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august 2011 on ritual and tradition my dear parents and guardians if ever you have attended a mount saint joseph graduation you know how much the school values ritual and tradition mr fitz has graduation choreographed to the last minute in all its solemnity some traditions at the mount are very old for example going back to the 1930s mount boys have always worn white dinner jackets for graduation rather than caps and gowns we were the first high school to graduate from the new cathedral in the early 1960s other traditions are much more contemporary before 1960 when the mount was a day school a boarding school and the brothers motherhouse the tower was simply a stairwell that connected alexius hall with the m building it was always the symbol of the school but it became more so as it is now the only surviving remnant of the original school the tradition of seniors climbing the tower on their last day only dates back to the early 1990s the alma mater we sing was written by brother peter gaskin in 1961 but alumni older than that sing your loyal sons o mount saint joe i prefer our contemporary alma mater because of the line hail guardian of our youth i feel quite passionately that being the guardian of youth is integral to the mount s mission as far as i know we have always prayed before school but close of school prayer is a recent addition i do know however that before 1965 every school day in a xaverian brothers school ended with what was called the three o clock prayer it began i thank thee o most amiable jesus that thou hast died for me at the ninth hour a bitter painful and ignominious death it was a real tongue twister leading his class in that prayer a brother was supposed to take the crucifix out of his habit and hold it up as the boys prayed when we had the icon of saint joseph done we printed on the back of it a prayer to saint joseph for the mount this year mr fitz at the suggestion of some students decided to use that prayer every day as we begin school since i composed it i think it is quite a beautiful prayer o great saint joseph who heard the prayers of brother bernadine and obtained mount saint joseph for your xaverian brothers bless this school which proudly claims you as its patron through your intercession before the throne of god may all mount alumni become the men god intends them to be and may those who have died enjoy eternal life with you and all the saints be with the mount now and always and with all those who hold the school in their hearts may the mount ever proclaim clearly and courageously its faith in your foster son our lord jesus christ and may christ find a dwelling place of faith in the heart of this school and in the hearts of men who attend it amen the old latin adage lex orandi lex credendi loosely translated as the church prays so it believes is most apt here as catholics we believe firmly in the intercession of the saints and so as a school we go to saint joseph our patron to protect and guide us through his intercession before god non-catholics do not always understand this catholic prayer form one woman asked me why we catholics pray to saints and not to god i told her that we certainly do pray to god most perfectly in the holy sacrifice of the mass but that we pray also to the saints to intercede for us before god since the saints are already with god we end each school day with a beautiful prayer of blessed cardinal newman may god support us all the day long till the shades lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed and the fever of life is over and our work is done then in his mercy may god grant us a safe lodging a holy rest and peace at the last amen these prayers are traditions traditions which your son prays every day many days he s not paying the slightest bit of attention he s more worried about his second period test but on other days he is paying attention certainly by the time he graduates he will know these prayers by heart having heard them every day of his high school career i always tell our alumni that more than their money the mount needs their prayers we need the prayers of our parents as well won t you consider joining the school and saying these two prayers every day after all it is in your son s and your best interest that saint joseph looks after the mount and so we begin the one hundred and thirty-fifth year in the mount s history let s pray that saint joseph does his job and keeps the school secure in god s love sincerely brother james m kelly c.f.x president

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dear parents students and friends of the mount summer reading is a habit ingrained in me from my own high school days in brooklyn new york where at xaverian high school we had an annual regimen of four vacation books with a test on each awaiting us at the end of the break for the life of me i cannot remember the name of even one of those books nor can i recall how i performed on those tests but i know that this practice became part of my own choice in the summers that followed i often ask our most recent grads if their college asks them to read a particular book before they start up in the fall and this year one of the answers i got turned out to be my surprise read of the summer the book is called the immortal life of henrietta lacks by rebecca skloot and how it came to be written is a story in itself as i remember it rebecca was a high school student making up her biology credit in the local community college when the teacher caught her attention as he lectured on cell division or mitosis in the course of his remarks he pointed out that some of what we have learned in this area has come from studying cancer cells in culture her teacher then spun around to the blackboard and wrote the name henrietta lacks on the blackboard and then he further piqued rebecca s interest by telling the class that henrietta s cells were among the first to be kept alive by scientists in culture and that now her cells have been living outside her body longer than they ever lived inside it henrietta was a cancer patient at johns hopkins in the early 1950 s and she died in 1951 from a terrible case of cervical cancer rebecca became an undergraduate biology major and worked her way through grad school studying writing fixated on someday telling henrietta s story she then spent more than a decade researching and writing this amazing book one book with as many themes as this one seems almost too good to be true but skloot s skills as a writer weave together the issues of race and gender progress in the fight against cancer medical ethics lives of the poor in baltimore and devotion to family seamlessly i picked this book up at the airport on my way to a wedding in louisville and i could not put it down my thanks go to the grad who told me about it and to skloot for giving me an insight into the craft of writing as a life work that had not occurred to me i am almost embarrassed to tell you about my other read so far this summer there are two american authors i have never read fitzgerald and hemingway and more than one of our english teachers have prodded me to get going on both of them so like any other high school human i choose the great gatsby because it s only 180 pages long almost not a novel i was totally unprepared for the quality of the writing and now i know why it s continually on reading lists in schools prior to reading it my only contact with f scott fitzgerald was his re-burial in the cemetery at st mary s catholic church in rockville md this occurred during my time at our lady of good counsel in wheaton and it made quite the splash in the news at the time fitzgerald s writing not only captures an age but also the complexity of the human condition in writing that reeled me in from the very first lines he starts of course with the narrator s father giving some advice the kind we occasionally try to share with our own children and students whenever you feel like criticizing any one just remember that all the people in this world haven t had the advantages that you ve had in stark contrast to henrietta lacks the characters in gatsby seem lost in a world of excess the escape from which is beyond their reach hemingway next summer however you choose to do it hard cover or paper back kindle ipad or nook reading remains the essential ingredient in the creation of a literate person it is inescapable as a tool to success and all attempts at avoiding it result in settling for the least common denominator rather than the greatest common factor in a community that seeks to be literate i commend mr greg mcdivitt of our faculty and all those who helped him to initiate this summer s new program whereby your sons get to choose a book and then will discuss it with our teachers in mid-september testing and assessment are not the primary goals here rather i see this as a first step in the creation of a year round culture of literacy that pervades the mount help us with this please with your support and encouragement many prayers for a relaxing and restful end to your summer please keep us in your prayers as we start anew and thank you for entrusting your sons to us peace barry j fitzpatrick principal please remember in your prayers our deceased marty atkinson `62 virginia black grandmother of senior anthony black juanita benson friend of brother james kelly c.f.x please remember in your prayers our sick brother james kelly c.f.x tim kabara and joanne morgan faculty members senior riggs brusnighan michelle rucker mother of marion rucker `11 eileen bednar mother of junior jason bednar clare scholand fr james keegan ruth grondon sr joan keating mother elias and fr edward ward friends of the xaverian brothers marie flynn and christine mitchell former faculty members brother roger demon c.f.x brother joseph glebas c.f.x larry krug friend of staff member cindy drenner sue mcclure friend of staff member sarah peightel christopher burdette `87 edward judy `64 lou goode `83 fred napfel `55 edward latchford `65 anthony miller `64 gary bennetts friend of faculty member ken pittman latoya wise and cyril thames grandchildren of staff member pearl thames louise james sister of staff member jean schmidt donna gorman mother of kevin gorman `09 nancy hoffman wife of robert hoffman `47 vincena caltabiano grandmother of vincent `06 marco `09 and geaton `10 sharhonda tynes sister of joe tynes `11 virginia waire sister of staff member barb bridges lenora williams great-grandmother of junior donald smith lucas mcwilliams brother of sophomore adam mcwilliams ted leach father of colin leach `08 nanci weaver armstrong friend of staff member dale wolters donald herbert `50 sophomore robert butcher andrew tippett `51 caroline bodley sister of senior michael bodley deane wingler wife of staff member mike wingler.

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mr david norton director of studies mr chuck belzner director of guidance changes to class schedules must be completed either by telephone or by mail before the end of the first day of school all requests must have parental permission please contact mr norton 410-646-6222 if you have questions regarding scheduling beginning of school 2011 wednesday august 24 thursday august 25 and friday august 26 freshman orientation id pictures will be taken on august 24 the schedule for these days will be mailed to your home monday august 29 freshmen only full day of classes on day 1 schedule tuesday august 30 full day of classes for everyone on day 1 schedule id pictures for sophomores the 2011-2012 sat program test calendar begins with a saturday october 1 2011 date the deadline for registration is friday september 9 2011 to register online go to www.collegeboard.com mount saint joseph will be a test center for the saturday november 5 2011 date registration deadline for this test is friday october 7 2011 the first test date for the act assessment is saturday september 10 2011 the registration deadline for this test is friday august 12 2011 to register online using the msj website click on academics then guidance then standardized testing then act wednesday august 31 full day of classes for everyone on day 2 schedule id pictures for juniors thursday september 1 full day of classes for everyone on day 3 schedule id pictures for seniors volunteer substitutes needed one of the most significant experiences for your sons at the mount is their time spent on retreats an integral part of that retreat experience is the interaction between our young men and the faculty and staff who accompany them that leaves us with classes to cover and we are asking for volunteer substitute assistance for the 2011-2012 school year we greatly appreciate your presence and assistance if you are available to take part in this important service and ministry all new volunteers must undergo a criminal back-ground check and must be stand trained we will assist you in completing these procedures if you are interested in helping and willing to make a commitment to this important service of substitution please contact mr robert peace director of staff formation at 410-644-3300 or contact him by email rpeace@admin.msjnet.edu friday september 2 monday september 5 school closed tuesday september 6 full day of classes on day 4 schedule for everyone school information will be mailed early in august included in this mailing will be student transcript for sophomores juniors and seniors student emergency information sheet list of classes guidance counselor and homeroom parents and students are asked to check the accuracy of the transcript gpa courses grades etc all demographic information should also be updated any errors or changes must be reported to the studies office the student emergency information sheet should be completed by parents and returned to the studies office with any corrections the student handbook consent form is part of the student planner page 1 this form should be signed by parents to acknowledge that they have read and understand the student regulations at the mount this form should also be returned by students to homeroom during the first week of school.

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sat prep classes sat prep classes in verbal and math skills will be held in september in preparation for the october and november sat tests and the october psat test classes will start on monday september 12 and end on thursday september 29 and are in the morning before school begins the cost is $100.00 the teachers are mr bernd mcdivitt and mr louis romeo registration information is available by contacting mr mcdivitt for the verbal class by e-mail at bmcdivitt@admin.msjnet.edu or mr romeo for the math class lromeo@admin.msjnet.edu from the desk of mr brian murphy director of students the 2011-2012 mount book will be mailed in august to all families as we prepare for the upcoming school year please read thoroughly the school policies and procedures for absentees latenesses and early dismissals which are outlined in the mount book in addition there have been a number of changes made in the school policy regarding the dress code and student code of behavior please familiarize yourself with these rules and regulations re shoes pants etc and join us in a collaborative effort to support them you should make certain your son is properly dressed and groomed before allowing him to begin school in august the dress code will be strictly enforced and students will not be permitted to attend class if they are not in compliance with our policies including hair and clothing i look forward to working with you and your son during the upcoming school year please contact me if you have any questions regarding our expectations have a safe and enjoyable rest of the summer summer reading all reading assignments for english classes must be completed before the start of school students should check the msj website for reading guides of the appropriate book determined by your english course number msj bookstore news books are available on-line now go to www.mbsdirect.net or visit the msj website to find the link the site is user friendly you will need to have your class/course schedule on hand at the time of ordering there are several titles that need not be purchased these maryland state department of education provided texts are free to the students and clearly flagged on the mbs website maryland state texts will be distributed either in the classroom or in the school store alumni news win 4 season tickets to every regular season ravens home game send in your alumni association ravens raffle tickets before the friday august 26 drawing to be able to win this great prize chances are $5.00 each and the winner will be notified by an alumni association board member by phone if you would like to purchase or request additional raffle tickets please visit www.msjnet.edu/ravensraffle or call brandy darcey at 410-646-4700 you must have your books prior to the start of the new school year please feel free to contact the school store with any questions or concerns regarding the on-line book ordering process polo shirts gym uniforms and locks can be purchased in the school store and will notbe available on-line store hours are posted at www.msjnet.edu.

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fall sportsmanship meetings mr kraig loovis interim athletic director august is tryout time for fall sports the following is the tryout schedule tryout dates football equipment issue august 9 seniors 9:00 a.m juniors 9:30 a.m sophomores and freshman 10:00 a.m varsity jv football tryouts begin august 10 8:00 a.m to noon 2:00 p.m to 4:30 p.m open to seniors juniors sophomores freshman football tryouts begin august 17 3:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m these meetings are mandatory for all students who have made a fall sports team or who are still in the process of trying out for a fall sports team a parent is also required to attend the meeting attendance will be taken at the meeting anyone who cannot attend this meeting must notify mr loovis prior to the meeting by phone 410-644-3300 ext 212 or e-mail kloovis@admin.msjnet.edu all sportsmanship meetings will be held in the auditorium tuesday august 23 5:00 pm ­ cross country 6:00 pm ­ football 7:00 pm ­ volleyball volleyball varsity jv tryouts begin august 10 9:00 a.m to 11:30 a.m open to all students wednesday august 24 5:00 pm ­ soccer 6:00 pm ­ water polo cross country varsity jv tryouts begin august 11 10:00 a.m to 11:45 a.m open to all students spotlight on faculty and staff mr robert peace director of staff formation soccer varsity jv soccer tryouts begin august 12 8:00 a.m to 10:00 a.m noon to 2:00 p.m open to seniors juniors sophomores freshman soccer tryouts begin august 15 4:30 p.m to 6:30 p.m water polo mandatory meeting gym 3:30 p.m august 17 varsity jv tryouts begin umbc august 22 3:00 p.m to 5:15 p.m open to all students students must have a current physical exam for the 2011-2012 school year on file with the school to try out for a sports team the completed physical form should be on file with the school nurse prior to the first day of tryouts or may be submitted to the athletic director on the first day of tryouts i have just completed two days of in-service with the new teachers of the mount for the 2011-2012 school year this has been an exciting time for me as new faces appear eager to impart knowledge and faith to your sons during our interview process we always look for those people who exhibit and possess the spirit of the xaverian brothers and catholic education mount saint joseph is a faith-based educational institution everything that we do is based on this faith it is the mission that drives us each and every day i am pleased to introduce our new teachers and staff mr clinton felts 07 religion mr timothy moran 03 depaul program and mr sean walsh network administrator we are also very pleased to welcome back ms telisa claiborne as director of the ryken program i ask you to join me in extending a warm welcome to our newly-hired employees as we embark on this new school year i ask you to keep all of us in your prayers that this will be a year filled with god s blessings.

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welcome on behalf of the mothers club board we extend a warm welcome to all incoming freshman and upperclassman moms the mothers club is an integral part of the mount saint joseph school community and a wonderful avenue to share and learn about the wholesome and rich character of the school in which we have placed our sons to be educated the mothers club s activities during the first half of the year include the welcome tea back-to-school nights mother/son communion breakfast operation mount basket bingo and a spaghetti dinner for my brother s keeper this is in addition to our fun and informative monthly meetings that are held the first tuesday of each month starting october 4 2011 at 7:30p.m welcome tea you are cordially invited to attend the annual back-to-school welcome tea sponsored by the mother s club to be held sunday september 11 2011 from 2:00 p.m to 4:00 p.m it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about our organization meet new moms welcome the freshman moms and reconnect with mothers you haven t seen all summer please be our guests for this lovely event and cast your eyes on the beautifully decorated table displays and enjoy a scrumptious lunch all mothers including alumni moms are welcome you will delight in an afternoon of interesting conversation and hear enlightening tidbits from the president and principal of the school as well as past and present moms mother/son communion breakfast it is hard to believe that the mother-son communion breakfast is right around the corner this is a great opportunity to make a special mount memory with your son especially the moms of seniors mark your calendar for either sunday october 2 or sunday october 9 tickets are $20 per person sales will occur at the welcome tea through the mail or through school once school starts and at the back-to-school nights if tickets remain tickets will only be issued to those who send payment in with the request for tickets if you request seating with someone else that request will need to come in together i.e the same envelope plan ahead and purchase tickets early if you would like to attend this event as it routinely sells out for more information please utilize the mothers club section of the msj web site you may also feel free to contact kim bathurst klbathurst@aol.com or debbie cupps debbie.cupps@comcast.net for additional information and questions operation mount this is mount saint joseph s version of the one book it features commercial and personal ads that are sold by the students and their parents this is the mothers club s biggest fundraiser letters of explanation will be sent in the beginning of september and will include forms to solicit ads the student kick-off assemblies will also be held in the beginning of september many volunteers are needed for various positions the operation mount commitment is for two or three days per week for only five weeks are you a party organizer perhaps you can coordinate our friday doughnut parties please contact us and we will be happy to have you join our team contact rosemarie kraus bramkraus@verizon.net my brother s keeper donations of white tube socks travel-size toiletries toothpaste toothbrushes razors feminine products coffee and sugar would be most appreciated you can also drop off your donations between 9:30 a.m and 1:30 p.m at my brother s keeper 4121 frederick road baltimore md 21229 for information contact chris childres cachildres4@verizon.net membership if you would like to join the mothers club please send your name address e-mail address and phone number along with your son s name and year and a check for the $5.00 membership fee made payable to the msj mothers club to the business office attention mothers club membership committee you may also join at any mothers club sponsored event welcome tea sponsored by the mount saint joseph mothers club sunday september 11 2011 2:00 p.m in the cafeteria all mothers including alumni moms are welcome!

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freshman fathers cookout and first regular meeting monday september 12 2011 at 7:00 p.m mount saint joseph high school welcome to all freshman fathers we are combining the first general meeting with the freshman fathers cookout all freshman fathers/guardians and current and prospective members of the fathers club are cordially invited to attend this event this special evening honors the freshman fathers and is a great way to kick off the new school year see what it is to become a part of the mount saint joseph community and its rich traditions enjoy the good food the camaraderie and make great new friends this event is free but we ask that you please call either of the following numbers by thursday september 8 so that we know how many to plan for mount saint joseph high school 410-644-3300 ext 272 or jeff cupps msj fathers club president home 410-437-9221 or cell 443-386-5918 the parents corner mary wiedel director of parent relations time flies the summer is rushing by and the new school year is just around the corner from emails i have received from several parents over the summer there is an eagerness to be prepared for the year ahead questions have ranged from how to buy the needed textbooks and school supplies to making sure your son knows what books he is required to read for both his english class and the school-wide summer reading program so now is the time to take a deep breath as you try to prepare your son and yourself for the upcoming school year i commend you for looking ahead but just make sure that you enjoy the present moment as you know once school begins there will be lots of commitments that will require you to be somewhere at a specific time transporting your children to and from school adjusting everyone s schedule because of after-school activities getting meals prepped and served on a more rigid schedule getting proper sleep after monitoring your son s homework and study efforts etc so during the last vestiges of the summertime i encourage you to enjoy some special time together with your son and the rest of the family even if you find yourself on a tight budget you need not look far to find some free outdoor concerts/movies to enjoy or bargain days at museums or just pack a picnic and take a hike in the park your first reaction might be that your teenager might not embrace doing such things but probably you will be pleasantly surprised what he might do just to spend some time with the people that he loves the most his family and just think much of the free/bargain activities are provided through the taxes paid to local jurisdictions why not enjoy what you have already paid for just search the internet for ideas oh and finally make sure you enjoy some great summertime meals and treats see you soon fathers club officers president v president secretary treasurer jeff cupps doug cesky john callahan ron mihaly 410-437-9221 410-729-0221 443-860-9639 443-923-4558 congratulations student council officers 2011-2012 president kevin mead vice presidents jonah caparros and jun yup kim senior class president tim sylvester vice presidents kyle berlin stephen isreal junior class class president karl ramos vice presidents brenden jefferson and tommy kyle sophomore class president julian caparros new members many freshman fathers have signed on to become new members of the fathers club welcome upcoming events september 12 2011 october 15 2011 freshman fathers cookout 7:00 p.m msj high school homecoming day food preparation and sales fall clean-up november 5 2011 fathers club hats and shirts are available for purchase contact mr bernd mcdivitt by phone 410-644-3300 ext 272 or by e-mail bmcdivitt@admin.msjnet.edu to purchase items vice presidents kyle costabile and caleb gaeng

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