A Message from the President

Dear East Catholic Family,

Congratulations to all of our students and faculty for making it through the half-way point in the school year. We had a good mid-year exam period, bringing the first semester to a close. Report cards are due to be posted today. On to second semester!

Last Friday, the students had a well-deserved day off, and the Faculty/Staff had their annual retreat. As you will see below, we started off with a delicious breakfast on campus followed by a session about seeing God in our daily lives. The second part of the day was a bit more unorthodox. We went axe throwing! Thanks to Campus Ministry and others for organizing a fun day of bonding!

We were very fortunate to have the #1 ranked UConn Huskies Men's Basketball team on campus recently for a kids basketball clinic. The Bleeding Blue for Good ProCamp has clinics all over the state, and we were excited to have them in our gym. See the photos below.

We are enrolling students for the fall already! The first round of members of the Class of 2028 have been accepted and started to enroll. Please spread the word that the second round of acceptances is coming soon. Many thanks to Mr. Malone and Mrs. Diemar – as well as our army of ambassadors – for all they do to attract mission-appropriate students to East!

We are excited to welcome students and families from St. James and St. Bridget’s Schools for a night of basketball here in our gym. The girls’ teams will play at 6:00, and the boys’ teams will play at 7:15. The cheerleading squads from both schools will be there as well. Should be a fun night!

Next week is Catholic Schools Week, and we have a number of events going on, concluding the week with a pep rally on Friday. The events for the week are detailed below.

We remain very busy and involved here on the Hill! Please be sure to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or celebrations.



Peace,

Sean P. Brennan '85

Chief Administrator

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A Faculty & Staff Retreat

Friday was a day off for students to rest and recover from the past 2-weeks of exams, but it was also the staff’s annual mid-year retreat! This year’s retreat was a much needed, healthy break from our day-to-day here at East Catholic and a way to provide some real face time with each other, spark some new ways of relating, and re-energize our connections with one another.

The staff gathered at school for breakfast and conversation, with a reflection on the concept of “Notice it, Note it, and Declare it” when seeing God in our daily lives.

The second part of the retreat was at Stumpy's Hatchet House in Manchester where teams competed in axe throwing, Jenga, and cornhole! Thank you to Campus Ministry for all their hard work and planning for this day. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with one another, while pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones. A great time was had by all!

Catholic Schools Week 2024: United in Faith and Community

Catholic Schools Week will be celebrated from Sunday, January 28 - Saturday, February 3. The Student Government has created a week of spirit dress down days to coincide with the days. please see the schedule below.

A few reminders:

• There are no shorts allowed on Wednesday for the "Tropical Vacations" theme.
• Students are to wear the full winter uniform on Thursday for our Mass with the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.
• Friday's Class Colors are:
• Freshmen- green
• Sophomores- red
• Juniors- white
• Seniors- blue
• Faculty/Staff- purple

On Tuesday, there will be a Faculty/Staff Luncheon in the Conference Room, organized by the Student Government.

Wednesday is the Advisory Breakfast first thing in the morning.

Thursday is an All-School Mass to honor the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the order that has provided teaching and guidance for the school since its founding.

Friday will conclude with a pep rally to celebrate all our winter sports teams!

We are looking forward to a fun week ahead!

High Spirits!

Stage East's Spring Musical 2024 is High Spirits. The cast and crew are working hard on preparing this production for your enjoyment! Performances will take place on Friday, March 8th at 7:00pm and Saturday, March 9th at 1:00pm and 7:00pm. Mark your calendars! We look forward to seeing you in the audience!

Storm Hockey at Warrior Ice Arena

On Wednesday, Storm, East Catholic's girls hockey co-op team with South Windsor and Glastonbury, traveled up to the Boston area. They played Bishop Guertin from New Hampshire at the Warrior Ice Arena. This arena is the official practice facility for the Boston Bruins. The Storm was victorious, winning 6-0! What a great experience for the team!

SAT Day March 26th!

We are excited to announce that we will be offering an SAT School Day Test on March 26, 2024 for all juniors. We had a very successful Digital PSAT administration in October 2023 and believe the new Digital SAT School Day will go just as well. More information will be coming about this next step for our Juniors. 

Freshman and Sophomore Updates

In the beginning of February, school counselors will meet with the Sophomore class to work on career explorations and Naviance. They will also be visiting Freshmen classes to discuss the ending of their first semester, GPAs, and course selection for sophomore year. 

 Junior Updates

School counselors met with Juniors this week in small classroom settings. They were given a folder with information about the college search process and things to be working on during this spring semester. Students will have individual meetings coming up to further discuss the process. Please take a look at the folder with your son/daughter. 

Senior Updates

Seniors should be applying for scholarships! Please continue to check Naviance as scholarships continue to be added, and, while you are there, update your colleges with the decisions you received from them. 

Shelter Meals

Ariana Bairagee '25, Myah Costa '27, and her brother Kyle Costa '25 took over 3 hours out of their busy exam week to cook a hot meal with Campus Ministry staff and bring it over to the South Park Inn on January 17. On one of the coldest nights so far in Hartford, there were about 40 people that trickled in for the meal and lingered with the students and staff in the warm dining area of the Inn.

The next Shelter Meal will be on Tuesday, January 30th at ImmaCare.

Service Hours

Remember that all students are required to complete 10 hours of community service by the Spring. The holidays are a great time to get in your hours, as many organizations could use extra hands to assist in their undertakings for the community.

Although it is the student's own responsibility to search out places to volunteer, Campus Ministry does have some opportunities that are offered right here through our school, as well as a few volunteer activities with local organizations that are happening on a weekly basis. If you are in need of assistance finding an organization to partner with for your hours, please stop by Campus Ministry and they can help get you signed up!

Service Spotlight

Shout out to Matthew Martello '26 and Greyson Grzesiakowski '25 who earned service hours for helping out elderly neighbors during the recent snow storm! What a wonderful way to be neighborly and foster a strong community!  

Save the Date: Purse Bingo!

The Parents' Association will be hosting a Designer Purse Bingo THIS Sunday, January 28th as a fundraiser for Project Grad.

Doors open at 2:00pm. Play begins at 3:00pm. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you are able to help with set up or clean up, please contact the Project Graduation Committee at [email protected].

Penny Wars

Penny Wars are taking place during the Boys Basketball home games! Come ready with your change. All proceeds benefit Project Graduation. We greatly value your support!

Next Meeting

Our next Parents' Association Meeting will be on Monday, February 5th in the first-floor conference room at 6:00PM. All are welcome!

For more information on upcoming events and volunteering opportunities, visit

East Catholic High School - Parents Association (echs.com)



Any questions? Email [email protected].

The 2023-2024 School Calendar has been posted to the ECHS website and portal.