East Catholic High School's Newsletter

A Message from the President

Dear East Catholic Family,

Well, winter finally decided to arrive with some unpleasant weather. We have had a 2-hour delay and a remote learning day in the past two weeks. Please remember that we do remote days to keep us from making up days in the summer. All reports are that things went well.

Today we hosted a dozen Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (our founding order) for Mass and Brunch on their feast day. Many of them worked at East Catholic over the years, and of course, Sister Peggy is in her 57th year and still going strong! We host the Sisters every year, and it is a highlight for them and for us.

Our school counseling office has picked up on our theme for the year, “Love Your Neighbor,” and they have asked faculty, staff, and students to nominate students who have demonstrated kindness to others. The first students to be recognized were acknowledged at the end of today’s Mass. Please join me in congratulating our inaugural group: Ronnie Sheehan, LaTe’jah Gardner, Geo Ramos, Teaghan Carroll, and Tyler Shaw!

Next week will bring the winter sports regular season to a close. We have a number of games on the docket, so please come out to support. CCC playoffs and state tournaments begin the following week, and many of our teams will be playing. Go Eagles!

Also next week, you'll receive an email with a link to a survey. We're asking all students, parents, faculty, staff, and School Board members to complete this Administrative Feedback form. Your input will help us understand how the school and administration are performing. Just as we appreciated the students' thoughtful feedback on their teachers, we now ask everyone to provide honest, thoughtful, and respectful feedback on the administration. Students will complete the survey in Advisory, while all other community members will receive the link via email. The survey should only take about 5 minutes, and your participation is greatly appreciated!

It is hard to believe, but February Break is just around the corner! School offices will be closed on Monday, February 17th, but will be open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm from February 18th to 21st. Also, don't forget that we have no school on Monday, February 10th to celebrate the State Champion Boys Golf Team's victory last spring!

As always, there is lots happening on the Hill! Please be in touch with questions, comments, concerns, or celebrations!

Stay warm,

Sean P. Brennan ‘85

Chief Administrator

East Catholic is a busy place! There are new things happening daily with students, staff, and programs. Be sure to follow us on your favorite social media apps for the latest updates!

Facebook: East Catholic High School

Instagram: @eastcatholichighschool

Twitter: @EastCatholicHS

Celebrate Catholic Schools Week

January 26- February 1

The 2025 Catholic Schools Week (CSW) theme is “Catholic Schools: United in Faith and Community.” Catholic schools teach and embrace the whole person, body, mind, and spirit. We, as a community, are united within our school as a faith-filled community.

At East Catholic, we strive to teach as Jesus did—challenging, loving, and guiding our students, all within a welcoming and nurturing environment. We believe that our success in educating a student is only possible when the faculty and staff of East Catholic, the student, and the parent work in partnership and agree upon the core beliefs expressed in our mission statement. We attempt to create an authentically Catholic yet ecumenically sensitive atmosphere where each student can grow spiritually and intellectually.

Catholic school communities expand beyond the walls of school buildings to envelop the family as an integral part of the school community. Together teachers, administrators, staff, students and parents fuel the light of faith by integrating culture with faith and faith with living.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

When East Catholic High School first opened its doors in 1961, the Sisters of Notre Dame were here to educate our students. Today, 64 years later, the charism of St. Julie Billiart is evident in every corner of our school.

In gratitude for the continued presence of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur here at East Catholic, we hosted the SNDs for Mass and brunch to celebrate their feast day!

Grandparents' Day 2025

We are excited to host East Catholic grandparents on Thursday, March 6th from 8:00-11:30 on campus! Please extend the invitation below to your child's grandparents or other special older relatives.

To RSVP or for questions, contact Shyanne VanAllen, Advancement Assistant, at vanallens@echs.com or by phone 860-649-5336 x6236

Office of Student Life

Advisory Breakfast

The end of Catholic Schools Week was celebrated in Advisory on Friday morning with a special breakfast, organized by staff and students. Pictured above are students from Mrs. Andrews' and Mrs. O'Neill Reilly's advisories enjoying a creative breakfast bar together!

Winter Pep Rally

On Friday, our eagles gathered in the gym for our Winter Sports Pep Rally! We honored our winter team captains, participated in some student v. student activities, and celebrated in our class colors.

Campus Ministry

Shelter Meals

Campus Ministry led a couple of Shelter Meals since the last newsletter.

On January 28th, Kiyah Sharpe ('26), Katielin Nimo ('28), Brent Cattanach ('27), Alex Shan ('27), Ella Lessard ('28) and Jadyn Trombley ('27) all prepared a delicious hot meal of past and meatballs and served it to over 45 people at the ImmaCare Shelter.

Blessing of the Throats

Father Matt gave the traditional St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, Blessing of Throats and all other ailments in our Notre Dame chapel on Monday, February 3rd to a good number of students, faculty and staff. We pray for a healthy winter for all!

Dorothy Stang Day: February 12th

East Catholic will wear yellow on February 12th in honor of Sister Dorothy Stang on the 20th anniversary of her 2005 assassination in Brazil. U.S.-born Stang was a member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur (our founders) who dedicated her life to helping poor farmers and protecting the Amazon rainforest. She spent almost 40 years living in poverty alongside the people she served in Brazil. She was shot while walking to a community meeting and her death continues to inspire people around the world to keep fighting for justice.

Kairos 29: March 19-21, 2025

Kairos 29 applications for interested juniors and seniors are out and due February 13th. Students can get the application from their religion teacher's Google Classroom. This retreat is well-attended by East Catholic students! The 3-day, overnight retreat is at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford and the cost is $190 which includes housing, retreat, and meals. Those interested that need financial assistance please contact Campus Ministry at 860-649-5336 x6461.

Fine Arts

Hartford Wolf Pack

Our students joined forces with vocalists from Northwest Catholic High School to sing the National Anthem at a Wolf Pack game on January 25

Shrek the Musical

Join us in March as we celebrate the hard work of our talented actors and actresses, as well as our band and stage crew! This production is one you won't want to miss!

Eastern Region Music Festival

We had 3 students participate in the Eastern Region Music Festival in January: Layne Gordon, Mary LaMonica, and Michael Machewirth. Layne auditioned for All-State and was accepted to the All-State Band. The festival takes place March 27-29 at Wethersfield High School.

Athletics

Upcoming Winter Team Senior Nights

Friday 2/7 Girls Hockey (vs. North Kingstown High School @ Newington Arena)

Monday 2/10 Girls Basketball (vs. East Hartford High School)

Tuesday 2/11 Boys Basketball and Cheer (vs. South Windsor)

Wednesday 2/19 Boys Hockey (vs. Branford @ Champions in Cromwell)

Integrated Rehabilitation Services

Last week, athletic trainers hosted an IRS Night at East! Their team had a great time cheering on the boys' basketball team as they faced off against E.O. Smith. We are thankful for what Stacy Garceau and the ATs do for our student-athletes! We appreciate the longstanding partnership East has had with Integrated Rehab.

Advancement Office

Annual Appeal

East Catholic is thriving as a school community. We continue to send our well-prepared graduates off to excellent colleges and universities, our athletic and arts programs continue to shine, and our community finds strength in each and every member. Our $7,000,000 budget for the coming year includes a $1,000,000 Annual Appeal goal, a threshold we were able to surpass last year. I hope you will join your fellow Eagles in making a gift to our wonderful school!

Donate here: 2024-2025 EAST CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL ANNUAL APPEAL

Spring Auction: Country Charm

East Catholic's Annual Spring Auction is back! Join us on Friday, April 4th at Maneeley's in South Windsor for a night of friends, food, and fundraising.

The website is open to purchase event tickets, drawing tickets, sponsorships and ad space and can be accessed here: https://auctria.events/ECHSCountryCharmSpringEvent

To make this night a success, we need your help! Please see the image below for ways you can be a part of the school's largest fundraiser.

If you have any questions, please contact Julie Scalora, Director of Advancement, at scaloraj@echs.com.

School Counseling

Important Upcoming Dates:

March 12th - Juniors will be taking SATs here at East Catholic. Students are automatically registered through East.

March 19th - NACAC National College Fair will be in Hartford. We encourage students in any grade to attend the fair with over 300 colleges present!

Seniors

Seniors should be continuing to work on scholarships! Look on Naviance for a regularly updated list of scholarships. As you hear back from colleges it is very important you continue to update your Naviance account. Under your "Colleges I Am Applying To" tab, you need to update each college decision and once you have decided where to attend, you must set your attending school. Please also keep track of scholarships, merit awards and grants received. We will be asking for this information this spring.

Juniors

Juniors had a great class assembly this week. We discussed what their college search process should look like for this semester as well as handed out folders with important information. An email went out to students and parents with more information. Next week we will be holding junior college planning classes. These will bring small groups of juniors together to dive a bit deeper into the process.

Sophomores

Sophomores also had a great class assembly where we talked about self-reflection, setting goals, and looking ahead. They were all encouraged to reflect on both the student they have been and their involvement in the community.

Freshmen

School counselors will be visiting Freshmen English classes on Tuesday next week. We will be getting them familiar with Naviance, GPAs, and course planning.

Admission Office

If you know of a student interested in attending East Catholic High School, please be sure to share these important dates with them:

Entrance Exams:

February 8th at 8:30am

March 1st at 8:30am

All prospective families and students who have completed the application packet, submitted transcripts from their current school, and taken the Entrance Exam by January 15th will have a decision letter mailed out on January 31st.

Please contact Chad Malone '08 (malonc@echs.com) or Abby Diemar '00 (diemara@echs.com) with any questions.

Parents' Association

Monthly Meetings!

Our next Parents' Association Meeting is on Monday, March 10th at 6:00pm in the first-floor conference room. Remember, ALL are invited! Come to hear updates on the school, learn about upcoming events, and meet some fellow parents and guardians!

Be a part of the success of the 2024-2025 school year!

For more information on upcoming events and volunteering opportunities, visit

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

Any questions? Email echsPA@echs.com.

CandyGrams to Support Project Grad

Spread some sweetness and support Project Graduation by sending a Candy Gram! You can send a personalized message to any ECHS student, faculty, or staff member.

Candy Grams will be sold before school and during lunch on the following dates:

Tuesday, February 11th

Wednesday, February 12th

(Families- You can also purchase Candy Grams at the Parents' Association Meeting on Tuesday, February 4th.)

For your convenience, Candy Grams can also be purchased using Venmo @ECHSEagles with "Candy Grams" in the Venmo note. Once purchased, email PA Co-President, Meg Nolan, at mnolan@snet.net with your message.

To send a Candy Gram, please provide the recipient's full name (nicknames are fine for the message itself, but we need full names for delivery). Each Candy Gram includes your personal message and a full-size candy in a goody bag. The cost is $3 for one or $5 for two.

Candy Grams will be delivered to students during advisory on February 13th.

This is a fun and heartwarming fundraiser! We often receive messages from family members, alumni, and even family pets, expressing appreciation or just sending a smile. We've even had people generously donate to send Candy Grams to students who might not otherwise receive one. ECHS is truly a special community!

Please reach out to Meg Nolan with any additional questions!