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FROM THE PRINCIPAL: HGP NEWSLETTER
December 2010
Dear Parents:
The holidays approach and the HGP Community thinks even more in earnest about the larger
community:
Ghost around the World is now well into its second annual book drive to benefit the
Tengeru Boys School, a Spiritan school in Arusha, Tanzania. The book drive continues
through December 17.
HGP seniors will be collecting hats and gloves for distribution to St. John’s Hospice in
Philadelphia; HGP Moms are gathering materials for Care Packages, also for St. John’s.
The National Art Honor Society continues its sock collection for Face to Face.
Tickets are now on sale for the December 18 Annual Charity Ball.
HGP Fathers are now collecting food and gifts for the Christmas Blessings Project on
Sunday, December 19.
Congratulations to Mr. Eckerle and our Junior Class for leading the way in the First Annual
Philabundance “Great Food Fight.” Our juniors will continue this service project with reflective
essays on the issue of hunger as part of our Middle States Service Leadership Goal this month.
Our Annual Christmas Concert will be held in the Chapel on Monday, December 13 at 7:00 PM.
Come see musical talents of our students led by Mrs. Vilsmeier in the beauty of the Chapel.
Admissions Season: Second Chance Entrance Exam is December 12
Please continue spread the word about HGP academics, community, service, sports, the arts to
prospective students and their families.
January Exams & Course Scheduling Are Closer Than You Think.
Classes will end on Wednesday, December 22 and resume on Monday, January 3.
Monday, January 17 is a Reading (Exam Prep) Day.
Exams will run from Tuesday, January 18 through Friday, January 21. Exam preparation and
study are important parts of a student’s college preparatory education at Holy Ghost Prep.
Studying for exams requires different strategies than studying for unit or chapter tests.
Students should begin a preliminary subject by subject assessment of their strengths and weaknesses
over Christmas break. They should continue that review during the first week back in January.
1
Finally, they should block out appropriate time on the weekend prior to reading day on January 17
for a general review of all subjects.
During exam week itself, we are on a half-day schedule to provide extended time for study and
review prior to the following day’s exams. Don’t forget the importance of maintaining good habits
of rest and exercise during exam week! The exam schedule will be posted in early January.
Once exams have concluded, course selection for next year is right around the corner. More exact
information will be provided in our January newsletter, but students should begin thinking about
choices for honors, AP and elective courses and discuss options with teachers during the next
month and a half. New semester electives in Modern Irish History and Culture and
Contemporary Latin American Culture are approved and set to go. The full range of elective
choices will be listed in the January newsletter.
Parent Education Series
We had fine attendance in our Dining Hall for our first presentation. A reminder that the next
presentation coincides with Sports Registration Night on Tuesday, February 8 at 7:00 & 8:00 PM.
We wish you the blessings of this holiday season and thank you for your continuing support of all of
our mutual efforts for your sons.
In One Heart and One Mind,
Michael A. O’Toole
Principal
GHOST AROUND THE WORLD PRESENTS BOOK DRIVE FOR TENGERU BOYS’ SCHOOL
Spiritan secondary school in Arusha, Tanzania
December 1-18
new & gently used books / CHILDREN’S LITERaTURE BOOkS FOR THE LIBRaRY
(students are 14-18 years old, learning english as a second language)
classroom sets of Math, science, and geography books for all secondary
levels.
science lab equipment
(beakers, test tubes, microscopes and bunsen burners)
For more information email [email protected]
2
DECEMBER CHRISTIAN SERVICE PROGRAM UPDATE
Below is information regarding upcoming service opportunities. Please review it
with your son(s) and encourage him/them to participate whenever possible.
Information about service projects is announced at lunch, at morning meetings, in the
daily announcements, and through flyers posted on the service bulletin board on the
second floor of Cornwells Hall. If your son(s) has already completed service
applicable to this school year, please ensure that your son(s) has obtained a service
verification form, completed it, and remitted it to me. Verification forms are now available on
the Service page of the school’s website –- along with the Program’s Brochure and a listing
of approved volunteer agencies and internet links to some.
Upcoming Service Opportunities
1) Pegasus Riding Academy
The next trip to this facility will be Tuesday, December 14th. Students assist with grounds’
maintenance at this therapeutic riding program. Transportation to and from HGP is provided. Sign
up with Mr. Fitzpatrick.
2) Holy Family School (Levittown)
The next trip to this school will be Thursday, December 9th. Students assist with the after-
school CARES program. Sign up with Mr. Fitzpatrick.
3) Fathers’ Association Christmas Blessings Project
The Fathers’ Association will need assistance from students and dads to deliver donated
food and gifts on Sunday, December 19th. Contact Mr. Al DiGregorio for more information.
4) CSC Operation Santa Claus
HGP will be sponsoring a bus to transport students to the wrapping center where they will
wrap donated toys on Saturday, December 18th. Permission slips for this project have been available
for several weeks already, and a waiting list now exists. Please see Mrs. Flynn in C 315 for updates
about available spaces or to put your name on the waiting list.
5) St. Charles Borromeo Basketball Games for Children with Special Needs
Each year, this parish, located just south of HGP on Rt. 13, organizes basketball games on
Sunday evenings from 5-7 PM, January through March. HGP students are needed to serve as
“buddies” and “coaches/cheerleaders” to help the kids have a good time. No basketball knowledge
is needed, just a positive attitude and a desire to be helpful. Games will begin on Sunday, January
9th. Sign up with Mr. Fitzpatrick beginning December 6th. Students must provide their own
transportation to/from this service project.
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6) Service through your local church
At this time of year, many CYO/youth groups at area churches are involved in service
projects that seek to reach out to the home-bound, the underprivileged, those in need of respite
from caring for family members, etc… Check your church’s bulletin/website for details about such
projects or consider starting one of your own!
Thank you for your generosity!
In the inaugural “Food Fight” Challenge held in October, sponsored by Philabundance and Shire
Pharmaceuticals, HGP placed 2nd in terms of pounds per student collected. HGP was credited
with 10,866 pounds of food which, divided by 502 students, equaled 21.65 pounds per student.
Congratulations to Germantown Friends School for placing first.
Junior Social Justice Classes will continue their focus on issue of Hunger through the development
of a Reflective Essay in Class this month.
Thank you for your attention to this update. If you have any questions about the Service Program,
please contact me via e-mail me at [email protected]
Respectfully, Mr. Fitzpatrick and Mr. Eckerle
The annual Coaches vs. Cancer Week will be held December 6-16. During this week, students can donate funds to Coaches vs. Cancer for memory cards (which will hang in the school cafeteria all week), lanyards, and a Dress-Down Day Friday December 10.
4
ATHLETICS UPDATES FROM JIM STEWART, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
Coaches vs. Cancer Week
The week will culminate with a basketball co-ed triple-header, featuring Bensalem Boys JV vs. HGP
at 4:00pm, Nazareth Academy HS vs. Sacred Heart Academy at 6:00pm, and Bensalem Varsity vs.
HGP at 7:30pm. All proceeds from the donations and basketball games will benefit the American
Cancer Society via Coaches vs. Cancer. Please contact athletic director Jim Stewart at
[email protected] for further details.
Hall of Fame Banquet January 29th, 2011
Congratulations to our Class of 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees:
Baseball Bob Marchok Long-Time Pitching Coach
Basketball Ryan Abramson, Manager Class of 1994
Golf LJ Petroni Class of 1999
Soccer Patrick Dillon Class of 2002
Swimming LTC. Mike Williams (US Army) Class of 2002
Track & Field William Ference Class of 2003
Information about attending the banquet can be found at www.holyghostprep.org/stewart. Click on
“HGP Athletics” for details.
Basketball
The 2010-2011 Basketball team heads into the season with a lot of enthusiasm and high
expectations. They will face some key tests early in the season at the Council Rock South Tip Off
Tournament and local area foes Bensalem** and Archbishop Ryan. As he begins his 34th season,
head coach Tony Chapman ,’71 will undoubtedly rely on his seniors Tyler Juchno, Ryan Lantzy,
James DeLuca and Michael DeStefano to get the team off to a good start.
The 13 Annual Jack Schott Memorial Holiday Tournament will feature Conwell Egan Catholic,
Church Farm School, and Summit Country Day School (Cincinnati, OH). The opening round will
be on December 29th beginning with Summit Country Day vs. Conwell-Egan and HGP facing
Church Farm at 7:30pm. The Consolation and Championship rounds will be played on December
30th at 6:00pm and 7:30pm.
Bowling
New coach Gary Bondarchuk (former member of the PBA Tour) looks forward to a great season
with the bowling squad. The team lost a lot to graduation, but key varsity returners Brandon Kearns
’12 and senior Karl Hillier will provide solid leadership. They will be out to defend their 2010 BAL
Crown, but will face tough local competition against the likes of Pennsbury High School and
Council Rock South. Good luck to Coach Bondarchuk and the 2010-2011 team.
5
Swimming & Diving
Head Coaches Sheree Marsh and Ed Roussell are excited about this year’s team. PIAA District
Champions Daniel Gosek (50 Free) and Joe Esposito (3 Year defending Diving Champion) will
likely pile up the points, and seniors Shawn Entenman, Brian Shiue and Chris Doherty will also be
called on provide veteran leadership.
The swim team faces a challenging independent schedule, and will open the season at home (Shafer
Middle School) vs. Great Valley at 4:30PM. Stay tuned for further success stories during the season!
Good Luck to our Indoor Track & Field & Ice Hockey Teams in their new seasons!
The Institutional Advancement
Office would like to thank all those
who have given to the The Holy
Ghost Fund so far. We appreciate
your support and please
remember a gift at any amount
helps the students of Holy Ghost
tremendously!
Don’t forgot now is a good time to send in your year-end tax deduction. Please be sure to get your gift in by December 31st, 2010! Click here to see our current donors
and to make a gift today!
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7
HOLY GHOST PREPARATORY SCHOOL MOTHERS’ GUILD
2429 BRISTOL PIKE, BENSALEM, PENNSYLVANIA 19020-5298 (215) 639-2102 · FAX (215) 639-4225
December, 2010
Dear HGP Moms:
I hope this letter finds you recovering from a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and
anticipating the joys of the Christmas season. The holidays came early to Holy Ghost
Prep as our annual Craft Show kicked off the festivities on Nov. 13th
and 14th
.
Hopefully you were able to join us at some point over the weekend and share in the
tradition that has become such a large part of the Mothers’ Guild. As you can imagine,
this is a very large undertaking and would not have been possible without the help of all
of our Moms, both current and Alumni. I would be amiss if I did not recognize the
Chairs of the Show, as well as their Committees. Our heartfelt thanks to Donna Gusty,
Lucy Forgione and Jenniffer Fox for all of their time and talent in chairing the Craft
Show, as well as the Committee Chairs, Leanne Murray, Pat Chukala, Karen Kearns
and Cathy Poncia. Their organizational and customer services skills are what our
crafters have come to appreciate and the reason they return year after year. Many of our
crafters have also expressed their appreciation for the help that the HGP boys offered
during the set-up and breakdown of their displays. The boys graciously loaded and
unloaded many cars belonging to crafters and did so with a smile. This is certainly a
tribute to you, their Mothers, as well as the guidance they are receiving at school. Yet
another reason why HGP is the best craft show in the area!
We must also thank Fr. Jeff and Mr. O’Toole for their continued support of the Mothers’
Guild and all its endeavors, the Fathers’ Association for their assistance with traffic
control and parking and Rich Malley, Mike Stanish and Greg Bliss who are behind the
scenes during the set up, break down and throughout the show. All of these people make
this show possible and we can’t thank you enough.
We invite everyone to join us this coming Monday, December 6th
. Beginning at
7:00 p.m. we will celebrate Mass in the Chapel which will be decorated with all of the
poinsettias that you generously purchased and/or donated. Following Mass, a buffet
dinner catered by Ristorante Denicola and hosted by our Freshman Moms and Vice
Presidents will be served in our newly renovated Dining Hall. The evening provides a
great opportunity to share in the holiday season with your friends, both old and new, and
to enjoy the story telling as only Ryan Abramson can do. It is not too late to plan on
joining us. Attached you will find an invitation with Angela Dolce’s email to respond.
Please note that this event is a Mom’s event, although we appreciate all that our husbands
and sons do for us, this is truly a ladies night out.
Please be reminded that if you do plan on attending the Mass and/or dinner, we would
kindly ask that you bring along a shoebox for our donation to St. John’s. You will find a
flyer attached that will provide the specifics of this project. We will be collecting the
boxes in the back of the Chapel prior to Mass so that we can present them during our
Offertory Procession. However, if you are unable to attend Mass, but plan on joining us
8
for dinner, please note that we will continue to collect the boxes during the night for
delivery by Mr. Ryan and his students.
Aramark has graciously offered to open the HGP School Store at 6:00 p.m. on Monday
evening so that you do some holiday shopping prior to Mass. We invite you to visit the
Store which is now located in the Fieldhouse. We are also happy to announce that Gary
Lehman will be available on Monday evening to take orders for HGP Mothers’ charms
that have been a Guild favorite in the past. Gary will have order forms, as well as
samples available during the dinner meeting. For everyone who has purchased poinsettias
and/or HGP blankets, these items will be available for pick up at the meeting.
Several HGP students, under the direction of Mr. DiGregorio and the Father’s
Association, have taken on a greater role in the Christmas Blessings Project that is a
wonderful tradition at Holy Ghost. Mr. DiGregorio will share his experiences with us on
Monday night and provide details of this year’s event.
As you can see, we have a lot of fun things planned for Monday night, so please consider
joining in the fun.
Has your son asked you to purchase a toy for the school’s toy drive or maybe he
purchased one on his own? Please consider sending a toy into school for Operation Santa
Claus, as there is a great need for new, unwrapped toys for boys 12 and under. Please be
mindful of the toy, as they cannot accept any guns or war items. The deadline is
Thursday, December 9th
.
As we look beyond the holidays, mark your calendars for Monday, February 7, 2011 as
that will be our next Guild Meeting. We do not have a meeting in the month of January.
We will discussing and providing further details about the Mother/Son Dance which is
scheduled for Saturday evening, March 12, 2011 and the school’s auction A Night in
Paris scheduled for Saturday, March 26, 2011.
Should you have any questions about any materials attached, do not hesitate to contact
me at 215-357-5647 or for a quicker response, [email protected]. I look forward to
seeing everyone on Monday night.
On behalf of the entire Board, we wish everyone a Happy and Holy Christmas season and
a Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
All the best,
Maureen
Maureen A. Pontarelli
President
9
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215-57Q-OA78adolceoo@verizonttet
10
Dear Freshman Moms:
As a long standing tradition at Holy Ghost Prep, the Freshman Moms host the
Annual Christmas Party to be held on Monday, December 6, 2010. Mass will be
celebrated in the Chapel at 7:00 p.m. followed by dinner and dessert.
In order to help defray the cost of this party, we are asking each Freshman Mom to
donate $10.00.
Please make checks payable to: HGP Mother’s Guild and mail to:
Angela Dolce
990 Plowshare Road
Yardley, PA 19067
Our goal is to achieve 100% participation. We would ask that you submit your
donation by the November 1std meeting so that preparations can begin.
Additionally, volunteers are needed to prepare for this holiday celebration. If you
can assist in any of the following areas, please contact one of the Moms below and
let us know your availability:
*Set up (promptly at 5:30 p.m.)
*Decorations (promptly at 5:30 p.m.)
*Clean up (immediately following)
*Salad and bread
*Desserts
Thank you in advance for your participation and generosity to help make this
year’s Christmas Party a success!
Freshman Mom Reps:
Angela Dolce (215) 570-0078 [email protected]
Denise Armentani (267) 446-0075 [email protected]
Marianne DiNardo (267) 408-0276 [email protected]
Denise Veneziale (215) 639-2264 [email protected]
11
HOLY GHOST PREPARATORY SCHOOL MOTHERS’ GUILD
2429 BRISTOL PIKE, BENSALEM, PENNSYLVANIA 19020-5298 (215) 639-2102 · FAX (215) 639-4225
December 2, 2010
Dear HGP Moms & Dads,
We would like to thank each and every one of you for helping to make the 2010 Craft
Show another great success! Our volunteer staff at the show was wonderful and all of our
Mom’s who baked behind the scenes made it one of our most successful Bake Sales in recent
history! Our success is truly a total effort from all of our families, current and alumni, and we
thank you. We are still tallying up the numbers, and will report them at the December Mother’s
Guild meeting.
This year, Mother Nature was finally on our side. It was the first time in 4 years we had
a bright sunny & WARM weekend. We had so many helpers on Friday that we opened our
doors 30 minutes earlier than normal for the crafters to begin setting up. The boys were
standing by ready to work, and work they did. They always give their all and do whatever is
asked of them. Many of them deal with anxious crafters, but always keep a smile on their faces
no matter what happens. They are the best! Each year we receive so many comments from our
guests and our crafters on how wonderful your sons were. Please be sure to thank them and tell
them how much they are appreciated.
Special thanks go out to our Parking Dads, Committee Chairs, and the HGP maintenance
staff. Our parking Dad’s, led be Barry Crawford, ensured that the parking was smooth and no
fender benders occurred (no small task indeed). Rich Malley, Mike Stavish, & Greg Bliss, were
there from beginning to end answering untold phone calls from us for all sorts of little problems.
The Committee Chairs were busy running their individual areas to perfection; and our
“Committee” Shadow, Donna Alexander, did an outstanding job filling in wherever was needed
making us look good.
After months of planning, when sometimes we can’t wait for it to be finally over, the
weekend arrives and it flies by all too quickly. So quick in fact, that we usually don’t even take
the time to shop! We hope you all took the time to get some bargains, relax with good friends,
and enjoy the sounds of the season.
Our very best wishes go out to each and every one of you & your families for a very
Merry Christmas.
Sincerely,
Lucy Forgione, Jenniffer Fox, & Donna Gusty
2010 Craft Show Tri-chairs
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Don’t forget your
ST. JOHN’S HOSPICE BOXES
Gift wrap a shoe box – top and bottom separately
Fill it with items such as:
Soap*
Shampoo*
Deodorant
Powder
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Combs/Brushes
Lotion*
Hard Candy
Gloves
Hat
Scarf
Socks
*These items can be regular or travel size, since many of the men will carry their
belongings in their pockets
PLEASE NO RAZORS OR MOUTHWASHES
Add a bow and bring it with you to the December Mothers’ Guild Meeting
13