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december 2010 on your son s becoming the man god wants him to be and of course advent my dear parents and guardians whenever i speak to parents and always when i pray publicly for the whole school i express my hope that the young men at mount saint joseph will become the men that god wants them to be i believe quite firmly that from all eternity god has had a dream for each one of us the person we might become fulfilling god s dream for us is our road to happiness and while none of us probably ever completely fulfill god s dream our lives are a journey toward that fulfillment which god will ultimately bring to perfection in heaven after i prayed at pta at the beginning of the school year one father came up to me and said what s all this about god s dream for my son what about my dream for my son i wanted to say god is smarter than you are but i think i more politely suggested that it would probably be best to go with god s plan god s plan in the beautiful play a man for all seasons saint thomas more says to his son-in-law william roper oh roper you re a fool god s my god rather bitterly but i find him rather too very bitterly subtle i don t know where he is nor what he wants i have always resonated with those words put into the mouth of saint thomas more by the playwright robert bolt god s grace is always subtle only saint paul got knocked off his horse the rest of us have to pray and hope that we will respond to grace when it is offered and that that grace will help us to become the person god wants us to be man or woman in our journey of life however long or short it may be god is there with his grace helping us to become that person but the journey requires patient waiting and that s when we come to advent as you know if you have been reading me for a while advent is my favorite season in the church s year of grace as the church waits for the coming of the messiah at christmas just as the jews longed over the centuries of the old testament for the coming of the messiah we wait in patient hope for the fulfillment of god s plan in our lives advent reminds us that nothing is accomplished according to our time schedule god s time schedule is more subtle and more providential than anything we could plan or devise so we wait you wait to see the boy who is your son grow into a man of whom you can be proud we wait to see what good god can bring out of what might seem to us at the time as anything but good i wait for the next turning in the road of my journey with cancer you perhaps wait for an elderly grandparent or parent to come to the end of his or her life s journey we wait yet at times we can forget that god is there waiting with us directing our path and our steps with his unseen but ever present grace as we pray every day in the mass we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior jesus christ savor this time of waiting in advent and let it remind you that we wait in joyful hope for the fulfillment of god s plans not only in our own lives but in the lives of the young men at the mount who i always pray will fulfill god s dream for them happy advent sincerely brother james m kelly c.f.x president

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dear parents students and friends of the mount every year when brother james and i select a school christmas card there is one requirement for the front of the card it must have some depiction of saint joseph he could be front and center prominently displayed he could be holding the reins of the farm animal that transported his lovely wife to the manger to give birth he could be scurrying across the desert fleeing to egypt but he has to be on the card may it ever be thus i always consider us lucky to have this wonderful man as our school s patron i m equally fortunate to bear his name as the priest at my baptism refused to baptize me with only barry as a name and my parents settled on joseph he is one of those enigmatic figures of the gospels about whom nearly any reflection seems pure speculation that is until you really think about it the jesuit author james martin sj has done just that in a magnificent work entitled my life with the saints martin has devoted an entire chapter to saint joseph and his reflection is a source of prayer and wonder for me still joseph listened to the dreams that came from god and he acted upon them as few ever have and in doing so he served as one of the foundations of the faith that belonged to his foster son jesus but most of all joseph remained hidden following god s will quietly behind the scenes on the largest stage ever known and herein lies his relevance for us today in his chapter on joseph martin quotes the spiritual writer charles de foucauld who is imagining what jesus of nazareth might say about the time in his life we know the least about after my presentation and my flight into egypt i withdrew to nazareth there i spent the years of my childhood and youth till i was thirty years of age once again it was for your sake i went there for love of you what was the meaning of that part of my life i led it for your instruction i instructed you continually for thirty years not in words but by my silence and example what was it i was teaching you i was teaching you primarily that it is possible to do good to others ­ great good infinite good divine good ­ without using words without preaching without fuss but by silence and by giving them a good example what kind of example the example of devotion of duty toward god lovingly fulfilled and goodness toward all loving kindness to those about you and domestic duties fulfilled in holiness the example of poverty lowliness recollection withdrawal the obscurity of a life hidden in god a life of prayer penance and withdrawal completely lost in god buried deep in him i was teaching you to live by the labor of your own hands so as to be a burden to no one and to have something to give to the poor and i was giving this way of life an incomparable beauty ­ the beauty being a replica of mine that life is a daunting challenge to us all and joseph embraced it so jesus could grow as a young man i see so many glimpses of it here that unfortunately i don t pay attention to nearly enough one night i was driving one of our senior s home and i heard him say my father is the most humble person i know he did so many great things when he was younger that i have only found out about from hearing others tell stories about him what a great thing for a dad to have a son notice that and what a great lesson for a son to have a dad like that no question that the dad s priorities are in order and no question in the son s mind about whom he d like to model his life on as he grows up the hidden life as martin calls it is clearly underrated and underappreciated today we want headlines and good publicity for our good acts not joseph not this senior s father martin reminds us of the renowned sculptor who spent hours carving the back of a statue of mary in one of the cathedrals of europe only to be questioned about why he was spending so much time on something no one would ever see god will see it the sculptor replied and like martin i long for that type of holiness in my life yet with joseph s example and that of our senior s father and the senior himself i have great hope that that type of holiness is indeed within our grasp if only we pay attention and seek it this christmas may you be blessed by hidden things known only to you and god and may the light that is our savior warm your hearts and soften the darkness of the season brightening your days with his love saint joseph pray for us peace barry j fitzpatrick principal

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mr dave norton assistant principal director of studies inclement weather policy please continue to check your sons grades by accessing them at www.edline.net midterm exams will be given before christmas vacation exams are december 14 15 16 and 17 we will return from vacation on january 3 and the second marking period will continue until january 21 we are looking for continued student improvement on the midterm exams the exam schedule will will be as follows tuesday december 14 tuesday december 14 wednesday december 15 wednesday december 15 thursday december 16 thursday december 16 friday december 17 friday december 17 8:00 a.m 10:00 a.m 8:00 a.m 10:00 a.m 8:00 a.m 10:00 a.m 8:00 a.m 10:00 a.m c period d period e period f period g period h period a period b period if school is going to be cancelled because of weather conditions this fact will be announced over the radio stations the best source is station wbal mount saint joseph will not be mentioned by name whenever baltimore county secondary schools cancel school because of snow conditions mount saint joseph will automatically be closed if baltimore county opens one or two hours late because of snow mount saint joseph will do likewise however if baltimore county opens more than two hours late mount saint joseph will open only two hours late if baltimore county is closed or on vacation we will follow howard county financial aid applications financial aid applications for the 2010-2011 school year are available in the business office if you would like to apply please have your son stop by for an application or apply on line www.psas.org applications are not mailed out only one application per family is required remember you must apply for financial aid each year all applications must be postmarked by friday february 4 2011 exams will be given by the classroom teacher in the regularly assigned classroom students need only to report to their assigned exam period although once on campus they are not permitted to leave and return for a later exam homeroom period will not take place during the exam schedule attendance will be taken in the exam room breakfast and a limited lunch menu will be served during exam week students in courses 729 financial literacy 736 introduction to computer applications 734 business law 739 personal business applications and 758 web design html 750-h robotics and 320-depaul language will meet during the exam time for regular class instruction the computer science department will be administering semester course final exams on tuesday january 18 and wednesday january 19 2011 this will allow for more skill development honor roll our students completed an extremely successful first quarter forty-four percent of the students were on the honor roll congratulations to all of our students parents and teachers for such a great start to the new school year our school average was ninety percent keep up the excellent work psat explore test results should be available by the middle of december juniors sophomores and some freshmen will receive their results and explanation of such during an assembly freshmen will receive results and explanations of the explore test in homeroom please ask your sons for their results before the midterm exams attention juniors the ring ceremony will take place on sunday december 19 2010 at 6:00 p.m at saint joseph s monastery.

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msj school store mr paul triplett athletic director fall sports wrap-up the varsity soccer team finished the regular season with a 12 ­ 3 ­ 2 record advancing to the miaa semi-finals where they were defeated by mcdonogh 2 ­ 0 the varsity football team had a rough season this year because of multiple injuries sustained by various players early in the season the team finished the season with a 3 ­ 6 record the varsity cross country team finished the regular season 3 ­ 6 and finished 4th at the miaa championship the varsity volleyball team finished the regular season with a 6 ­ 8 record the team once again advanced to the miaa playoffs but was defeated in the semi-finals by loyola 3 ­ 0 finally the varsity water polo team finished the year with a 6 ­ 20 record the water polo team made the miaa playoffs for the eighth consecutive year but fell to loyola 6 ­ 11 in the games leading up to the championship the team travelled to the eastern preps where they played well finishing with a 1 ­ 1 record we have great gifts for the holidays holiday shopping hours include saturday december 4 11:00 a.m 2:00 p.m saturday december 11 7:30 a.m 12:00 noon saturday december 18 9:00 a.m 12:00 noon check out the school website for more store hours internet orders must be purchased prior to december 15 to ensure christmas delivery we have a facebook page please like the mount saint joseph high school store and receive updates on items as they arrive winter sports ­ december openers december 3 december 4 december 6 december 12 december 20 indoor track meet 1 loyola 4:30 p.m varsity wrestling caruso wrestling invitation st benedict s newark nj tier 1 ice hockey vs gilman the gardens ice house varsity swimming vs gonzaga ccbc varsity basketball vs maret msj 5:20 p.m 3:30 p.m 5:45 p.m it s bull oyster roast time again think in advance buy your bull oyster roast tickets today tickets will not be sold at the door join the mount s alumni association for the finest food in town try your luck at the games of chance and place your bids on silent auction items saturday february 26 2011 6:00 p.m ­ 11:00 p.m tickets are $50 per person for tickets go to www.msjnet.edu/bullroast or call james poisal `03 410-900-1209 inclement weather policy mount saint joseph high school follows the baltimore county public schools weather policy if msj is closed because of inclement weather home sporting events for the day will be postponed for away games call the sports information line at 410-644-3300 ext 345 or check the website athletic announcements for details ski trip this year s ski trip to seven springs is scheduled for january 21 23 2011 the trip includes a three-day lift-ticket package two nights lodging two allyou-can-eat-breakfasts a chartered bus ride and discounts on skiing and snowboarding rentals and lessons the ski club will continue to organize the trip and schedule meetings this month if you are interested in making the trip a christmas gift e-mail mr greg mcdivitt gmcdivitt@admin.msjnet.edu.

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january meeting please plan to attend our monthly meeting on tuesday january 4 at 7:30 p.m in the cafeteria we will discuss exciting up-and-coming events and speakers for the new year the mothers club members are moms who pride themselves in helping the school while gaining an enriching experience from seeing our school thrive all moms are encouraged to attend use this time to have fun make new friends laugh and share your experiences with raising boys see you on january 4th fashion show please join us tuesday january 11 at 7:00 p.m in the cafeteria for a meeting with the fashion show committee as we plan the mount saint joseph mothers club fashion show for next spring the show will take place sunday april 3 2011 at the bwi marriott it is sure to be a beautiful event as it is every year to make it a success again there are many jobs to be had both large and small if you have a flare for fashion or like to organize projects or just want to lend a helping hand please e-mail tonya robinson tjsmom394@msn.com for more information my brother s keeper community outreach a very heartfelt thank you to the mothers club alumni moms current moms and their families who generously contributed food and/or volunteered their time for the spaghetti dinner held at mount saint joseph we had over 300 guests which was a record your giving spirit helps make a difficult time easier and has a positive impact on our neighbors and on our sons may god continue to bless you and your families please keep in mind there is always a need for any of the following items travel size toiletries deodorants soaps shampoos razors shaving cream toothbrushes toothpaste small packets of tissues new one-size fits all gender neutral knit hats mitten/gloves for children and adults as well as new adult size tube socks and gently used or new sweaters for men and women in sizes l xl xxl and very small toys donations to mbk may also be dropped off at msj attention mary wiedel/mbk thank you for helping others in need please remember in your prayers our deceased mary smith grandmother of sophomore thomas ensey patricia jarboe aunt of junior chris wessells andrew joyce cousin of freshman nick hynson please remember in your prayers our sick brother james kelly c.f.x judith kraft tim kabara joanne morgan and chuck belzner faculty members vernon morgan husband of faculty member joanne morgan eileen bednar mother of sophomore 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 former faculty member ruth kellermann mother of faculty member paul kellermann and grandmother of freshman adam kellermann theresa benzing meyer edward gardner grandfather of sophomore joshua gardner margaret barlow grandmother of senior joseph tynes mimi dietrich mother of jonathan dietrich `93 and ryan dietrich `96 miriam parson grandmother of junior brady parson michael liberatore uncle of nick liberatore `89 brother roger demon c.f.x john deboy `93 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 rev john williamson denise pointer mother of sophomore nathaniel pointer leo ader uncle of faculty member jason ader `03 richard cernak `47 kitty seifert mother of faculty member sharon morgan danielle cupps cousin of senior david cupps and freshman jonathan cupps bud scott father of nick scott `06 fred napfel 55 jane kirby wife of john kirby `76 and mother of trey kirby `05 caroline bodley sister of junior michael bodley laurie hussey uncle of senior daniel hussey rose mary snyder grandmother of senior hunter uebel and freshman stephen snyder geraldine kretcher great grandmother of junior dominic sullivan zach zorn nephew of jeffrey helmick `95 benjamin mundorf grandfather of senior barron mundorf lucinda mundorf mother of senior barron mundorf alberta allen aunt of faculty member cheryl hall larry smith brother of staff member laverne wallace.

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december meeting the december general meeting will be held on monday december 13 2010 at 7:30 p.m in the cafeteria our guest speaker will be mr brian murphy director of students father/son communion breakfast mark your calendars now for what promises to be a sellout father/son communion breakfast it will be held on sunday march 6 2011 with mass at 10:00 a.m in the auditorium followed by a hearty breakfast and speaker bull roast report our annual bull and oyster roast was a huge success thanks to the efforts of scott luco and rich drgos proceeds from this event will be used to support projects around campus thank you to all our msj families for supporting this event msj fathers club fall citrus order form sold to address city/state/zip telephone e-mail description navel oranges ruby red grapefruit detach and return this form with your check made payable to msj fathers club c/o mt st joseph high school 4403 frederick avenue baltimore md 21229 size count unit price qty amount 2/5 bushel 24-40 4/5 bushel 36-80 2/5 bushel 12-20 4/5 bushel 27-40 $21.00 $34.00 $21.00 $34.00 total due check no person picking up order if different from above phone fruit pickup date saturday december 18 2010 9:00 a.m ­ 12:00 p.m at the msj lower parking lot fruit not picked up on this date will be donated to charity without a refund orders must be received no later than thursday december 9 2010 for more information contact bernd mcdivitt at 410-644-3300 ext 272.

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the parents corner mrs mary wiedel director of parent relations mr chuck belzner director of guidance christmas is a time for family and traditions a time when we blend the traditions from several different families into one no matter where the traditions originate the traditions of the holidays make this a special family time of the year consider taking a few moments at dinner one night to talk about your family traditions find out how everyone feels about continuing them as they are now there may be ones that should remain untouched but also have an open discussion about any new ones that should be tried for this year it will be interesting to get input from your children regarding what s planned for instance now that your son has matured into a high school student he can pitch in more and share the planning and execution of some of the traditions especially if the idea is one he suggests that way he will experience some ownership of the family activities and may be more involved this year than in the past we all know that holiday preparations can become overwhelming and your family discussion may lead to a way to simplify expectations or change up how it all gets accomplished i personally know that as my children moved through high school then through college and now into their independent lives as adults our family holidays have had to become more flexible and varied from what we were accustomed to in the past i can say that it has been an interesting experience i know in the end the important thing is to spend time together as a family regardless of what we do so plan ahead and then relax and enjoy the true meaning of the season god loving us enough to send his son jesus as our savior if that is our focus the rest is a bonus reminder to senior parents please be sure to visit the guidance section of the msj website as we continue the process of college admissions please note the information provided through the senior bulletin the bulletin contains information regarding college visits sat s/act s scholarships and more information regarding the senior bulletin and available scholarships can be found on our website and naviance seniors please be aware of the following due dates regarding college applications applications due on december 15 and january 1 must be turned into mrs mnkande no later than november 30 applications due on january 15 must be turned into mrs mnkande no later than january 3 any applications turned in after these dates are not guaranteed to be processed to meet the deadlines mr clay bonham director of mount ministries christmas concert the music department will hold its annual christmas concert on thursday december 9 at 7:30 p.m in the fine arts auditorium the symphonic band jazz ensemble and choir will perform a reception will follow the concert we are grateful for the generous donations from so many families to the annual holiday food drive as a reminder to juniors the christmas holidays are an excellent opportunity to fulfill their required service learning responsibilities juniors who are still looking for service opportunities can visit the website http juniorserviceopportunities.blogspot.com we invite all of you to celebrate mass with us on wednesday december 8 at 8:00 a.m in the auditorium for the feast of the immaculate conception we hope that all families will have a blessed advent and christmas season.

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