John Thornburg
Headmaster
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Dear Parents,
First off, I would like to thank you for your incredible patience and your care during this past week. It appears that we all made it through the twists and turns of a new remote learning model with flying colors.
With so many changes and aspects of life that are in flux, it's easy to push through and try to do more and keep it all together. So in addition to staying in the midst of this unprecedented situation, it's
even more important to
remember to make your personal well-being a priority
. Whenever possible, I hope that you take the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, exercise when you can and find time alone to get centered and rejuvenated.
I have attached a brief video message I would like to share with you and here is link to a helpful article from
Harvard, "How to talk to teens about the new coronovirus."
Thank you for your prayers and support,
John K. Thornburg
Headmaster
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A Prayer from Brother Puccio
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Looking ahead to Easter, I’ll invite that we glance back a week, so we can pay homage to St. Patrick and St. Joseph, whose feasts we celebrated March 17 and 19. God gives us saints as models, examples of ordinary men and women who take what’s given them and do marvelous things, who learn that God’s plan for them is not always what they imagined it would be. So, they make God’s plan theirs and work with what’s given them every day to do good. Probably few of us imagined the dramatic shifts that have taken hold in our lives over the past few weeks, but we, too, are similarly called to be saints.
St. Patrick, a fifth-century Roman Britain, was captured by Irish pirates when he was about 14 years old. Abducted to Ireland and enslaved by pagan Druids there for 6 years, he developed a faith that sustained him till his escape back to England. Years later he returned, a priest, and over 40 years of courageous ministry, he converted the nation to Christianity. Today we pray Patrick’s poem of faith and trust in God, “The Breastplate”:
"Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger."
St. Joseph, a patron saint of the Xaverian Brothers, also discovered the surprise of God’s plan for him and acquiesced to it. Standing by his betrothed Mary, he protected and guided his adopted son; he held the family together in challenging times. So, today, as we discern God’s plans for us, we invoke God through His saints:
Father, you entrusted our Savior Jesus to the care of St. Joseph. May we be inspired by the model of St. Joseph as father, husband, worker and provider.... to commit ourselves to strong family life..... to encourage respect for all workers.... and to support action for justice in all workplaces. May St. Joseph intercede with you for health for those in illness, for strength for those facing new uncertainties, and for the good of us all, who place ourselves in his care........ May St. Joseph and St. Patrick, help us to find joy amidst challenges, and may they pray for God’s lasting blessings on the good work of Malden Catholic.
By the help of our prayers, through St. Patrick and St. Joseph, may all your Church continue to serve its Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever...... Amen.
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Inspiration from Principal Cenca
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Lately, I have found myself wondering about all this "stuff" in my life, like fifteen school bags, five pairs of running shoes, and the list goes on. I find though, in times of uncertainty, we often start to reflect on what matters most in our lives and what matters least.
I hope that in these challenging times, we may find a moment to think about what really matters to us. In these coming days, we will all be home with our families and apart from the rest of the world. There will likely be some challenges, and you might find yourself going a little stir crazy. But, in that moment of chaos, try to look around and see what matters. Think of this time as a true blessing to spend with your family and to listen to each other in a new way. Ask God to be with you in all of it. He wants to be part of the ups and downs in our lives. Let this unique "togetherness" be your strength and your hope. We are together in this with God.
As for my serious problem with over buying shoes and bags... yes, I need to work on that. Blessings and Be Well.
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As more states issue shelter-in-place orders, Gov. Charlie Baker said Massachusetts would also shut down non-essential operations to prevent the coronavirus outbreak from growing, and gatherings are now limited to 10 people. Baker announced the order would take effect at noon Tuesday and last until noon on April 7.
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3rd Quarter Extended to Tuesday, March 24 for Grades 9 - 11
In order to make sure our 3rd quarter grades were an accurate reflection of our students' ability and efforts while providing time for faculty to wrap things up as smoothly as possible, so we have extended the 3rd quarter to Tuesday, March 24 for grades 9 - 11. The 4th quarter will begin on Monday, March 30. Seniors are on a different schedule for this grading period and senior teachers will continue as planned. Senior exams will be waived this school year.
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Message from Nurse Paquette Regarding Stress Management
During our time of distance learning, please be alert for signs of increased stress and anxiety in your children and teens. It may also be a time of increased stress for our elderly family and friends. You may be experiencing some anxiety for your self and your family members at this time. Be alert for signs of increased stress such as, difficult with sleeping, changes in eating patterns, or even difficulty with concentrating while working from home. Remember to take a break from the newscasts which can be very frightening. Try to eat healthy meals and take some time to do something that you enjoy, perhaps reading, or doing some craft for which you don’t often have time.
Here is a tip sheet from the CDC which has some helpful advice.
Stay well and be safe,
Elizabeth Paquette RN
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Thoughts on #MCDistanceLearning
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Huge thanks to Christine Flaherty of Reading for the comments in
The Boston Globe
about MC and our first week of remote teaching success. Here is an excerpt from
The Boston Globe
article, "Parents struggle to homeschool, care for kids amid coronavirus crisis."
Many private K-12 schools, by contrast, seem to have more readily transitioned to remote learning. Christine Flaherty of Reading, whose 15-year-old son is a freshman at Malden Catholic High School, said her son “has a laptop and a great schedule of daily work." His technology class meets by Zoom. Another teacher messages every couple of hours to check in and see if anyone needs help. He has an English quiz Friday.
“It’s not ideal. I have a child who needs some extra supports, but he’s getting them,” said Flaherty, a commercial real estate lender with Berkshire Bank who is working from home full time now. She and her son created an “old school” schedule of start and stop times on a piece of paper, which includes breaks for basketball in the backyard. “I was here working and he was working,” said Flaherty. "I don’t feel like he’s losing as much as he would if he was at home on his laptop playing Fortnite.”
We appreciate the parents, students and alumni who reached out to express thanks, gratitude and sentiments about our faculty's efforts this week.
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My MC experience truly shaped my life in countless ways and I'm deeply grateful for my time there and for the community of friends I'm still close with. You guys are doing a great job!"
"Thank you for the update and for all you're doing to keep the students, faculty, and staff safe. I'm the communications director for a school... in Los Angeles, so believe me, I know how challenging this moment is for all of us as we try to move the curriculum and community online for those who really need it right now... Please also pass along my gratitude to Brother Puccio for his thoughtful and inspiring words."
I know firsthand, the character builder that the MC experience delivers. These young men and women will go out into the world and many of them will be a beacon of light in so many fields. I hope that they will remember when the spirit first stirred in their hearts inside the walls of Crystal Street, and forever be grateful, bringing a warm smile as they look back on their journey.....Stay safe and well.....GREAT JOB !!!
We want to hear your thoughts on MC's online learning! So please send us notes about your student's experiences and photos to [email protected].
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Senior Christian Service - Modified Requirements
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Faith Formation is an important aspect of our programming and we have made the following modifications to our Senior Christian Service requirements to honor the current need for social distancing. All in-person service commitments will be suspended and any student who anticipated going to a Service Site, starting the week of April 13, should contact their service location to let them know students will no longer be reporting to the site.
Students who have completed, logged, and had approved at least 40 hours of Christian Service onto MobileServe their senior year, will have met their hour requirement for Senior Service. These students should go forward in writing their 5-page reflection paper, and pass them into their chosen moderator to be read.
Students who have not completed, logged or been approved for 40 hours of service, will instead practice Spiritual Works of Mercy to meet their service requirement and write a 5-page reflection paper.
All seniors will receive a document regarding the modified requirements and reflection paper details. Please reach out to Campus Ministry if you have any questions.
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