From the Assistant Principal, Mrs. Libby

The 2009-10 school year has begun and what an easy beginning it has been!  Students and teachers seem to have gotten back into the “groove” without missing a beat.  I am impressed with everyone’s friendliness, hard work and positive attitude.

Since we now have PowerSchool access for everyone, students and parents can keep track of academic progress from the beginning of the year. (We do expect that everyone is checking grades regularly … weekly seems about right!  Several times a day is too much!)   If there are questions about a grade, students should contact the teacher immediately.  If you still do not have your PowerSchool log-in information, please contact JoAnn DiDonato in the main office (686-5353 x. 177) to get this. Please be reminded that teachers have two weeks from the due date to post grades for assignments and/or tests.  

Students should actively seek help from teachers if they are experiencing difficulty.  Every teacher is open to working with students who need additional assistance.  And of course, Academic Advisors are available every day when needed.  Please encourage your daughter to talk with her Academic Advisor at the first sign of difficulty with her classes.  (Frosh – Sophomore Advisor:  Ms. Harris; Juniors: Mrs. Libby; and Seniors: Sr. Anne Eugene) They are here to problem solve, help with study skills and general advice.  No need to wait until a student feels totally overwhelmed. 

Back-to-School-Night will be held on Thursday, September 3rd, at 7:30 pm, with a welcome by Dr. Hurlbut at 7:00 in the Garaventa for parents.  We encourage you to come early, as parking can be quite challenging with so many parents attending from both campuses. and limited parking is available. 

There will be no progress reports mailed home this year, as all parents and students have access to their grades on PowerSchool.  We will send home a report card at the end of the first and 3rd quarter, however, as these grades are used in determining athletic eligibility and activity participation for the next quarter. 

Semester grades (January/June) are grades posted to the official transcript of grades and are retained in your daughter’s permanent cumulative file.  These are also the determining grades in meeting pre-requisites for courses in which your daughter pre-registers in future years at Carondelet.  Any semester F grades must be made up before continuing enrollment at Carondelet for the following year is allowed.  Students who attended summer school of any kind (including on-line independent study courses) must request that official transcripts be sent to our Registrar’s Office in order to have the grade(s) for these courses posted on their transcript.  Please note that any courses taken off campus, at any time, are not recorded in the Carondelet GPA.

Don’t hesitate to give me a call at any time if I can be of service!  I am here to help ensure your daughter’s success at CHS and beyond.  I look forward to talking with you!

*****STUDY SKILLS:  MONDAY'S, ROOM 11, 2:30-3:00*****

CLICK ON THE CHS WEBSITE, CALENDAR, STUDY SKILLS, FOR CURRENT SCHEDULE OF TOPICS FOR THE QUARTER.  FOR MORE INFO...SEE MS. HARRIS.

Sophomore retreats will begin this month.  Each Religious Studies class goes as a group on a Tuesday to the Diocesan Youth Retreat Center in Lafayette for a fun day with Sr. Joann Heinritz, our Carondelet Director of CSJ Spirituality and Mission.   Additional information will be given to students through their Religious Studies class.

The first senior Kairos retreat is scheduled for September 15-17.  Students board a bus for San Damiano Retreat Center in Danville at 3pm on the first day and return to school by 6pm on the last day.  Please pray for us.

There still are available spots for both the November 11-13 and April 19-21 retreats.  Registration forms are available in the Campus Ministry Office.  Completed forms and a $50 nonrefundable registration fee should be turned in to Mrs. Mondello.  The remaining $200 balance for the retreat can be paid off whenever you like.  Please talk to Mrs. Mondello if financial assistance is needed.

Mark your calendar now for the annual Mother /Daughter Liturgy/Brunch on Sunday, October 4.  This is a wonderful way to celebrate your shared womanhood.  If a mom is not available to attend, we encourage our students to invite another adult woman from her family who has been her nurturer and mentor.   In the spring we will provide an opportunity for dads and daughters to share the same type of experience. 

Once again this fall Carondelet and De La Salle Campus Ministries are offering junior and senior students an opportunity to participate in a fall   mission immersion experience, working in Salinas with migrant families and homeless people.  Applications to be part of this experience in mid October are due in the Campus Ministry Office by September 3^rd.

The Campus Ministry Office is located just inside the senior hallway door that leads to the Garaventa Center.  You are always welcome to drop by and introduce yourself.

Mrs. Mondello

Special Message to

Parents of our Sophomores!

During the first semester your sophomore daughter will be participating in a one-day retreat at the Diocesan Youth Retreat Center in Lafayette.  The theme of the retreat, “All of which woman is capable,”  introduces these young ladies to the charism and mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph and how they are invited to explore that theme in their own lives.  Each sophomore Religion class, along with their Religious Studies teacher, will travel by bus on the designated Tuesday to the retreat center.  You are encouraged to check in with your daughter about her particular date and support her with your prayers.   She will be bringing home a permission form that you need to complete.  Because of the nature of this retreat day, it is not necessary that she bring her back pack or books.  However, she will need to bring her lunch and something to drink, along with a blanket or beach towel for the meditation.  We provide all the other materials needed for the retreat.  We ask that she leave her cell phone at home or in her locker on that day since it is a day to shift gears and be “unplugged.”

From past years we know what a bonding experience this is, as well as an enriching spiritual experience that includes presentations by the teacher, Sister Joann and the four Senior Peer Counselors who lead the small groups for the day.  The participants will have an opportunity to share their reflections in small groups, experience the relaxing and renewing aspects of meditation, journal about the various ways they are growing in their own faith journey, as well as a time for basking in the natural beauty and serenity of the Lafayette Retreat Center. 

Blessings all over our sophomores on their retreat experience!

Do you have a heart for prayer and a little bit of time to spare?  Please consider joining the “Moms-In Touch” Group at Carondelet.  We meet in the Chapel twice a month on Mondays, after drop-off at 8:20 a.m.  For more information, please contact Audrey Tormey at 943-6885 or Kathy Dasso at 938-1468.

Interscholastic Sports

Congratulations to Adrianne Johnson for winning the high jump competition at the State Track Meet in June.

Lacrosse Academic All Americans:  Congratulations to Mollie Bailey, Caitlin Takahashi and Lauren Bruhn who were selected as academic All Americans for the 2009 Lacrosse season.

Congratulations to Mollie Bailey and Emily DeSimone for being selected as honorable mention players on the 2009 Northern California High School All American Lacrosse team.

NORTH COAST SECTION TEAM SCHOLASTIC AWARDS:

Varsity Softball and Girls Tri Valley Track Team received scholastic honors with a team GPA of 3.43 and 3.49 respectively.  These awards are presented to the top three NCS varsity teams in each division or classification in each sport with the highest composite GPA of 3.0 or above.  Recognizing that there are 168 schools in the NCS, this is indeed an outstanding achievement!

OPTIONAL Athletic Team Sweatshirts and Polos will be available for team members through the CHS School Store.  Representatives from the store will be available to take orders during the Fall/Winter/Spring Parent Nights.  Cheer and Dance orders will be taken in May.  Team parents/athletes/ or coaches will no longer be involved in the designing or distributing of school approved sports apparel.

FALL SPORTS PARENT NIGHT will be September 2, Tuesday, 7:00 pm in the Garaventa Center.  Fall fees are due at this time along with a copy of car insurance policy, if you plan on helping with car pools. At least one parent needs to attend this important informational meeting.

Community Service

            The Community Service Program hit the ground running.  The Jefferson Awards Youth Service Initiative Leadership Team introduced the project for the year, GET ON THE BUS at an assembly on August 27.  This charity was inaugurated ten years ago by Sister  Suzanne Jabro, CSJ  and has been a pet project of the Sisters of St. Joseph ever since. Carondelet has been challenged to raise $9,000 during the current school year to allow those children who live so far from their mothers that is necessary for them to get on the plane to visit their mothers on Mother's Day. You may access the web site for GOTB at www.getonthebus.us.  The student body was shown the 2007 video in their period 4 classes. 

            Dina Bartello, the representative of the Jefferson Awards Youth Service Initiative to Carondelet,  presented a golden banner to the student body at the assembly in recognition of the outstanding service done by the students during the 2008-2009 school year. 

            The eighty-three students who chose to do service during the summer are handing in their final packets.  Reading the evaluations from the girls' supervisors makes us proud to be mentors for these young women of service who are living out the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph; To do all of which woman is capable in service to the dear neighbor. Twenty-six students are enrolled in the Community Service A Class and are already going out to their service sites during the school day.  ; ;

Honey O'Leary

Library

Welcome Back! The Library is staffed full-time by two Librarians (Mrs. Tracy and Ms. Koski) and is open for student use from 7:45 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. including break and lunch.  This year we have several new electronic databases to help with your daughter’s research needs. Please check out the link on the Carondelet Library page for Online Database. Some interesting ones to look at would be: NoveList, where you can find readers’ advisory or Newspaper Source Plus, where you can read papers from around the world. To access the databases from home you will need to know the login and password. Ask your daughter.

Juniors

Junior Council is already busy planning this year's Junior Ring Ceremony. Mark your calendars: this special liturgy will be held in the Garaventa Center on Sunday, November 22 at 10 a.m. We hope all junior students and their families can attend.

Ms. Hayley Strandberg

Junior Class Moderator

Seniors

Senior Council would like to welcome back the senior class and all CHS students!  After an invigorating leadership retreat at San Damiano in June, the senior council members had a restful summer and are ready to begin a new school year.  Plans are in the works for the senior skit that will be performed at the Welcome Back Rally this month.  The council is also excited about the cleverly designed senior t-shirts that were they distributed at Orientation.  The class theme this year is “Larger than Life.” 

Mrs. Jenny Lambert

Senior Class Moderator

Mother/Daughter Liturgy and Brunch

 October 4, 2009
10:30 A.M.
$15.00 Per Person

Event is for all current students and one adult female per family are invited. 

The Liturgy is in the CHS Gym, Doors open at 10:15 a.m.

*****

 The Brunch is in the Silvio E. Garaventa Center immediately following the liturgy.

 The Garaventa Center will be open after the liturgy has ended. Please enter from the doors on the south or west side of the building.

KEEPSAKE PHOTOS will be taken for an additional fee in the SAC Room, beginning at 9:30 a.m. until 10:15 a.m., and then again after the Liturgy. The photographers will remain until everyone has had a chance to be photographed.

Tickets will be distributed to your daughter the week before this event in Period 4.

Any questions, please call Linda D’Souza at (925) 798-7626.

Complete, detach and return to school office with check made out to Carondelet Parent Association.

***********************************************

Adult’s name:_____________________ Phone number:____________

Student’s name(s) and grade(s):________________________________

Period 4 room number (for ticket delivery)_________

Number of tickets:________ Amount of check:____________

August 27, 2008

__________________________________________________________________________________________

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT         

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we again begin this academic year, it is time for you to experience a typical school day in the life of your daughter.  Please know you are invited to attend our “Back to School Night” on Thursday, September 3, 2009.

Your participation in this event gives you the opportunity to follow your daughter’s program and meet each of her teachers.  De La Salle’s classes will follow the same schedule that evening, allowing you to meet the teachers there as well.

The time schedule and school map for the evening are listed below.  Please print a copy and ask your daughter to fill out her schedule (two copies are on one page in the event that you have more than one daughter at Carondelet High School), and please bring it with you that Tuesday evening.

Please know that there will be heavy traffic on both Treat Boulevard and Winton Drive, so plan to arrive early.  Parking will be available on both campuses.  You might consider carpooling with friends to get the total student experience.  If you park on the neighboring streets, please observe the rules of courtesy.  Our neighbors are anticipating a crowd as they have been advised of this event. Dr. Hurlbut will have a few words for you during the refreshment reception served in the Garaventa Center beginning at 7:00 p.m.  If you haven’t seen the menu for our new café program, Epicurean, you’ll be able to pick that up as well.

All of us are looking forward to seeing you on September 3. Be sure to wear your walking shoes if you need to travel between the two campuses. 

Sincerely,

Teri M. Hurlbut, Ed.D

Principal

___________________________________________________________________________________________

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT

Thursday, September 3, 2009

7:00 P.M. Introduction and Refreshments

7:30 P.M. Classes Begin

Name________________________________________________________________

Please follow your daughter’s schedule as listed below:

7:30-7:40 Period 1 _________________________________________________________________________

7:45-7:55 Period 2 _________________________________________________________________________

8:00-8:10 Period 3 _________________________________________________________________________

8:15-8:30 Period 4_________________________________________________________________________

8:35-8:45 Period 5_________________________________________________________________________

8:50-9:00 Period 6_________________________________________________________________________

9:05-9:15 Period 0/7 ________________________________________________________________________

Click here for printable version

Prior to Back-to-School Night, parents of freshmen and sophomores are cordially invited to a dinner* and counseling services presentation

What:                  Presentation for parents of freshmen and sophomores

Who:                 Frosh /Soph Academic Advisor, College Counselors,    

                           Resource Specialist and Personal Counselors

Why:                   To provide information for parents regarding:

·        Changes their daughter's experience during the

      first two years of high school

·        Fostering independence

·        Creating a supportive academic environment

·        Teen developmental issues

Where:                In the Garaventa Center 

When:                 Thursday, September 3, 2009

                             Back-to-School Night begins at 7:00 p.m.

How:                   Please RSVP to:  mahern@carondeleths.org

with “BTSN” in the subject line by August 25, 2009

A light dinner provided by Carondelet!

Cafeteria News

It is my pleasure to introduce Chef Jose Sanchez as the Executive Chef for Carondelet High School.  Chef Sanchez comes from a strong background that includes beginning as a pantry cook for the popular SCORES Restaurant.  He joined Epicurean-Group in August of 2008 as Executive Sous Chef at Holy Names University.  As our business has evolved and grown and changes were made Chef Sanchez quickly and successfully stepped in to facilitate the remainder of the 2008-2009 school year at Carondelet. Additionally, successfully concluding last year with the De La Salle Baccalaureate.  At this time we are excited that he will lead the Carondelet team for the 2009-2010 academic calendar.

Looking forward to a great year,

Jim Julian

District Manager/Epicurean Group