: I returned on June 29 from a great experience in Guatemala and will be in the office for most of July. If you would like to see some picture from our Guatemalan experience the group created a photo-sharing website at www.photobucket.com the group name is sjjguatemala and the password is finnaguat. The sixteen high school students who accompanied high school teachers Jason Huther and Monni Telfer and me did a tremendous job of immersing themselves into the experience. They were struck by the dire poverty they witnessed, but also by they great spirit of the people, particularly the children, to whom they became very attached. I can tell that there is hope that things can get better as I have witnessed noticeable improvements in the living conditions and standard for many people in the “dump community” thanks to the efforts of Central American Ministries, the organization we work with that was founded by our past SJJ President, Fr. Don Vettese, SJ.
Since I’m happy to share photos of our trip I invite you to share stories and photos of your summer adventures. E-mail them to me and we’ll post them on our website, www.sjjatitans.org. We can call it, “I (want to) Know What You Did This Summer.” I’ll look forward to your e-mails!
A few reminders of some upcoming activities. Next week is football camp here at the school. The high school football coaches invite all Academy students to participate. The camp runs from Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and costs $60. You can sign up on the first day if you haven’t already registered.
We will hold a “7th/8th Grade Fun Night” on Saturday, July 19 from 7:00-9:30 p.m. here at school. Academy students attend for free. We are in need of parents to help chaperone and supervise. If you can help please let me know as soon as possible.
A special note for all incoming 7th graders—we will hold orientation classes from 9:00 a.m.-noon from Monday through Thursday, July 28-31 in the Academy classroom area. You do not have to register—just show up if you can make it for any or all of the days. You may dress comfortably in shorts and t-shirts for these sessions. We will familiarize with Academy life and expectations and give you a good start to a successful year.
The week of July 21 we will send out an e-mail/mailing with a preliminary calendar for the year, required school supplies, and other pertinent information.
Also, don’t forget our “Fall Sports Night” on Tuesday, July 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Commons. Coaches will be on hand to provide information about our football, cross country, soccer, and golf programs.
Finally, if you have not picked up the summer reading assignment, “The Night of the Howling Dogs,” it is available to you from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. each day in the main high school office.
Hope you are all enjoying the summer!
