt LoPriore, Amy Nguyen, Jorge Ortiz and Lauren Pozark to represent Malden Catholic. Ben Foy and Aaron Babu were selected to return to the XBSS Retreat as our senior leaders.
In a typical year, the students would gather in West Hartford, Connecticut for the 5-day annual Retreat. This year, the students gather for 5 virtual sessions together on Zoom. This retreat will be a terrific experience for all involved!
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Naviance is a robust college and career readiness software provider that partners with high schools to provide students with college planning and career assessment tools. Naviance is a very robust resource that can help students determine their ideal college choices along with scholarship opportunities and much more. Malden Catholic's School and College Counseling department has prepared a video to help parents understand the value of this extensive platform. The link can be found
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Lancers Excel in Model Bridge |
Congratulations to Sam Hanna and Martynas Gravell for earning 4th and 5th place respectively in the 30th Annual Model Bridge Competition! This event is hosted by the Boston Society of Civil Engineers and our students have done an outstanding job! To watch a video demonstrating the construction of the winning bridges, click here.
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Club Highlight - Mock Trial Win!
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Congratulations to the MC Mock Trial Team for two more wins on Thursday, February 25 against Arlington Catholic High School and Tuesday, March 2 against Attleboro!
MC continues to make history by taking part in a criminal trial completely on a Zoom platform, where performances included delivering opening and closing statements, direct and cross examinations, raising and responding to objections, properly entering evidence and keeping time. We are so proud of the team’s performances and look forward to the next trial!
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I MATTER 2021 COMMUNITY-WIDE EVENT
Malden Catholic Grade 9 students have been actively participating in ROX leadership program this year. To supplement the curriculum, ROX is holding a free two-hour community-wide event entitled "I Matter" that is open to girls in Grades 9, 10, and 11 along with their mothers and female mentors. The program is held in conjunction with The Center for Family Safety and Healing on Saturday, March 13 from 10 - 12 PM. Please register through this link.
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The next Parent Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10th, at 7 PM. Our guest speaker will be Elizabeth Paquette, School Nurse. Nurse Paquette will share updated information regarding COVID-19, immunizations and health guidelines. Please use this meeting link for the Parent Council Meeting on Wednesday Mar 10 at 7 PM:
MCPC T-Shirts
The MC Parent Council is created t-shirts for all proud Malden Catholic parents and grandparents for only $10. Please order your MC shirt on the MCPC website page: https://www.maldencatholic.org/student-life/mcpc
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Virtual auditions will be held this Wednesday, March 10 for the Drama Club play, The Seussification of Romeo and Juliette. If you are interested in auditioning, please contact Ms. Keith at [email protected] to schedule a time and receive the audition materials.
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Interested in college scholarships? MC’s Department of School & College Counseling has a list of scholarships available to students enrolling in college in the fall of 2021. If you are interested, please visit the Department of School & College Counseling for more information. |
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Drivers Permit Information |
Students who are applying for their driving permit need documentation from Malden Catholic indicating that they are a current student in good standing with the school. Please email Mrs. DelGenio at [email protected] if you need driving permit documentation. Information must be requested one week in advance. Once processed, you can see Mrs. Tracey and pick up the documents at the MC front desk.
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Sister Helen Prejean Community Read |
Sister Helen Prejean led a live, intimate discussion last week to set the stage for reading her most recent book, River of Fire. An excerpt from the live discussion is attached.
Sharing personal stories in a way in which only Sr Helen can tell, the group enjoyed hearing how she "woke up" to Jesus in her life, and responded to significant, yet unexpected events with increased humility and grace.
Sister Helen will join the group again on April 9th at 6 PM to discuss their insights and reflections.
If you have any questions or would like to join the group, please email Mr. Dustin Batista directly at [email protected].
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MC Leadership Speaker Series Features Katie Greer |
We were honored to welcome Katie L. Greer, who spoke to Malden Catholic students on Wednesday, March 3rd via webinar, as part of the MC Leadership Speaker Series. Ms. Greer is an internet safety keynote speaker who teaches at schools and conferences across the U.S. and Canada.
Ms. Greer spoke to MC students about tips for maintaining greater privacy of their internet accounts and the importance of managing their digital footprint due to the impact it can have on future college and career opportunities. We thank Ms. Greer for her content and look forward to having her join us at Malden Catholic in the future to share additional online safety tips.
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Campus Ministry hosted Pizza and Prayer for Gold Cohort students last week and everyone enjoyed having the opportunity to gather together live after school. Thank you, Ms. Foley for providing MC students with an opportunity to gather together in prayer! |
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Malden Catholic Book Club |
The club is open to all MC parents, faculty and friends, and we encourage you to join. If you are interested in being part of this engaging group, please contact Missy Barrett at [email protected].
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Mission Moment with Brother Puccio |
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Mission Moment
Margaret Thatcher once famously said, "If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman." Today, March 8, on International Women’s Day, celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, I would like to recognize the central role that women have played and continue to play in American education, particularly at the elementary and secondary levels. Approximately 75% of the teachers in American public schools are women. In Catholic education, the ratio tilts even further toward women, representing about 88% of the teacher workforce. Malden Catholic, with a single-gender male identity for its first 85 years, followed the pattern of all boys’ schools, with a majority of male teachers – and for half of that history, mostly Xaverian Brothers -- but the current gender ratio for our professional staff is 58% men and 42% women.
We have a wonderfully dedicated female faculty and staff at Malden Catholic today. They have as their models the School Sisters of Notre Dame, who ministered lovingly at Girls Catholic from 1908 to 1992. American Catholic education, in fact, owes a great debt of gratitude to the many congregations of religious sisters who had as their mission to educate youth. From the 1840s through the 1960s these devoted women largely ran our schools.
Though ministries and missions change, women are still making tremendous impact as Catholic educators, whether as models in the classroom or – thinking of “teaching” a little more broadly – as models in the larger world. Malden Catholic, in fact, has been fortunate to have had a special relationship just this week with two such inspiring people. They are Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking, and Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley. Both are ardent advocates for Catholic social justice teachings. Sister Helen’s interest is to abolish the death penalty and to call to light the racial bias in the enactment of capital punishment; Sister Norma helps immigrants and refugees on our southern border.
Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Dustin Batista (for Sister Helen) and of Dr. Stephen Baccari (for Sister Norma), they have shared their stories with us. Sister Helen, who spoke to our students several weeks ago, met virtually last week with those MC staff interested in discussion of her new book River of Fire. She will return to this group in about a month. Sister Norma will meet next Sunday with participants of yesterday’s Women’s Day of Recollection, which previewed the themes of her ministry. Mrs. Katheen McGourthy and Mrs. Deb Walsh, working with Campus Ministers Ms. Deirdre Foley and Dr. Stephen Baccari, and with Ms. Dianne James, orchestrated a wonderful Women’s Day program. I thank them!
Today, in recognizing Women’s achievements, let us not be slow to appreciate those women in our own midst and beyond whose contributions of service to Malden Catholic, to Church, and to the world at large remind us – men and women -- of all we can be as people of Gospel values and followers of Jesus.
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Malden Catholic Fall II Sports Practices in Full Swing |
Football, Track & Field, and Volleyball have been very busy preparing for with games this week. Please see the schedule below. |
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Lancers, the MC online school store is now open until March 15th. You can purchase a wide variety of new and classic MC apparel through this link: Champions Choice Apparel
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Fall II Sports Games Schedule |
March 8:
March 11:
March 12:
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