East Catholic High School's Newsletter

A Message from the President

Dear East Catholic Family,

Happy New Year! I hope you were able to enjoy some rest and quality time with your loved ones over the holidays. As we step into the second half of the school year, East Catholic continues to be a hub of activity, with plenty of exciting events and opportunities to celebrate.

As we approach the upcoming midterm exams, we want to remind everyone that these important assessments will take place over the next two weeks. A review day is scheduled for Tuesday, January 14th, giving students an opportunity to revisit material before their exams. Please make use of the weekend and review day to ensure students feel confident and prepared. Remember, your teachers are a valuable resource, so if you have any questions before exams, be sure to reach out to them.

On a celebratory note, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the grand reopening of the Rev. Robert E. Saunders Gymnasium that took place on January 2nd. It was a wonderful event where we had the chance to showcase our newly renovated facility, now complete with state-of-the-art bleachers, flooring, pads, and, of course, the proud display of our state championship banners. A big thank you to all the generous donors who made this project possible. As a token of our appreciation, donors were presented with a plaque crafted from the original bleachers. If you contributed to the project and were unable to attend on January 2nd, please reach out to Julie Scalora, Advancement Director, to receive your plaque. I also want to extend my gratitude to the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams and their coaches for providing exciting games during the event, as well as to our cheerleaders for adding energy and enthusiasm to the celebration. Additionally, we are deeply appreciative of the volleyball team, who were the first to use the gym in the fall. Their patience and flexibility in adjusting their schedules to allow for the final touches of the project were instrumental in making this reopening a reality.

Looking ahead, there are a couple of important dates to note:

Monday, January 20th: Please remember that there will be no school on Monday, January 20th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Friday, January 24th: There will be no school for students on Friday, January 24th, as our faculty and staff will be participating in a retreat.

As we face the colder months ahead, please stay safe, warm, and healthy. We’re looking forward to all the exciting things to come in 2025 and wish everyone the best of luck as they prepare for their exams.

Take care, and as always, please reach out if you have any questions.

Peace,

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

BINGO Night!

Let's get this Bingo Party started! Join us at East Catholic High School on Sunday, January 12th from 3:00-6:00pm to win prizes and fun raffle baskets. Families, students, staff, and members of the community are ALL invited!

Bring your own food and beverages. Proceeds support Project Graduation. Please RSVP here: ECHS Project Grad: ECHS BINGO Night 1/12/2025

Raffle basket donations are still welcome, as well!

Office of Academics

Mid-Year Review/Exam Schedule: January 2025

Wednesday, January 15^th (12:00 dismissal)

Review for classes H, G, F, E

7:55 a.m. Prayer/Announcements

8:00 – 8:56 a.m. Day 2, Period 1 (H)

9:01 – 9:57 a.m. Day 1, Period 7 (G)

10:02 – 10:58 a.m. Day 1, Period 6 (F)

11:03 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Day 1, Period 5 (E)

Thursday, January 16^th

7:55 a.m. Prayer/Announcements

8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Day 2, Period 1 exam (H)

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Day 1, Period 7 exam (G)

Friday, January 17^th

7:55 a.m. Prayer/Announcements

8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Day 1, Period 6 exam (F)

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Day 1, Period 5 exam (E)

12:30 – 2 p.m. Make-Up Exams

Tuesday, January 21^st (12:00 dismissal)

Review for classes D, C, B, A

7:55 a.m. Prayer/Announcements

8:00 – 8:56 a.m. Day 1, Period 4 (D)

9:01 – 9:57 a.m. Day 1, Period 3 (C)

10:02 – 10:58 a.m. Day 1, Period 2 (B)

11:03 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Day 1, Period 1 (A)

12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Make-up Exams

Wednesday, January 22^nd

7:55 a.m. Prayer/Announcements

8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Day 1, Period 4 exam (D)

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Day 1, Period 3 exam (C)

12:30 – 2 p.m. Make-Up Exams

Thursday, January 23^rd

7:55 a.m. Prayer/Announcements

8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Day 1, Period 2 exam (B)

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Day 1, Period 1 exam (A)

12:30 – 2 p.m. Make-Up Exams

Monday, January 27^th1:10-2:40 p.m. Make-up Exams

Tuesday, January 28^th2:10-3:40 p.m. Make-up Exams

Wednesday, January 29^th2:10-3:40 p.m. Make-up Exams

Office of Student Life

Special Guest

As we continue to focus on our school year’s theme of “Love thy neighbor,” we had the pleasure of welcoming Tess Penders ‘19, a Peace Corps volunteer serving in the Dominican Republic, to speak to our Spanish classes during her holiday break. Her insights into her work as a literacy specialist were invaluable, and her dedication to serving her community was truly inspiring. We’re so proud of Tess, and even more grateful that she took the time to share all that she’s been up to post-grad!

Mock Trial

East Catholic’s Mock Trial Team showcased their skills at the CT Mock Trial Competition held at Hartford Superior Courthouse in December. The team demonstrated impressive courtroom prowess, securing a win in one of the cases. Beyond the ability to develop their knowledge of the legal system, participation in mock trial helped this group to improve their advocacy skills, reasoning and thinking on their feet, and overall professionalism.

Campus Ministry

Christmas Presentation

An amazing group of Peer Ministers put on a wonderful Christmas Presentation for the school on the half day before break. The presentation included a reading of A Christmas Carol by Mr. Page, a reflection of the Nativity story, and a Christmas spin on the Family Feud game show. A sing-a-long with the school band concluded the assembly that sent faculty, students, and staff off for the holidays filled with Christmas spirit.

Shelter Meal

On Wednesday, January 8th, Bianca Morawska (not pictured), Avery Sardo, Samantha Paolino, Julia Paolino, and Caroline Cavanaugh worked with Mrs. Barksdale in Campus Ministry to prepare a pasta dinner for the South Park Inn shelter. The next meal will be for ImmaCare Shelter on Tuesday, January 28th.

Fine Arts

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

Layne Gordon, Mary LaMonica, and Michael Machewirth were selected to be part of the CMEA Eastern Region Music Festival this weekend with other skilled musicians from around the area.

The festival concludes with a concert on Saturday, January 11 at 2:00 in Jorgenson Auditorium on the UConn campus in Storrs. Tickets are $12 and may be purchased here: Eastern Region High School Festival 2025 - Connecticut Music Educators Association | Brushfire

All are welcome to attend!

Athletics

Honoring Spring Champs

The boys are back in town! Adam, Noah, JJ, Storm, Evan, and Christian- all graduates of the Class of 2024- returned from college to be honored with Charlie ‘26 for their golf team’s 2024 State Championship. Congrats again, boys' golf!

Team Service Project

Some East Catholic values on full display: character, citizenship, service, and sportsmanship as our girls’ basketball team took time out of practice to make Christmas cards for the kids at Connecticut Children's before the holiday break.

Grand Reopening of the Rev. Robert E. Saunders Gymnasium

After months of hard work from volunteers taking out the old and companies installing the new, the gymnasium is complete. We celebrated the improvements to the athletic space with a welcome from Jon Dahlquist, Dean of Wellness and Athletics, a blessing from Father Matt, our school chaplain, and a brief speech from Sean P. Brennan '85, Chief Administrator. The event hosted back-to-back varsity games from our girls' and boys' teams, with both teams taking the win! Donors to the project were invited and given a piece of the former bleachers to take home with them as a small token of our thanks for bringing this project to completion.

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

1961 Bleachers to 2024 Adirondack Chairs to Own!

East Catholic High School is collaborating with the skilled and talented staff of Opportunity Works Connecticut, Inc. to create a set of Adirondack chairs from the original bleacher wood. Purchase your set here: Own a Piece of History! ADIRONDACK CHAIRS crafted from original gym bleachers wood!

School Counseling

SATs

All juniors will be registered to take a School Day SAT test on March 12th. This test will take place during the school day and nothing needs to be done by the student to register for the test. More information will come as we get closer. Juniors and parents received an email about an SAT prep class through Lentz and Lentz. Students can also use Khan Academy, College Board and the Blue Book App to prepare for the test.

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

Welcome Back!

We will be having our first Parents' Association Meeting on Tuesday, February 4th at 6:00pm in the first-floor conference room. We can't wait to see some new faces, as well as our returners. 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.