NewsNotes 
In this Issue:
Message from the Principal All Aquinas families should review our Substance Abuse Policy in the Student/Parent Handbook. As an Aquinas community we need to be united on creating a safe and healthy environment for all of our students. According to Mary Pat Angelini, executive director of Prevention First: The messages parents send to children about alcohol are crucial. Many parents allow their teenage children to drink alcohol at home in an effort to teach them how to drink responsibly. They may have good intentions, but the results can be deadly. What parents do, in fact, is facilitate their child’s comfort with alcohol by sending a dangerous mixed message. Too many adults think underage drinking is harmless or worse — acceptable if parents take cars keys away from youth. Individuals, who purchase, provide or pour alcohol for anyone under age 21, except their own child, is breaking the law and can be charged under state or municipal law. Please make time to talk to your children in the coming days and weeks about smart and healthy choices. It is my hope that the programs we are offering to our students on Thursday will create an opportunity for positive conversations in your homes. The Catholic Church identifies the parent as the primary educator and calls the parent and the school to be partners in education, thank you for partnering with us. A number of events are occurring this month that showcase and recognize the talents of our students. These include the Art Show, the Spring Dance Concert, the Choir Concert, the Band Concert, and One Act Plays. Please consider joining us for these events. Additional information is listed in the May calendar which follows. There are a variety of Aquinas-based scholarships for which students can apply! Go to http://aquinasinstitute.com/scholarshipapps to see the criteria for each. The deadline to submit Community Service hours is quickly approaching. Verification forms and reflection papers are due to the theology teachers on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. The Aquinas Senior Ball is May 26th at Artisan Works from 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Tickets for the Senior Ball are $25 per person. Polo Shirts are back; starting May 1st, uniform polos may be worn. Uniform polos are optional. Polos are available in maroon only and are sold in the Bookstore for the price of $22.00. Senior yearbook pictures for the Class of 2014 will be taken May 21st. Winter dress code (no polos) must be worn. There will be signup sheets in junior homerooms. Please note that Field Day is Friday, May 24th and dismissal is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Please make arrangements for transportation for your student. I am sure that seniors are counting down the last weeks of school. Complete information about senior activities is included in these Newsnotes. It is an honor to announce the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the Class of 2013. Congratulations to Rebecca Drexler, Valedictorian, and Hanna Cullen, Salutatorian. This year’s Commencement will be held at the Eastman Theatre on June 15th. The final examination schedule will be posted on the Aquinas website as soon as it is available. Please encourage your son/daughter to stay focused for the remainder of the year and to take advantage of after school review sessions when offered. Theodore N. Mancini ‘88 Principal ________________________________________ May Dates to Remember May 1 – Maplewood Association Meeting 7:00 p.m. May 2 – Theatre Production Staff Meeting in AC21 at 3:00 p.m. May 3 – Art Show 7:00 p.m. May 6 – AP Chemistry Exam 8:00 a.m. May 6 – AP Psychology Exam at 12:00 p.m. May 7 – Spring Dance Concert 7:00 p.m. in the Thomas F. Bell ’57 Auditorium May 8– AP Calculus Exam 8:00 a.m. May 8 – Maplewood Executive Meeting 7:00 p.m. May 8 - 11:53 am dismissal for faculty workshop May 9 – AP English Literature Exam 8:00 a.m. May 9 – College Panel Night 6:00 p.m. in the Thomas F. Bell ’57 Auditorium May 9 – Ascension Thursday Mass 9:30 a.m. May 10 – AP English Language and Composition Exam 8:00 a.m. May 10 – AP Statistics Exam 12:00 p.m. May 13 – AP Biology Exam 8:00 a.m. May 13 – AP Physics Exam 12:00 p.m. May 14 – AP US Government and Politics Exam 8:00 a.m. May 14 – Music Boosters Meeting 7:00 p.m. in the Band Room May 15 – AP U.S. History Exam 8:00 a.m. May 16 – AP World History Exam 8:00 a.m. May 17 – “Catawampus” Improv Performance in the Black Box Theatre 3:30 p.m. May 17 – Interims available via online gradebook May 17 – One Act Plays 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre May 18 – One Act Plays 2:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre May 19 – Senior Communion Breakfast 9:30 a.m. May 21 – Junior and Senior High Choir Concert 7:00 p.m. in the Thomas F. Bell ’57 Auditorium May 21 – Theatre Boosters Meeting in the Basilian Conference Room 7:00 p.m. May 21 – Class of 2014 yearbook pictures May 23 – Junior and Senior High Band Concert 7:00 p.m. in the Thomas F. Bell ’57 Auditorium May 24 – Field Day 12:00 noon dismissal May 26– Senior Ball at Artisan Works 8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. May 27 – Memorial Day—no school May 30 – Spring Voice Recital 7:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre May 31 – Last day of classes for seniors ________________________________________ 2013-2014 Re-registration Information Re-registration packets were mailed for each current AQ student on March 29th. The re-registration packet included a copy of the courses your student is scheduled to take next year. A list of all courses offered at Aquinas is available through this link: 2013 - 2014 Course of Studies Guide. Please contact the Counseling Center with any questions about your child's course program. We encourage you to return your registration materials as soon as possible. The re-registration forms may be mailed back or turned in to the Aquinas Business Office. The registration fee of $300 per student is due with the forms. Please note that the registration fee has increased to $300 as of May 1st. ________________________________________ Fine Arts Update
________________________________________ Counseling Center News The Counseling Center is dedicated to assisting each student in his or her pursuit of self-knowledge, career exploration, college planning, and academic success. The counselors are available for individual counseling appointments with our students. If for any reason you object to your child’s participation with a counselor, please submit this objection in writing to your son or daughter’s counselor as soon as possible. College Panel Night: Attention parents/guardians of Aquinas students: Aquinas will be hosting a Spring College Panel Night in the Thomas F. Bell Auditorium ‘57 on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 6:00 p.m. Several college representatives will be featured and they will speak panel style on a variety of topics related to the college search process. Topics include: what admissions counselors look for, financial aid, narrowing down the college choices, campus visits, timelines, college life and the admissions process as it pertains to parent and student responsibilities. This is a great opportunity to gain more information on this process. Exploring Career Interest Survey: Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors are going to be given an Explorers survey in May so that they can learn more about a career they are interested in. Exploring is a career-education program that allows you to learn more about a particular career through hands-on activities and interaction with people out in the “real world.” Freshmen The freshmen were introduced to Naviance, which is a leading web-based college planning, navigation and tracking system for administrators, school counselors and faculty. It allows access to tools that actively engage students and parents in the post secondary career and college process. In April the freshman took a personality inventory. From the results they received a Myers-Briggs code and based on their code they received a summary of their personality, their strengths and their weaknesses. We will be continuing this lesson exploring their career options in sophomore year. Please have your student log you into Naviance to view their results. Sophomores In April the counselors presented in the Theology classes on Stress Management. Students were actively involved in discussions and education about the definition and causes, as well as the feelings, thoughts, behaviors and physiology surrounding what stresses them out. They answered questions to determine their personality type and we also talked about how to manage stress. Keep in mind sophomores you should be working on exploring career options. Continue to use your Naviance account, job shadow, participate in informational interviews and volunteer where you want to learn more about a prospective career. Juniors The juniors were very busy this past month starting with a guest speaker in their English classes. Libby Pinti and Kerrie Smith, from the Admissions office at St. John Fisher College presented to the students on “How to Write a College Essay” and “Updating Your Resume.” They will be doing both of these for their teachers so that they can get an early jump on the senior college process. The juniors were also active participants in the Decision Making/Problem Solving presentation that was given in April in their Theology classes. This fits into the Sacramental Living curriculum as they talk about vocations and being called to serve in different careers. They were taught about the decision making model and given a group exercise that helped them determine how they would practice this model and determine their values. Letters of Recommendation Juniors should start thinking about which teachers they will ask to write them a letter of recommendation. During the College Essay Writing presentation, the juniors were given a Senior Profile to complete. This allows them to list all of their achievements and activities since freshman year. The more in-depth this form is completed, often the easier and better the letter of recommendation can be written. Please encourage students to fully complete this form and return it to the Counseling Center as soon as possible. This is a vital part of the senior application process. Once returned, we make a copy for the students to give to each teacher that they will be asking for a letter of recommendation. Students are encouraged to ask their teachers before the end of junior year to allow them to get an early start. Seniors All seniors will be completing a Senior Exit Survey on Naviance on May 6, 2013 during their English classes. They will need to know what college they want their final transcript sent to and the name and dollar amount of any scholarship offers they have received. A final transcript will be mailed in July to the college that you indicated in the survey. As a reminder… if you have taken a dual credit course you must contact MCC to forward a MCC transcript to your requested college. AP scores are NOT on your transcript. If you didn’t indicate which college you want the scores to be forwarded to at the time of the test, you must contact College Board at www.collegeboard.com to forward the scores to your requested college. Congratulations on a job well done and best wishes for a successful future!!! On May 21, 2013 the counseling center will be hosting a “Decision Day”. All seniors will be recognized for their accomplishments and post secondary plans during their lunch periods. SAT’s and ACT’s: Juniors and seniors have been encouraged to take the SAT and/or ACT at least twice to improve college and scholarship opportunities. Registration information and test dates are available in the Counseling Center and on-line at www.collegeboard.com and www.act.org. ________________________________________ Health Office Message to Parents of Current 9th Graders New York State now requires a physical exam for all students who will enter 10th grade in the upcoming school year. Please have your physician complete the attached physical exam form and return it to the school nurse as soon as possible. Note that the date of the physical must be within one year of the month your child entered their current grade. If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact the Nurse, Mrs. Patricia McCabe, at extension 1031. ________________________________________ Graduation Information for the Class of 2013 Attention seniors-graduation is quickly approaching, so please mark these important dates on your calendars: May 10: Scholarship information is due to Mrs. Sadler in the Counseling Center May 16: Senior packets will be distributed during the lunch periods May 19: Senior Communion Breakfast at 9:30 a.m. May 26: Senior Ball May 31: Last day for seniors June 3-5: Senior Exams June 4: Awards Night 7:00 p.m. in the Thomas F. Bell ’57 Auditorium June 6: Graduation Rehearsal at the Eastman Theatre at 9:00 a.m. June 11: Graduation cap and gown pick-up at Aquinas from 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. June 14: Baccalaureate Mass at St. Lawrence Church at 7:30 p.m. June 15: Graduation ceremony at the Eastman Theatre at 10:00 a.m. Due to the reconstruction of the Eastman Theatre seating in the reserved section of the auditorium will be limited for the graduation ceremony; saving seats will be strictly prohibited. If you have any questions regarding the Graduation festivities, please contact Mrs. Battisti at extension 1022. ________________________________________ 2013 AP Exam Schedule Date of Exam Morning Session 8:00 a.m. Afternoon Session 12:00 p.m. Monday, May 6 AP Chemistry AP Psychology Tuesday, May 7 Wednesday, May 8 AP Calculus Thursday, May 9 AP English Literature and Composition Friday, May 10 AP English Language and Composition AP Statistics Monday, May 13 AP Biology AP Physics Tuesday, May 14 AP United States Government and Politics Wednesday, May 15 AP US History Thursday, May 16 AP World History ________________________________________ AQ Students Achieve Success
Catawumpus Improv Troupe Performs at RIT
Students Give Back to the Community The Friends of Rachael’s Club had the opportunity to do a drive for Lollypop Farm on April 11th. Students and faculty were asked to bring in various pet items, such as canned and dry foods and litter. All the donations, filling up two cars worth of supplies were taken to the Lollypop Farm location at the Mall at Greece Ridge Center. Congratulations to Mrs. Kieffer and all the members of the Friends of Rachael’s Club on a job well done. ________________________________________ Aquinas Students Visit Lycée Saint Vincent in Rennes France Nineteen AQ students were placed with different host families in Rennes France, each with a student attending Lycée Saint Vincent, a private Catholic high school. Students in Ms. Rybak's French classes prepared for months for this enriching opportunity. The students attended classes with host students, learned how to make crêpes, and took a Breton dance lesson to truly experience French academics and culture. Ms. Rybak's French students also took excursions to Mont Saint Michel and the landing beaches in Normandy. In addition, they toured the major monuments in Paris: the Eiffel Tower, L'Arc de Triomphe, Sacré Coeur, and Fontainebleau, a very impressive French château! The students took a bateau mouche (tour boat) along the Seine to see Paris by night, and attended Easter mass at Notre Dame Cathedral. ________________________________________ Dady Brothers Concert May 5th to benefit Aurora House A Dady Brothers concert is sure to tickle your musical fancy and set your toes to tapping! This benefit concert for Aurora House will take place on Sunday, May 5th in the Thomas F. Bell ’57 Auditorium. Dady Brothers, Western New York’s’ favorite troubadours, bring a unique variety of Celtic and American folk music to each and every performance. John and Joe are self-styled singers, multi-instrumentalist musicians and composers. They have a solid command of many folk instruments including, but not limited t guitar, pennywhistle, fiddle, banjo, octave mandolin, harmonica, uilleann pipes, bodhran and ukulele. Their wide repertoire ranges from Irish folk ballads to original contemporary folk, bluegrass, and acoustic blues. They are at ease with their audiences and have a knack for finding humor in the moment and sharing it spontaneously. For tickets or additional information about this concert, please contact Ann at 743-1168. There will also be tickets available at the door. Additional information about the Dady Brothers can be obtained at www.dadybros.com. Aurora House is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides support and care for the dying and their loved ones in a peaceful home-like setting at 2495 South Union Street in Spencerport. Our caregivers, with the support and guidance of nurses, provide loving and compassionate care based on the model of families caring for loved ones at home. Aurora House is a dream come true for many who have experienced the loss of a loved one and know what a caring support system can mean during such a difficult time. All services of Aurora House are offered free of charge. Donations, memorials, grants, fundraisers, and the dedication of our volunteers allow Aurora House to exist. More information about Aurora House along with information about volunteer opportunities, go to www.aurorahousewmc.com. ________________________________________ High School Aquinas Parents Association (APA) News The Aquinas Parents Association will be honoring all faculty and staff with a luncheon on May 8th to show appreciation for all of the time and dedication they give to our children and to Aquinas. Also, on May 19th the seniors will have their senior communion mass and breakfast. This is a wonderful send off for all seniors and their parents. If anyone is interested in volunteering for these event, please contact Sue Wegman; volunteer coordinator at wegmansm@frontiernet.net. ________________________________________ Two Half Days in May Please note that students will be dismissed at 11:53 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8th for a faculty workshop day. Students will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, May 24th for Field Day. All school districts have been notified. Please remember that no students will be permitted on campus between noon and 3:00 p.m. on early dismissal days. Please check with your district to verify busing on these days, if transportation is not available, families must make arrangements to have students picked up from school not later than 12:15. Students may NOT “stay through” until a practice or other activity begins and the weight room and other areas of the school will be closed until 3:00. The half days are designed to provide Aquinas faculty with professional development time as we implement the new Common Core Curriculum. ________________________________________ Point of Sale/Nutri-Kids With current national attention being focused on children’s health and wellness issues, Aquinas’ Food Service Department is excited to provide parents a convenient, easy and secure online prepayment service allowing you to deposit money into your child’s school meal account at any time. This service also provides parents the ability to view your child’s account balance through a web site www.MyNutrikids.com. By having money in each child’s account prior to entering the cafeteria, we find the lunch lines move along much faster so your child has more time to eat and be with friends. Also, parents will have the ability to print out a copy of their child’s eating history report. This history report will show you dates and times that your child has purchased a breakfast and or lunch within the past thirty days. To access these services: 1. Simply go to the district web site at www.aquinasinstitute.com 2. Click on the Lunch Menu link on the left side. 3. Click on the www.MyNutrikids.com link. From this site you will create your account and add money to your child’s school meal account. You will need your child’s name, student ID number and school ZIP code. Things to know: • If you have more than one child in the school you can handle all online prepayments from the same online account. • Payments may be made through an existing PayPal account or with a major credit or debit card. • In order to use the online prepayment service, a small convenience fee for each transaction will be assessed to cover the bank fees. The convenience fee is $1.75 per deposit transaction. Parents placing money into multiple meal accounts will only be assessed the $1.75 fee once per deposit transaction. Aquinas will not profit from the use of this site. If you choose not to take advantage of the online prepayment service you may continue to make advance payments via check, which should be made payable to The Aquinas Institute. Please write your child’s full name on the check. ________________________________________ Driver Education and Learner’s Permit Information Aquinas offers the New York State Driver Education Program in the Fall and Spring semesters each school year. The enrollment form and guidelines may be downloaded from the website, or are available in the school’s main office. This course is offered as a service to Aquinas students and a fee is charged to cover instructors, vehicle expenses, textbooks and administrative expenses. The cost of tuition is $415.00 with a minimum deposit of $50.00 to hold a place in the class. Students may now take the New York State Learner's Permit Test at Aquinas. Upon passing the test, the student will be given a receipt to take to the Department of Motor Vehicles to procure the permit. Students may take the test at age 15, but will not be eligible to get a permit until they turn 16. Driver Manuals and test scheduling are available through Miss Habershaw. Questions about the Driver Education Program and Learners Permit should be directed to Miss Habershaw at extension 1035, or ahabershaw@aquinasinstitute.com. ________________________________________ On Campus Parking Students driving to school will not be allowed to park on campus without an Aquinas parking pass. The lot will be checked on a regular basis and consequences will be issued for infractions. Failure to drive safely in the parking lot or on campus will result in lost parking privileges. Parking passes are available in the Main Office for $75.00. There is a $25.00 fine for parking on campus without a permit. Please contact Mrs. Clicquennoi for more information at extension 1002. ________________________________________ Check Out the AQ Website For all important or emergency announcements, please visit the Parent Page on the website for updates. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Taylor at ext. 1081. ________________________________________ Coming Up In June June 3 – 5 - Senior Exams June 4 - Academic Awards Night 7:00 p.m. Thomas F. Bell ’57 Auditorium June 5 – Maplewood Association Meeting 7:00 p.m. June 6– Graduation Rehearsal at Eastman Theatre 9:00 a.m. June 6 – Theatre Production Staff Meeting in AC21 3:00 p.m. June 7 – Last day of classes for grades 9-11 June 10-20 – Final Exams June 11 – Seniors pick up caps and gowns 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. June 12 – Maplewood Executive Meeting 7:00 p.m. June 14 – Baccalaureate Mass 7:30 p.m. St. Lawrence Church June 14 – Distinguished Alumnus Reception 5:00 p.m. June 15 – Graduation at Eastman Theatre 10:00 a.m. June 18 – Theatre Boosters Meeting in the Basilian Conference Room 7:00 p.m. June 21 – Freshman Trip to Darien Lake June 28 – Report Cards available via online gradebook ________________________________________ Save the Date for the Aquinas Senior Ball Sunday, May 26, 2013 at Artisan Works 8:00 p.m. -11:00 p.m. |
