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School Mass
Our next school Mass will be Tuesday, December 23rd at 9:00 a.m. in the Franco-Post Auditorium. Parents, guardians and families are always welcome to attend. If you plan to come to Mass, please sign in at the Main Office before coming to the auditorium.
Advent Reflection
Bishop Schlert shares a beautiful Gospel Reflection for the Second Week of Advent. You can read it here: Gospel Reflection: Second Sunday of Advent- AD Today
Week Two of Advent: Peace
Embracing the peace that Christ brings into the world and seeking peace within our hearts is what we reflect upon this second week of Advent. As we light the “Bethlehem Candle,” we are reminded this week to reflect on the idea of peace in our communities, promote reconciliation and foster compassion toward others. Advent peace encourages us to let go of our anxieties, trusting in God’s love and guidance.
Christmas Break
Families are reminded that Christmas break begins at the end of the day on Tuesday, December 23rd (11:00 a.m. dismissal). Saints and staff return to school on Monday, January 5th.
Academic Quarter Mid-Point
Parents and guardians are reminded that we have passed the mid-point of the Second Academic Quarter. Please take time, if you have not done so recently, to review your Saints’ grades and academic progress on Canvas. Please reach out to teachers with any questions you have about your Saint’s grades or academic performance.
Mid-Term Exams
Believe it or not, Mid-Term Exams are just a month away. The Mid-Term Exam schedule is listed below. Homeroom will begin at 7:50 a.m. on Exam Days. Exam #1 will start at 8:15 a.m. Exam #2 will begin at 9:55 a.m. Dismissal on Exam Days will be at 11:00 a.m. Busses have been made aware of the early dismissal time. Vacations and trips are not valid excuses to miss an exam. If a student has a planned absence, they must speak to the teacher prior to exam week to schedule a time to take their exam. Any student who is sick and misses an exam should try and make up the missed exam during a time slot when they normally have lunch or a study hall/gym class. If this is not possible, students will need to make up the exam on Thursday, January 15th after the two regularly scheduled exams. The exam schedule is as follows:
- Monday, January 12th - Exams for Periods 1 and 6
- Tuesday, January 13th - Exams for Periods 8 and 3
- Wednesday, January 14th - Exams for Periods 2 and 5
- Thursday, January 15th - Exams for Periods 7 and 4
Circle of Grace Presentation
On Friday, December 19th, our students will receive a presentation on boundaries, respect for self and personal safety from the Circle of Grace curriculum. This is an annual Diocesan initiative from the Secretariat for Youth Protection to provide age-appropriate education for our Saints to help continue to foster a safe environment in our school community. An email with more detailed information was sent to all families this week. If you would like your student to opt-out of this catechesis so that you can address these important topics as a family (or if you have any questions), please e-mail sperez@berkscatholic.org to inform us. Please include your student’s name and homeroom section in your message.
Winter Sports Schedule
Come out and cheer on our Saint winter sports teams this season. You can find team schedules here: Teams & Schedules - Berks Catholic High School
BC Athletes Serving in the Community
Many people may not realize the impact our student-athletes have on the community. They don’t just perform on the field, court and in the gyms. So many of our student athletes are out in the community serving others and participating in service activities. Our fall athletes left their mark to benefit our school community and the Berks County community at large. This is just a sample of their service work this school year:
Service to the Berks County Community
- 14 different volunteer dates at Dream League for Special Needs Athletes
- Set up and tear down for Reading Hospital Doctor’s Conference
- Christmas Coat Drive for Mary’s Shelter and Safe Berks
- Book/Game collection, donation, and delivery to Reading Hospital
- Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Church Food Pantry volunteer work and donations
- St. Ignatius Loyola School and Church campus cleanup and landscaping
- Volunteered for CYO Cross Country and Track & Field Championships and meets
- Care packages created, donated, and delivered to various elderly homes in Berks County
- Operation Milk and Cookies volunteers and donations
- Toy collection and delivery for Project 15
- Habitat for Humanity volunteer hours (cleaning out a house and helping at the ReStore retail store)
- Pajamas and Book collection, donation, and delivery to Life House
Service directly benefiting Berks Catholic
- Shemanski Field clean up days
- Coaches and players working with youth football and cheer (2-3 days per week during the season)
- Mass set up for School Masses
- Readers for Mass
- Set up for summer Uniform Sale
- Extravaganza Preview Tear Down - Coaches
- Extravaganza set up and clean-up
- JH Wrestling Tournament scoring, set up and clean up
- Set-up for the Diocesan Teachers’ Convention
Inclement Weather Policy
Given our first snow day last week, parents are reminded about our Inclement Weather Policy. This policy can be found on page 41 of our Parent/Student Handbook which is found on our website. You can click here for the Handbook: Student/Parent Handbook - Berks Catholic High School.
Open House
SAVE THE DATE! Berks Catholic will host our annual Open House on Wednesday, January 28th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Our Open House is a terrific opportunity to see our school in action. You can hear from current Saints, tour the campus, learn about clubs, activities and sports, and meet with faculty and administrators. Please share this information with anyone you know who has middle school students. Did you know if you refer a public or home school student to BC and they enroll you can receive a tuition credit? For more details, contact Nicky Smith, Director of Admissions, at nsmith@berkscatholic.org.
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