The NAZ Newsletter

A monthly newsletter for the parents and families of Nazareth Academy High School

Important Dates

October 16th - 19th Middle States Evaluation

Friday, October 19 “B” Schedule - 1:00 PM Dismissal Faculty Meeting

October 25th - October 28th Annual School Play High School Musical Performances are each day at 7:00 PM and an extra performance on Sunday at 2:00 PM

Monday, October 29 No School

Thursday, November 1 “C” Schedule All Saints Day Liturgy

Saturday, November 3 Father - Daughter Dance 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Thursday, November 8 Junior Ring Mass 7:30 PM in Chapel

Friday, November 9 NAZ-A-THON 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM 1:00 PM Dismissal for students

Wednesday, November 14 “B” Schedule - 1:00 PM dismissal Faculty Meeting

October 2018

Nazareth Academy High School ~ 4001 Grant Avenue ~ Philadelphia, PA 19114 ~ 215.637.7676 ~ NazarethAcademyHS.org

Embracing Faith, Family, and Education

Last Month Recap

On Monday, September 24th in our School Chapel with our students and

their families we recognized the various members of our honor societies.

Students in the National Honor Society, Tri-M Music, Language Honor

Societies, Mu Alpha Theta Math Society were honored for their hard work

and achievements. Excellent work girls!

On Friday, September 28th, we welcomed Archbishop Chaput to our

campus for our 90th Anniversary Opening Mass in Chapel. Our girls’

energy and talents shined through to the Archbishop and all our guests as

we celebrated our history in Chapel.

During the first weekend of October, approximately 40 of our students

attended the first KAIROS retreat of the school year. Students spent the

weekend strengthening their relationship with God and one another.

President’s Report Mrs. Denise LePera

What a very busy month at Nazareth! We had our Fall Open House on Saturday, October 13th!

Once again our girls represented us so well! In fact, we previewed our recruitment video which

has received praise from current families, alumnae and our prospective students. If you have a

few minutes, it is worth the watch!

Nazareth Academy High School – Your school. Your family. Your home.

From October 16 to October 19, our Middle States Visiting Team will be on-site. We look

forward to the final step of the accreditation process. Most importantly we are excited to

showcase your daughters and what they bring to Nazareth Academy High School!

Picture courtesy of Catalano Studios.

Facilities Update

The Facilities Committee will meet three times

before our November board meeting to evaluate

our facilities issues that can be a challenge with a

90-year-old building. In preparation for the

initial meeting of the Facilities Committee, we

began a facilities assessment over the summer.

One of the major concerns brought to our

attention was a potentially serious plumbing

issue caused by the 0.8-gallon low flush toilets

that had been installed as an environmentally

friendly strategy. As you all know, that concern

was brought to reality with the return of our

students. The lack of water being pushed through at a low level had led to pipes becoming very

clogged. The 44 toilets were clogging and overflowing in record numbers over the course of the

day. We set an immediate plan to replace all the toilets from 0.8 gallon to 1.6 gallon with high

flush. I am happy to report that the toilets have been replaced!

At the beginning of the school year, we had installed automatic hand soap dispensers and paper

towel dispensers in every bathroom. Next up will be all new waste receptacles in the student

bathrooms.

We have hired a full-time maintenance janitorial technician who begins on October 18th. This

will bring our staff to one full-time, and five part-time maintenance/janitorial staff who will work

collaboratively to open the facility, do routine cleaning and address work orders to maintain the

facility. Classrooms, bathrooms, and common areas will be on a regular schedule as part of the

routine custodian work. For deep cleaning, other schools utilize a cleaning service on an ad-hoc

basis to provide more industrial cleaning in addition to the on-site janitorial/custodian staff. We

had a blitz level cleaning done last week with another scheduled for mid-Spring.

Admissions

As our biggest champions, we ask that you encourage friends and family members who are 8th

graders to attend the following:

Scavenger Hunt for 7th and 8th graders: October 19th ~ 7:00 PM

Entrance and Scholarship Exam: October 27th 7:45 AM to 12:00 PM

Embracing Faith, Family, and Education

Alumnae and Advancement

We are grateful for your support of our efforts. Remember our alumnae and advancement

events directly benefit our young women through enhancing our academic programs, increasing

tuition assistance, or providing technology or facility improvements. Last year, our fundraising

efforts provided 11 new interactive Smartboards and Whiteboards for every classroom!

Taste of the Town

Saturday, November 17, 2018

7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Featuring a sampling of the area’s restaurants, bars, and caterers

Night include live band, DJ, raffle baskets, silent auction, and much more!

Tickets $40 in advance, $50 at the door

Sponsorship Opportunities Available

All alumnae, parents, family and friends are welcome!

Click Here For Tickets and More Information

Volunteers Needed

We are in need of parents to assist at the event with selling raffles, 50/50s, and door registration

of guests as well as assistance with the breakdown of the Performing Arts Center at the end of

the night would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Terri Evans at

tevans@nazarethacademyhs.org.

We are also looking for parents that can assist prior to the event with the picking up of raffle

items at local businesses and preparing the raffle baskets for the event.

Raffle Basket Donation

Donations needed for our gift baskets can include tickets to sporting events, concert tickets,

weekend getaways, restaurant gift certificates or gift certificates to local businesses. Please send

these items in with your daughters to be dropped off in the Main Office. Please label them

Taste of the Town Basket Raffle. Each homeroom was assigned a theme for our baskets, so

please make sure to ask your daughters about the theme assigned, so that we can make this

event as successful as possible.

Taste of the Town Raffle

In the next week or so, a letter will be sent home with all the details regarding this

fundraiser. We are asking each student to sell 5 tickets at $20 each. There will be incentives

for sellers and homerooms. Our plan is to continue upgrading the Smart Boards in every

classroom so please help make this fundraiser a success! Each ticket will contain two (2)

3-digit numbers and is based on the PA 3 digit evening lottery (straight only). The drawing

dates will be:

December 3, 2018 Green Tickets

December 4, 2018 Pink Tickets

December 5, 2018 Blue Tickets

December 6, 2018 Yellow Tickets

The winner will receive a $150.00 gift certificate to each 8 restaurants listed on the ticket along

with $100.00 spending cash for each restaurant with a $2,000.00 value per drawing. The

restaurants featured are as follows:

- Del Frisco’s Steakhouse - El Vez - Fogo De Chao

- Buddakan - Maggiano’s - Morimoto

- The Capital Grille - Ruth Chris

***In the event that all tickets are not sold for a particular night, we will draw a winning ticket

from those sold. The winner of this consolation prize will receive (1) $150.00 gift certificate of

their choice from the list of restaurants, along with $100.00 spending cash.

NAHS 90th Anniversary Alumnae Communion Mass and Breakfast

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Mass begins at 10:00 AM in School Chapel

Followed by breakfast in the Performing Arts Center

EITC

What business owner wouldn't prefer to provide

scholarships to Nazareth Academy High School rather

than pay Pennsylvania State Tax? If you are a business

owner, know someone who is either the owner, Chief

Executive Officer, or Chief Financial Officer, please

contact me at President@NazarethAcademyHS.org to

learn more.

Fall weather is finally upon us. During the month of October, the Nazareth Academy High

School Community has pledged to remember the intentions of Archbishop Charles Chaput,

O.F.M. Cap. in our prayers, especially in light of his important work in the Synod on Youth at

the Vatican that began on October 5. As for the month of November, we will remember our

beloved dead in prayer throughout the month, most especially on November 2, All Souls Day.

The events heat up even as the weather cools here on Grant Avenue. Our talented Performing

Arts Department opens High School Musical on October 24 with the opening of performances

for elementary schools. The show runs through October 28. Also, tickets are currently on sale

for the Father-Daughter Dance on November 3. Our juniors celebrate their Ring Mass on

November 8, followed by Ring Day on November 9. Naz-A-Thon takes the stage on

November 9 as our students never stop moving “for the kids.”

Personnel Updates

Since our last communication, Ms. Carolyne Heston has joined our faculty in the Science

Department, teaching Physics and Environmental Science in the absence of Dr. John Fischer.

We welcome Ms. Heston and continue to remember Dr. Fischer in our prayers during his

recovery.

On October 22, Ms. Shannon Donnelly will begin as the Campus Minister at Nazareth

Academy High School. Ms. Donnelly is a graduate of Cabrini University and has extensive

experience in ministry with teens and young adults in local parishes. We are excited to

welcome Ms. Donnelly to Nazareth.

Student Handbook

The Student Handbook is posted on the school website. If you have not already done so, please

review the handbook with your daughter and complete the electronic signature that

accompanies the document. Thank you for completing this important task.

Principal’s Perspective Mr. James Meredith

Picture courtesy of Catalano Studios.

College Application Season

Our seniors here at Nazareth are at the height of college application season. The Counseling

Department, administration, and teachers are working diligently with our seniors with the

applications, especially with their college essays and recommendations. To assist with this

process, the Counseling Department is now publishing an additional monthly communication

on the college process specifically, shared with juniors and seniors and their families via email.

A Message from NAPA

Nazareth Academy Parents' Association (NAPA) is a non-profit, social organization founded

for the purpose of promoting interaction of the members and to serve as a support organization

for the school in assisting and enhancing the spiritual and educational experience of its

students. Our primary function is to benefit our girls by organizing fund raising events, social

functions and contributing to various programs throughout the school year.

Please consider joining today! Besides being present at our Admissions, School and Alumnae

events, the NAPA financially supports the New Family Mass and Breakfast for incoming

freshman, the Alumnae Pinning and Induction dinner for our newest alumnae, Catholic

Schools Week celebrations for our students and faculty. We also provide a scholarship for a

senior attending Holy Family and for two incoming freshmen.

Please click here to see the many events and sign up today!

Maguire Art Fellows

The following four Nazareth Academy students

have been accepted into the Frances M. Maguire

Pre-College Program at Pennsylvania Academy of

Fine Arts based on their portfolio: Sarah Rhoades,

Alexis Fielder, Madelyn Congdon and Arianna

Cabrera.

The next several months promise to be very

exciting for them as they attend college-level

studio art instruction both on-campus (Saturdays) and online, with occasional field trips to the

museums. They will earn a total of 1.5 college credits upon course completion giving them a

valuable head-start towards a college degree.

The Maguire Foundation, which collaborated with PAFA to create this program, has

generously provided these students with a full-tuition scholarship, as well as, all needed

materials for this course.

Academic Affairs Mrs. Patricia Quinn

Mid-Fall Reports

The Mid-Fall marking period closed on Friday, October 12; teachers are requested to submit

grades by 8 a.m. on Monday, October 15. Mid-Fall Reports will be available to be viewed

electronically on Thursday, October 25. GPA and Honors calculations are based on semester

grades.

Mandatory Tutoring

Any student receiving a grade less than 75 is required to attend mandatory tutoring. Mandatory

tutoring is to be considered as supportive and not punitive. A meeting will be scheduled with

teachers, parent(s), counselor, and the Assistant Principal for Academics for any student who

receives more than one deficiency notice.

Electronic Databases Now Available

Nazareth Academy offers its students several databases which they can use for their research.

These databases can be accessed through the school’s library page. Simply go to the Nazareth

Academy Homepage, click on Academics, click on Library, and scroll down to Databases.

These databases can be accessed both from home and from school. The girls can get a list of

the usernames and passwords from any teacher or from the librarian. The databases have been

purchased solely for the use of Nazareth Academy students. The passwords should not be given

to students from other schools. Also, the difference between a database and a search engine is

that any information gotten from a database has been academically approved.

The electronic databases are as follows:

Academic Search Elite

This database offers articles from academic journals which span a wide range of subjects. It is

especially appropriate for seniors.

Britannica Online Academic

This is a general reference source with information from Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam

Webster Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, and other magazines and periodicals. Britannica

Academic is written on a collegiate level and is especially appropriate for upperclasswomen.

Britannica School

Britannica School is a general reference source which allows students to move from a higher to

a lower level. While especially good for freshmen and sophomores, juniors and seniors may

also find it useful.

Student Resources in Context

This database offers cross-curricular content on a wide range of subjects. Good for all levels, it

also offers images, videos, and an audio selection.

Issues and Controversies

Issues and Controversies offers pro and con stances on a wide range of current day issues.

Issues and Controversies has editorials, primary sources, and maps and charts where

appropriate.

Student Life Mrs. Diane Budd

Your Daughters are in High School: How You Can Help as Parents

As you know, anxiety surrounding school safety is at an all-time high. Even without that, going

back to school is stressful enough, especially for students leaving elementary school. High

school can be difficult at times due to the emotional and social aspect. Some parents worry about

the age difference between freshmen and seniors, the 14-18 age range. Your daughters may be

dwelling on fitting in or their physical appearance. The important thing to remember is that most

teens are feeling this way. As parents we worry about our children because we want them to do

well. Sometimes transitions are hard, especially if there is a history of anxiety. So to help, keep

open communication with your daughters because this can lead to a lot of important

conversations, including issues that at times trouble young teens.

Teens are sometimes very worried about fitting in when they are in high school. So as parents we

want to encourage them to join clubs and activities, and talk to other students in their classes. It

may take time, but eventually they will make friends.

To the parents of freshmen, if you find that your daughters are not doing well and grades are low,

there are many avenues to explore. Tutoring in the subject causing difficulty, and communicating

with the teacher is imperative. Remember, students tend to improve year to year. They are all

getting adjusted, so allow for some time. Remind your daughters to start slow in freshman year,

get used to school; get grades and study skills sharpened and figure out how to balance school

work and extracurricular activities. Your daughters don’t need to do it all in freshman year, there

is time to build on things.

And to all parents, from freshmen to seniors – let your daughters know that you aren’t perfect and

we all make mistakes. It’s important to pick your battles, and try not to worry about the little

things. Advise them to get organized, take good class notes, concentrate, speak up when they

don’t understand testing or homework directions, listen carefully, and spend plenty of time

reading directions. These tips will improve the academic quality of the school year. And remind

your daughters that even with the best preparation, they may still need extra help to meet new

academic challenges or to bolster up study skills. Seeking help at the first sign of trouble will

prevent them from falling behind as the year progresses. My best to all for a successful school

year.

Picture courtesy of Catalano Studios. Picture courtesy of Catalano Studios.

Sweatshirt Privilege

The wearing of the sweatshirt is a privilege set aside for seniors only. The only requirement is

a confirmation congratulatory letter from a college. Upon confirmation, seniors will receive a

pass so as to confirm acceptance to college.

The Father-Daughter Dance

The Father-Daughter Dance is scheduled for Saturday, November 3rd from 7-10:00PM.

Appropriate dress is required for all students – Sunday best! No excessively short dresses/

skirts or cut- outs on dresses are permitted. Please be discrete when purchasing a dress for this

occasion. Any student not appropriately dressed will be asked to leave.

Winter Uniform

A reminder that on special occasions students are required to wear their Winter Uniform with

blue tights. Please note that blue tights can be purchased at Flynn O’Hara. Students may

purchase tights and socks in the Panda Pit. Blazers should remain in school in students’ lockers

for special events. Winter Uniform begins on Thursday, November 1st.

ID and Lanyards

All students must wear their ID and lanyards. This is part of the uniform and necessary for

swiping in and out of the building, and for their safety while in school.

Cell Phone Policy

Several demerits have been issued for cell phone violations. As stated in the Student

Handbook, cell phones are to be out of sight and used for instructional purposes only. A

15- point demerit and a detention will be issued for this violation. A pass will be issued for

students who need to have cell phones turned on during the school day.

Halloween/Clash Day Celebration

October 31st is our Halloween/Clash Day celebration. Students are permitted to wear a

Halloween costume or clash. Clashing means dressing in clothes that don’t match.

From the Guidance Department

Junior Parent College Planning

The Junior Parent College Planning Meeting will be held in the Performing Arts Center at

7:00pm on October 23, 2018.

Reminder to all seniors:

November 1st is the Early Action Deadline for colleges.

From the Athletic Department

Winter Sports Tryouts

Winter Sports Tryouts begin on November 16, 2018. Tryout times are to be determined and

will be sent out via email.

Anyone trying out for a Winter Sport must register on FamilyID which can be found on the

website under Athletics. Also, if you did not play a Fall Sport, you will need to submit the

PIAA physical form which can also be found on FamilyID. Registration opens on Monday,

October 15, 2018. Family ID and PIAA paperwork are due on Tuesday Novembers 13, 2018.

Juniors and freshmen who have not completed an Impact Test this year will have to take the

test on Monday November 5, 2018, 2:30 pm in the Athletic Conference Room.

From the Health Office

The Pennsylvania Department of Health requires all students to fill out a S-865 form.

You will find the form on our website. Please fill it out and return to the Health Office.

If you have any questions you may contact the Health Office at 215-268-1033.

Taste of the Town

Nazareth Academy High School’s

Saturday, November 17, 2018 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

NAHS School Gym, Dining Area & Performing Arts Center

Featuring a sampling of the area’s finest cuisine

Live music and entertainment featuring:

Party Wave

Last year’s Taste of the Town event at Alumnae and Family

Weekend was such a success, we brought it back for another year!

The night will feature food and drinks from the area’s

finest restaurants, bars, and caterers.

Included in the festivities will be a live band, DJ, dancing, 50/50

raffle baskets, silent auction, and a great night out!

Visit our website NazarethAcademyHS.org/TasteoftheTown2018

to purchase tickets and learn more about the event

2nd Annual

Father - Daughter Dance Additional Information

November 3, 2018 from 7:00PM - 10:00 PM

The night includes food buffet, coffee, water, soft drinks, live DJ and 50/50 chances.

Upon arrival Seniors and Juniors please go directly to the Performing Arts Center for photographs.

Sophomores and Freshmen start with dinner in the Student Dining Room, followed by photographs.

All photographs will be completed by 8:30 PM

Space for the dance is limited, so please respond promptly!

Please submit this form to the Main Office by Friday, October 19th.

Please make checks payable to Nazareth Academy High School.

We would like to attend the Father-Daughter Dance on Saturday, November 3, 2018!

Daughter(s) Name(s):

Homeroom(s): Total # Attending:

Favorite Song Title and Artist (must be appropriate):