President Calendar

FEBRUARY 23 School Resumes 25 Sacrament of Reconciliation for the FRESHMEN Class MARCH 4 Sacrament of Reconciliation for the SOPHOMORE Class 5 Sophomore Retreat Day #5 7 Practice SJCI Entrance Exam for 7th grade students 6-7 SJCI Spring Musical Production of "DAMN YANKEES" Rockwell Hall - 7:30 pm 8 SJCI Spring Musical Production of "DAMN YANKEES" Rockwell Hall 2:00 pm 9 Faculty In-Service Day - NO CLASSES for Students 10 Underclass Grades Posted to Edline 11 Sacrament of Reconciliation for the JUNIOR Class 13 3rd Marking Period Closes for SENIORS 18 Sacrament of Reconciliation for the SENIOR Class 20 School (Closed) Dance - Gym 23 REPORT CARD DAY FOR SENIORS 25 National Honor Society Induction Dinner - Salvatore's - 6-9 PM

APRIL 1 EASTER RECESS BEGINS 13 SCHOOL RESUMES 17 Make-up SJCI Entrance & Scholarship Examination 12:00PM @ SJCI 18 Swing Choir Dessert Show 7-10PM Cullen Center for the Arts 19 Father/Son Liturgy - 10:30-Noon Swing Choir Dessert Show 4-7PM Cullen Center for the Arts 20 REPORT CARD DAY FOR UNDERCLASSMEN 27-5/2 SJCI Fine Arts Week MAY 4 Underclass Grades Posted to Edline 4 Grandparents' Liturgy - 6:30 SJCI 7 Senior Special Schedule Day 12 Class of 2015 Graduates' Liturgy 14 SJCI CLASS OF 2015 COMMENCEMENT AT KLEINHAN'S MUSIC HALL - 7:30 PM 15 School Holiday

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MID-WINTER 2015

A Community of ExCEllEnCE

ST. JOSEPH’SCOLLEGIATE INSTITUTE

845 Kenmore AvenueBuffalo, NY 14223

Phone: 716.874.4024Fax: 716.874.4956

www.sjci.com

SJCI’s “twin” school … Mount La Salle CollegeMount la salle College is located in naka, nigeria, in Gwer-west l.G.a of Benue state, east of Makurdi, the state capital. It is a secondary school serving students in grades seven through 12, affiliated with the Catholic Church and administered by the De la salle Christian Brothers. It was established in 1982 as Bishop Kirstein College, in response to the dire need of Catholic education for the growing Catholic population of the town. the Brothers were invited to take over administration of the school in 1987, which is when they changed the name to Mount la salle College. today, the school has 600 students enrolled in its day and boarding programs, with a ratio of 60 percent boys and 40 percent girls. the school fee remains low at 30,000 naira or about $177 UsD per year for day students; boarding students pay 120,000 naira or about $706 UsD per year. More than half of the students find the fees difficult to afford. Higher education is the next step for students after graduating from Mount la salle but only for students who can afford it, receive a scholarship, or are sponsored by individuals or private companies.at least six in 10 students are children of peasant farmers, two in 10 are from petty trading families, and two in 10 are children of civil servants or other wage earners. about 65 percent of students are from families living on less than one dollar per day per individual. about 33 percent live on two dollars or less, while two percent are from families in more comfortable financial situations. Mount la salle’s school fees equal about 20-50 percent of the tuition charged in some Catholic schools of equal status. even so, most parents are unable to pay the fees. Most students are unable to afford basic books. to address the problem, community members often help provide books and the school library is stocked with enough books and other reference material in the core subjects for students who cannot afford books. naka is a strong Catholic community with practicing Catholics totaling 95 percent of the population. there are about 20 middle class schools in the town, however, Mount la salle College is the only school run by a religious order and the only school with a boarding system. the local government has in place a democratically elected government. Until recently, the area was arguably one of the most peaceful in the state. Violent conflicts have begun to engulf the area lately, resulting in the displacement of more than 200,000 people in 2014. the extreme poverty and increasingly unsteady atmosphere in the area has resulted in occasional drafting of youth as mercenaries to participate in ethnic conflicts across the state and beyond.the school has used twinning donations to renovate infrastructures and provide scholarships for students who cannot afford the school fees. Many students would not have access to quality education if those scholarships were not available. In 2013, Mount la salle College used twinning donations to rebuild a dorm that fire destroyed. the most urgent need of the school is to build a chapel. Currently, weekly Mass and daily devotion are held in the multipurpose auditorium. “the twinning funds have contributed immensely to the overall physical and academic development of Mount la salle College, naka, nigeria. without the twin funds coming annually, the school would not have been able to maintain its academic, moral and social standard. with the twin funds, the Brothers are able to respond to the needs of the poorest of the poor through scholarship, even to the university level,” wrote Brother wole. “I therefore, on behalf of faculty staff, students and De la salle Brothers of nigeria, express our profound gratitude to all our twin schools.” Brother wole Olabanjo, FsC, Headmaster

parent newsletterGUIDANCE

DEPARTMENT

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Juniors are also reminded to sign up to take their SAT exams if they have not already done so. Please remember to enter our school code (331095) so that we receive SAT/ACT scores for a student’s transcript. All students should register for the SAT reasoning test. Some students will be required to take SAT subject tests, depending on whether the schools they are applying to require subject tests. If your son is taking the ACT, it is a good idea to take the ACT with writing. You can register for the SAT online at www.collegeboard.org. The ACT website is www.actstudent.org. Students will be required to upload a photo on both websites.

The spring of junior year is a vital time for discussing post-high school plans. There are over 3,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. so, as you and your son start looking at colleges, consider the following: Location, Available majors, Size, Reputation, Cost, Competitiveness, Facilities and Community.

Juniors are in the process of meeting with their counselors to compile college lists. Students are expected to further research the schools on their list and decide which colleges they intend to visit/pursue. All Juniors will meet with their counselors again to revise college lists as necessary.

Early in the selection process, determine what is important to you and to your son. Are you looking for a college close to home? Does your son want a large college or a smaller one? After you have determined what you and you son are looking for in a college, it becomes easier to narrow down the

options. Once you have identified colleges that you would like to investigate further, call or e-mail the admissions offices and ask to be placed on their mailing lists. The guidance office also has contact information for alums in different cities that are willing to speak with students interested in attending a college in that geographic area.

Spring and summer are good times to visit colleges, as well. To visit, call the admissions office to arrange a visit which includes a tour of the facilities.

All juniors received their PSAT reports in December, along with the registration deadlines for the SAT and ACT. Each junior should take the SAT at least once this spring. The power point presentation that the juniors viewed is available on schoology.

Juniors who took the ASVAB career inventory on January 23rd are able to receive their results on February 5th, 11th, and 26th. Please ask your son to see his score sheet. Students will have access to the ASVAB website until July, 2016, where they are able to search for college, career and scholarship information. Any questions can be directed to Mrs. Smith at ksmith@sjci.com.

The Spring 2015 National College Fair, sponsored by the National Association of College Admissions Counselors, will be held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on Wednesday, March 18th from 9am-noon, and 6pm-8:30pm; and Thursday, March 19th from 9am-noon. We do not take students to the fair during the school day, and would encourage you to attend on Wednesday evening as a family. Students should pre-register at www.gotomyncf.com

FOR SENIORS:Students should bring in all college acceptance letters, scholarships, grant, and award letters to Mrs. Manna in the guidance office. These will need to be documented for the graduation program.

FINANCIAL AID: FAFSA worksheets are available on the web (www.fafsa.ed.gov).

Please remember that Graduation is May 14, 2015

Scholarships

The colleges are just beginning to send our seniors letters of acceptance and scholarship awards. Many more colleges will begin sending this information in the near future. As of February 10th, about 85 seniors have been awarded 265 scholarships totaling more than $13,000,000.

Local scholarship opportunities have begun to arrive. Have your son check the bulletin board in the Guidance Office or for a complete list of all available scholarships visit the schoology page. Feel free to call Mrs. Smith at 716-270-4122 or email at ksmith@sjci.com.

Any senior with questions regarding available scholarships or scholarships that they are applying for should see Mrs. Smith.

All scholarship applications must be submitted to Mrs. Smith one (1) week prior to deadline.

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The Jesuit Education Tour will visit St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute on Tuesday, March 10th at 9:30am. This opportunity to visit with representatives from approximately 13 Jesuit Colleges and Universities is provided to our junior students.

The next Freshman Career Day is scheduled for February 25 (Business). The last two (2) are tentatively scheduled for March 18th (Engineering) and April 15thrd (Medicine). Please remember that all members of the Freshmen class are required to attend at least three of these sessions.

Reminder to all students: silent study hall is available Monday-Thursday from 2:45-4:30 p.m. in Room 218, and the library is open every day after school until 4 p.m.

If you have any questions regarding any of these topics, please call your son’s guidance counselor.

Any parent who has not created a Schoology account is welcomed to create a student account at www.schoology.com. The access code is MJRVT-6WQ48. Once you are logged in, click on courses at the top toolbar, and choose SJCI Guidance Section 1.

We will continue to send guidance email updates out periodically. If you have your current email address listed with the school, you should receive emails from our office.

GUIDANCEDEPARTMENT

(cont'd.)St. Joe’s operates under a rolling admissions model, meaning we evaluate applicants throughout the year. If you know of an 8th grade student that would benefit from a St. Joe’s education, and has yet to apply, please encourage their family to call the Admissions Office at 874-4953. St. Joe’s will be offering the Scholarship & Entrance Exam each month during the rest of the school year.

If you know of a 7th grade student that would benefit from a St. Joe’s education, please encourage him to attend the following programs:

7th Grade Practice Exam

On Saturday, March 7 at 8:30 a.m., St. Joe’s will offer a

practice Entrance Exam under normal testing conditions for

FREE! Any young man currently in 7th grade is eligible.

This is a pre-registration event only. Contact the Admissions Office at 716.874.4953 or by

e-mail at pkennedy@sjci.com to reserve a seat!

ADMISSIONS OFFICE

Collegiate Summer! Registration is now open for

our Readiness and Recreation program specifically for boys currently in 7th grade. The

program begins June 29 and runs through July 24. Brochures

and registration forms are available at Collegiate Summer!

or by calling the Admissions Office at 874-4953.

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DIRECTOR OF ACADEMICS

AP Exams:AP exams will be held in the beginning of May starting on May 4th. Students who are enrolled in an AP class will all be taking the exam. Some students have elected to challenge the exam even if they are not enrolled in the course. The AP exam schedule is listed below.

Date Morning Exam Afternoon Exam

5/4/15 Chemistry Psychology

5/5/15 Calculus AB and BC

5/6/15 English Literature

5/7/15 Computer Science and Spanish

5/8/15 German and US History European History

5/11/15 Biology Physics

5/12/15 Government French

5/13/15 English Language Statistics

News from the Director of Academics:

The first semester of the year is in the books and I am once again impressed by the hard work our boys have put into

their academics this year. 501 students were awarded with first and second honors at

the end of the first semester! Congratulations to everyone

on this achievement. You should be proud of yourselves!

Traditionally, third quarter is challenging, especially for

underclassmen. Many of our students want to have a “break” after midterms and we start right

up with classes again. Also, March tends to be a long month with no time off. Please make

sure your sons are staying on top of their assignments!

Edline postings this month for underclassmen will be on

February 23rd and March 10th. Seniors will have an Edline

posting on February 23rd. Keep in mind senior parents the 3rd quarter ends on March 13th for

all seniors.

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FROM THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

Summer Science Internship Program

St. Joe’s is pleased to be able to offer a summer science internship program for our students. Last year, students participated in a variety of internships at locations such as Hauptman-Woodward Medical Institute, ECMC, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, University at Buffalo, and D’Youville College. Interested students should attend an informational meeting on Wednesday March 4 at either 7:30 AM or 2:30 PM in Room 131 to learn about the application process. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Roland at jroland@sjci.com. Parents- If you work in a science related field and would be able to offer an internship for a young man from St. Joe’s, please contact Mr. Roland.

Science Olympiad

Congratulations to the Science Olympiad Team who finished

2nd at the Western New York Regional Competition on Saturday, January 31. The team took home a total of 24 individual medals. Congratulations to the following event winners:

Charles Paglione and Patrick Forrestel in “Compound Machines” and “Chemistry Lab”

Max Dudek in “Game On”

Cameron Rosenecker and Charles Paglione in “It’s About Time”

Declan Rapp, David Zulewski and John Zulewski in “Experimental Design”

The team heads to the state meet on Saturday, March 14 in Syracuse, NY.

Configure Parental Controls on your Home WiFi

Time Warner (TW) has a built-in router option called “Parental

Basic Settings.” The way it works is a parent logs in to

the router, enters in the MAC address of the child’s device,

and then sets specific times for wireless access. For instance, a parent can check Monday

through Thursday from 3pm to 8pm, Friday 4pm to 10pm, and

the child’s device will only be on the wireless during those times. If you have two boys, you can

name each device after the boys, and set them so the younger boy has different rules than his older brother. The TW router program uses a password that the parent

sets.

For details, call TW Support.

FROM THE TECH DEPARTMENT

We are again using SMART Tuition to assist us in processing financial aid. Financial Aid applications for the 2015-2016 academic year are available for our current families beginning February 1st. We encourage you to complete your application online at www.smarttuitionaid.com or call Mrs. Allen in the Business Office (874-0730) to request a paper application. Our school ID number is 90044. Applications must be submitted to SMART Tuition no later than April 1, 2015.

The St. Joe’s Financial Aid Committee will continue to review

THE BUSINESS OFFICE

each application individually.All financial aid awards will be determined solely by the St. Joe’s Financial Aid Committee. St. Joe’s will notify you of your award by mail no later than May 15, 2015.

If you have any questions when completing the application, you may call the SMART Parent Help Center at (800) 360-8027 or email support@smarttuitionaid.com 24 hours/day 7 days/week. Families with an adjusted gross income of less than $50,000 may apply for a waiver of the processing fee. Please contact the St. Joe’s Business Office (874-0730) for all waiver requests.

The final tuition payment for the 2014-15 school year is due March 15th. Statements will be mailed during the first week in March.

Again, we thank you for your cooperation with all of the paperwork involved with the EFT method of tuition payment. The banking information that we currently have on file for you will be used for all tuition payments for the 2015-2016 academic year. If you wish to make any changes in the bank account you are using or the frequency of payment, please contact Mrs. Cynthia Allen at 874-0730.

You will be notified of the 2015-2016 payment amount to be deducted from your bank account (beginning with the June 15, 2015 payment) on the tuition statement which will be mailed during the first week in June.

There are still work opportunities in the Supplementary Work Program for the current school year. Please see Mr. Mueller if interested.

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OFFICE OF CAMPUS MINISTRY

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One final note, the annual “Day of Reflection” for all the volunteers who have assisted me and the Office of Campus

Ministry in any way this past year will be held, upon final approval,

on Saturday, June 13th at Fr. Ray’s, “Oasis of Peace”. More information will be coming but please save the date on your

calendar.

God bless you and thank you for all that you do as the primary

educators of your sons and for allowing us to share in this

wonderful ministry.

Peace . . . Deacon Bill

Greetings to everyone! I hope you’ve been keeping warm

this winter! I only have a little information to share with you at

this time, so here it is!

On Friday, January 16th, 2015 the “Completed Form” for the

Christian Ministry Service Project was due for all SJCI students. I did extend that deadline for one more week but there are some students that still have

not submitted the signed form. Please check with your son and if he received an “F” for Christian

Ministry Service on his 2nd quarter report card, have him

submit his completed form to me as soon as possible.

By the time you read this, 25 seniors and 5 juniors will have

just completed their Kairos XVlll retreat at Christ the King Seminary. If it’s anything like

the previous 17 Kairos retreats (and I’m sure it will be), then

they are in for (or already had) a wonderful Christ centered experience with their peers.

“Many thanks” to all of you who have helped on retreats, Eucharistic Adoration, phone

calls, clerical duties, etc. Without question, the St. Joe’s parents are the absolute best. They’re a witness to us for all they do to support, not only campus

ministry, but the overall efforts and mission of our entire school.

PARENTS' GUILD

Thank you to everyone who took part in, volunteered for and supported this year’s Mom Prom

and the Mother Son Liturgy. They were both tremendous

successes.

We had a record turnout at the Mom Prom on Jan. 10, with 872 attending at our new location,

Samuel’s Grande Manor. It was a memorable evening for

everyone!

Turnout was equally impressive for the Mother-Son Liturgy on Jan. 25, with more than 681 people, including 331 moms,

filling the gym to celebrate the Eucharist. Special thanks to the fathers and other volunteers who worked behind the scenes again

this year with set-up, serving breakfast and clean-up.

Upcoming events include the Father-Son Liturgy (April 19) and Grandparents Liturgy &

Social (May 4) and Freshmen Orientation and Social (May 5).

The Parents’ Guild is always looking for volunteers. If you’re

interested, talk to any of the officers or email parents guild@

sjci.com

The next Parents’ Guild meeting is Tuesday, March 10, 6:30

p.m., in the Cullen Lecture Hall. Parents are always invited.

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VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s spring musical, Damn Yankees, to be performed at Rockwell Hall Performing Arts Center (Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Ave) on Friday, March 6th at 7:30pm, Saturday,

March 7th at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 8th at 2:00pm.

Tickets can be purchased in the main office at St. Joe’s during

regular business hours for $20, $15 and $10. Students with valid SJCI ID can purchase their own tickets for $5. Come and see the

culmination of months of hard work and find out how far one fan will go to help his favorite

team win!

Congratulations to students from the St. Joe's art department who have had their

art work featured in several local exhibitions.

•The Student Celebration of the Visual Arts featured our

students’ work display along with student work from many area

schools on Saturday, February 7th and Sunday February 8th

from noon until 5pm both days in the Atrium of the UB Center for the Arts on the North Campus.

•Special congratulations also go to Alexander Cambria,

Michael Barcomb, Alexander Quinn, Benjamin Lojacono,

Ted Benz and Gabe Marrone who will have their art work and

photographs featured in the Daemen College All-High Art

Exhibit which will be on display during the month of February

after an Opening Reception on Sunday February 8th at Daemen.

•More art works by Cambria, Barcomb, Quinn and Lojacono will be featured in “A View from Outside the Box”, an All Media

High School Art Exhibition sponsored by the University of Buffalo Department of Art. The exhibition dates are from

February 12th until March 13th, with an opening reception on

Thursday, February 26th from 5 to 7pm.

•More student art work will be on display during the month of March upstairs in the Ken-Ton

Municipal Building.

Congratulations to all our artists!

Watch for many other activities to take place

during the spring in the Visual and Performing Arts Department.

….

•Jazz Lab Band Tour - March 19 – 22

•Swing Choir Tour – March 26 – 29

•Swing Choir Dessert Show – April 18 – 19

•Fine Arts Week – April 27 through May 1st.

Book by George Abbott and

Douglass Wallop

Words and Music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross

Based on the Novel by Douglass Wallop

“The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant”

Directed byPaschal Frisina III ’96

Choreography by Toni Dentico

Vocal Direction by Erin Coyle

Friday, March 6, 2015 at 7:30 PMSaturday, March 7, 2015 at 7:30 PMSunday, March 8, 2015 at 2:00 PM

Rockwell HallPerforming Arts Center

1300 Elmwood Avenue

“Damn Yankees” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019. Tel.: (212)541-4684. Fax (212)397-4684. www.MTIShows.com.

For TicketInformation call

874-4024

St. Joseph’s Collegiate InstituteVisual and Performing Arts Department proudly presents

SStt.. JJoosseepphh’’ss CCoolllleeggiiaattee IInnssttiittuuttee AAlluummnnii AAssssoocciiaattiioonn

cordially invites

our students and their fathers, and our alumni and their sons to the

Father-Son Mass & Breakfast Sunday, April 19, 2015 at 10:30 a.m.

Paul F. Hogan Jr. ’70 Gymnasium

as we honor the

22001155 MMaann ooff tthhee YYeeaarr

In recognition of his outstanding service, dedication and commitment to St. Joe’s.

There is no charge for this event, but an offering at Mass will help defray costs and provide support for the work of selected charities.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Alumni Association Father-Son Mass & Breakfast

Name:________________________________________ If Alumnus, Class Year:__________

Email Address: ________________________________ Number Attending:_________________

Please return this slip to: St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute Attn: Advancement Office 845 Kenmore Avenue Buffalo, NY 14223

Or register online at www.sjci.com