The Black & Gold Report

November 17, 2023 Volume 1 - Issue 12

John P. Petruzzelli

Principal

610-374-8361 ext. 253

Email: John P. Petruzzelli

Twitter: jpetrosaints

Instagram: john.petruzzelli.9

The Week Ahead

Monday, November 20

School Mass - 9:00am
Faculty Meeting

Tuesday, November 21

Junior Ring & Pin Ceremony
Fire Drill

Wednesday, November 22

Thanksgiving Break

Thursday, November 23

Happy Thanksgiving
Annual Alumni Basketball Turkey Shoot - 9:00am

Friday, November 17

Thanksgiving Break

Dear Saints Families and Friends,

“There are so many things in the world that could be invisible to the material eye, and when you take a moment to stop, to pause, to be present and notice them – that’s gratitude.”

Jay Shetty

Greetings from Berks Catholic! When I was a full-time teacher, I would often speak to my classes about the “simple things.” I would tell them that we should never take the simple things for granted. It’s easy to run through life with so much on our minds that we forget to notice things that are meaningful to us even though they are right around us. If those simple things disappeared it could create a void for us.

Each year at this time since I became a principal, I began the habit of writing down the simple things from the school year that I really appreciate. In no particular order, here are a few that made my list this November: having Wawa right around the corner; bantering with Mr. Ditsky about St. Joe’s being better than LaSalle but both schools being better than Villanova; BC Selfies (there sure are a lot of them); our partnership with John Paul II Special Learning Center; my 5th period lunch table; greeting students to start the day and saying good morning to them (even if they don’t say good morning back); moments in the Main Office when it’s OK to laugh at being silly; “lucky year 13” of Berks Catholic; your amazing children; and certainly, the blessing I have of being Principal at Berks Catholic!

My prayer for you and your family over this next week is that you experience many blessings during the Thanksgiving holiday and that some “simple things” are a part of those blessings! Have a great weekend!

It’s a great day to be a Saint!

John P. Petruzzelli

Principal

Let Us Pray...

-For those traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday that God grants them safety and loving care in their travels.

-For widows and widowers that God fills their emptiness with love and compassion.

Kudos

SAINT OF THE WEEK

Congratulations to sophomore

Cayden Jacobs

who was named this week's

Saint of the Week!

Wizard of Oz

Congratulations to those students who were cast in our spring musical, The Wizard of Oz. We are excited to see another great BC production on Friday, March 1st and Saturday, March 2nd. Click on the link to see the student performers!

Wizard of Oz Cast List

Blessing Bag Project

Thank you to everyone who assisted with our Blessing Bag project. Today’s dress down day will assist us in filling the blessing bags and helping to restock our partner schools/parishes food banks. Special thanks to our DECA Club, the Saint Ambassadors, Athletic Department, Administration, Boosters and PTO for making a monetary donation to help with this effort.

Powderpuff

Congratulations to the Junior girls, the Class of 2025, who won this year’s Powderpuff Football Game last week. The Juniors defeated the Seniors in a close, exciting game by the score of 21-14.

What's Happening

School Mass

Our next school Mass will be on Monday, November 20th at 9:00 a.m. in the Franco-Post Auditorium. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend. Please sign in at the Main Office before coming to the auditorium.

Ring and Pin Ceremony

Junior parents and guardians are invited to the Class of 2025 Ring and Pin Ceremony on Tuesday, November 21st. The ceremony will be held in the Franco-Post auditorium at 8:30 a.m.

Thanksgiving Break

A reminder that Thanksgiving break begins at the end of the day on Tuesday, November 21st. We return to school on Tuesday, November 28th.

PSAT Scores

PSAT scores are now available to students. Students who have taken the PSAT can view their scores by visiting the College Board website at the following link: http://studentscores.collegeboard.org/ or by downloading the BigFuture School Mobile app.

Annual Alumni Basketball Turkey Shoot

All BC, Central Catholic and Holy Name alumni are invited out on Thanksgiving Day for the annual Turkey Shoot from 9:00-10:30 a.m. in the Lloyd M. Wolf Gymnasium. Meet the BC boys’ basketball team, enjoy some light refreshments and play a little basketball. Any questions or to RSVP, contact Bob Birmingham at [email protected] or 610-374-8361 ext. 224.

Santa With the Saints

Join in on the Ho-Ho-Holiday fun and come visit Santa Claus on Saturday, December 16th from 9:00-10:30 a.m. in the McGlinn Commons. The event is open to all future Saints. Enjoy snacks, play some games, read some stories, and, of course, meet the big guy, Santa himself! It’s a great way to get into the Christmas spirit! To RSVP, please click the link on the attached flyer.

Santa with the Saints Link

Santa with the Saints Flyer

Christmas Vespers

We invite you to attend our celebration of the Birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ at our Christmas Vesper Prayer Service. Vespers will take place on Sunday, December 17th at 3:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church located at 740 Cherry Street in West Reading. Christmas Vespers tells the story of Advent through music, prayers and readings from Sacred Scripture in the tradition of lessons and carols. The music portion of the Christmas Vespers features the Berks Catholic Saints Honor Choir, under the direction of Mrs. Kate Bobb, with accompaniment by Ms. Beverly McDevitt. Admission is free and open to the public.

Berks Catholic Vespers Service

Driving on Campus

Students as well as adults are reminded to please drive responsibly on school campus. Please abide by the one-way signs into and out of the parking lot, particularly the exits onto Parkside Drive North. They are exit only. We have had several recent incidents where accidents were narrowly avoided. Thank you for keeping all of our Saints safe as you drive on to campus.

PTO Faculty Breakfast

The next PTO Faculty breakfast will take place on Wednesday November 29th at 7:00 am. Junior parents and guardians are invited to sign up to assist with the breakfast items. Items need to be delivered to school by Tuesday, November 28th by 3:00 p.m. or Wednesday, November 29th by 6:00 am if not heated or by 7:00 am if heated at home. For questions, contact Nicole Smith at [email protected]. To sign up, click the link: https://conta.cc/3SuGWfh

Students wanting to sign up for the Ski Club may do so by clicking here:

Ski Club Sign-Ups

Calling All Bakers

The PTO is in need of some volunteer bakers to contribute to the famous “PTO Extravaganza Christmas Cookie Basket.” Each baker is asked to donate two dozen of their favorite homemade cookies. To sign up, please click the link: https://forms.gle/TsBVM3vzixunxDLL6.

Order a Yearbook Now!

If you are interested in buying a yearbook, go to the link below to find out more information.

Yearbook Order Form

Senior Yearbook Ads

Class of 2024 Parents/Guardians all senior ads are due by December 20th

Click on the link below for more

Visit our Website

The Bible by the Numbers

When you are lonely or fearful, check out Psalm 33.

Social Media

Did you see our posts this week about Christmas Vespers? Keep up with all the happenings at the school on our social media channels. Check out what our students are doing day-to-day in class; important news articles; sports and activities; and more! Be sure to follow the school on social media for all the latest updates, pictures and school information. Facebook: Berks Catholic; Twitter: @BerksCatholic; and Instagram: berkscatholic

It's a great day to be a Saint!

Our Mission

Berks Catholic High School is centered on the four pillars of God, Family, Academics and Fun. As a vibrant Christ-centered community, the Administration, Faculty and Staff are dedicated to providing a challenging academic environment for a diverse population of young men and women. Through Christian principles rooted in the Catholic tradition, we strive to positively impact our students spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically and emotionally, so they can live productive lives of service in this world and attain eternal life.

Visit our Website