March 2015 Bishop McNamara’s Family Newsletter Vol. 25 No. 8

Bishop McNamara High School • 6800 Marlboro Pike • Forestville, MD 20747 • 301-735-8401 • http://www.bmhs.org

Spring Dress Code Begins Thursday, March 23rd

The optional Spring Dress Code begins on Monday, March 23rd. See pages 41-45 of the BMHS student/parent handbook for more information. Parents’ Club accepts used uniforms (including blazers) for their uniform exchange.

Next Parents’ Club Meeting Tuesday, April 21st;

Dinner 6:30pm; Meeting 7:00pm BMHS Cafeteria

Topic: Preparing for the SAT & ACT: Tips to Help Your Child Succeed on

College Admissions Tests

Easter Recess March 30th -April 6th

Classes Resume Tuesday, April 7th

Spring Blood Drive; March 24 8 AM– 1 PM

Must be at least 16 years old (age 16 needs a parent’s per-mission), weigh at least 110 pounds, and should not be par-ticipating in any athletic contests on the day of donation. Students sign up will take place the week before the drive during all lunches. Sign up is on a first come, first serve ba-sis. Families and friends of Bishop McNamara are also wel-come to donate. Contact Ms. DeLeonibus at Angela.DeLeonibus@bmhs.org for more info.

Advanced Placement Exams—May 4-15 Registration & Payment due February 26th

Registration and payment for all Advanced Placements Exams are due Thursday, February 26. Each exam costs $89. Fee Reductions are available to families that qualify. Please turn in the AP registration form (form is posted on www.bmhs.org) and submit the entire amount to Dr. Traylor in the Main Office. A pre-administration meeting for all students taking an AP Exam will take place on Thursday, April 30th at 7:45am in the cafeteria during the one-hour delayed opening. Questions? Please contact Dr. Traylor at Nigel.traylor@bmhs.org or 301-735-8401 x118.

Third Quarter Report Cards Available on Portal

4pm March 27th Please email support@bmhs.org if you have

trouble accessing the Parent Portal

Quarter 3 Progress Reports were posted to the portal on February 27th

ON-LINE Re-Registration for Classes of ’16, ’17 & ’18

available NOW The 2015-2016 registration process takes place on-line. A link was emailed on February 19th. It is also available on our website, www.bmhs.org. Your log-in and password for this link are the same as those for the parent portal. E-mail support@bmhs.org for log in help. In order to avoid the $100.00 late fee, registration must be completed by Tuesday, March 10, 2015. Questions? Please contact Mrs. Ball at Peggy.Ball@bmhs.org or 301-735-8401 x125 or Mrs. Garber at Patricia.Garber@bmhs.org or x113.

Daylight Savings Begins March 8th - Spring Ahead One Hour!!

Hearing and Vision Screening For Freshmen

Will be provided by the Prince George’s County Health De-partment for all freshmen on May 6th & 7th.

Attention parents of rising seniors (Class of 2016)

We are in the process of selecting our Class of 2016 senior polo shirts, watch the the Bishop McNamara web site for more details. Remember senior parents, these polo shirts will be your stu-dents uniform attire for their senior year.

ICE NIGHT Sunday, April 12th; 6:00pm

The FACE club will be hosting ICE Night (Inter-Cultural Exchange Night) on Sunday, April 12th at 6:00 pm in the Fine Arts Theater. Come enjoy an evening celebrating Bishop McNamara’s incredible cultural diversity. There will be cultural performanc-es, entertainment and the opportunity to taste exotic foods from our various cultures. Cost: $10.00.

HOLY CROSS MISSION Kairos 30, one of the four Junior retreats, will be held March 25-27 at Loyola Retreat Center. We ask

you to keep the retreatants and team members in your prayers. Check out our Campus Ministry blog at bmhsministry.wordpress.com Facebook page (www.facebook.com/bmhsministry) is updated daily with the morning prayer that is

read at school for the day. Please check it out! We’re also on Twitter! @BMHS_Ministry HOLY CROSS SERVICE Service Hours Update: Students who have fulfilled their service hour requirement: Seniors: 26%; Juniors: 16%; Sophomores: 21%;

Freshmen: 33%

Service Hour Deadlines approaching: Freshmen: Service Contracts must be submitted by March 23rd; students not completing the re-

quired number of hours by this date will have to complete the original 15 hours plus 5 additional hours by May 18.

Sophomores: Service Contracts must be submitted by March 30th; students not completing the required number of hours by this date will have to complete the original 20 hours plus 5 additional hours by May 18.

All students must complete and submit the Service Agreement & Action Plan. No service hours will be rec-orded for a student until this document is received by the Campus Ministry office. The document is avail-able through the ‘Service Hour Forms’ page in the Holy Cross Service section of the BMHS website.

Students can view their total number of required service hours recorded by our office in the Maccess gradebook (this is not the same as the gradebook in the por tal). Students will need to access their “Holy Cross Service” course in Maccess. To the right of the “Calendar” button, there is a “Gradebook” button for Holy Cross Service. Once students have completed (and submitted) the minimum number of service hours, they will see that their grade is marked as “complete.” This is updated on the 1st and 15th of each month.

Pre-Approved Service Site Lists can be found on the BMHS website: click on “Faith & Service,” then “Holy Cross Service Program.” Navigate to “Approved Service Opportunities,” then click on the list for the appropriate grade level.

Our Lady Queen of Peace Soup Kitchen: Juniors may sign-up to volunteer at this soup kitchen during the school day (they are permitted to take advantage of this in-school opportunity only once during the school year). We also need volunteers to drive and volunteer with students during the school day from 7:45 a.m.–11:15 a.m. Please contact Ms. Longest at rachel.longest@bmhs.org if interested.

MARCH EVENTS Daily Mass in the Chapel, 7:00am Rosary, Tuesdays at 3:05pm, Thursdays at 3:30pm March 19: Feast of St. Joseph Liturgy. Parents, friends and alumni are always welcome to join us at 8:15

a.m.! March 23: Freshmen Christian Service Contracts due March 25-27: Juniors attend Kairos 30, pray for them! March 30: Sophomore Christian Service Contracts due March 29 - April 3: Campus Ministry Service Trip to Urban Promise Charlotte

Contact Rosemary Pezzuto at info@campfireusa-patuxent.org or

check out www.campfireusa-patuxent.org for more information on the service opportu-

nities available through Teens in Action. Watch daily announcements and emails for

March activities. or email campfireinfo@gmail.com . We are planning a major service project for Global

Youth Service Day in April. Teens will address hunger, poverty, and those at risk.

CAMPUS MINISTRY NEWS

Prince George's County Band & Orchestra Festival

Come and support our Mustangs as they take the stage with the other public and private schools from PG County. String Orchestra-Thursday, March 19th, 8:30 pm Symphonic Band-Friday, March 20th, 6:10 pm Wind Ensemble-Friday, March 20th, 7:55pm

The dates and times are subject to change . . . check bmhs.org for updates.

Performances will be at Dr. Henry A Wise Jr. High School Auditorium - 12650 Brooke Ln, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

SPRING PLAY The Madwoman of Chaillot

by Jean Giraudoux March 13, 14, and 15, 2015

Tickets are on sale now at bmhs.org through Wednesday, March 11, 2015.

All tickets are $10.00.

FADE COLLOQUIUM #6 “Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble”

Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 7:00 pm in the Fine Arts Theater. All are welcome to attend this fine combination of: live music, singing, comedy, and percussive dance.

Second Portfolio Check: Thursday, March 12, 2015 - 8:30 am- FA Theater Fine Arts Faculty will check every student's binder during this meeting and discuss course selections for the following year.

Portfolio Deadlines -> Seniors -Monday, May 11, 2015 (first day of senior exams) -> Underclassmen -Monday, May 18, 2015

Students must turn in their FADE Portfolios to their Fine Arts teachers. Pick your binders up before the end of the year.

Sankofa Nights Presents: “Cristo”

April 23rd – April 26th, 2015 Student Performers can pre-order tickets until Fri-day, March 13, 2015. Student Tickets will be sold in the BMHS Cafeteria during lunch on, March 17, 2015. (Non-performing students can purchase one

ticket for themselves). Tickets go on sale to the general public at

bmhs.org Monday, March 23, 2015. All tickets are $10.00.

BMHS Dance Program Presents: DANCE to LIFE March 26, 27, & 28

Show Times are: Thursday, March 26th at 7:00 pm, Friday, March 27th at 7:00 pm, and Saturday, March 28th at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. This annual celebration of dance is one that you do not want to miss!

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on March 2, 2015. All tickets are $10.00. Visit bmhs.org for tickets and info.

Mandatory rehearsal: in the Fine Arts & Athletic Center: · Wednesday, March 18th 3-8:30pm · Monday, March 23rd 3-8:30pm · Tuesday, March 24th 3-8:30pm

Spring Music Concerts Various Dates in April & May

Tickets for ALL of the Spring Music Concerts will go on sale to the general public at Www.bmhs.org on March 19, 2015.

Jazz Lab & Jazz Ensemble –April 8, 2015

Concert Band, Symphonic Band, & Percussion Ensemble –April 30, 2015

Choir Concert –May 1, 2015

String Orchestra & Wind Ensemble Concert –May 8, 2015

Music Trip News……. ATLANTA 2015

The Final Payment is due on Friday, March 20th, 2015

All fees must be paid.

Mandatory student/parent/guardian meeting, Mon-day, April 13th@ 7:00 pm in the Main Gym. Trip dates are: Wednesday, April 15 – Sunday, April 19, 2015. Exact Departure and Arrival times to be announced at a later date.

THEATRE WORKSHOP Saturday, April 11, 2015

BMHS Fine Arts Theater, 10am - 6pm Students in grades 5 - 8 will participate in workshops on acting, improvisation and theatre technology. Partic-ipants will perform in a Showcase audience of friends and family, starting at 5pm. More information and the Registration Form can be found here .

FINE ARTS NEWS

Mustang Cup Golf Tournament Friday, May 1st

Renditions Golf Course

Bishop McNamara High School will host the 30th Annual Mustang Cup Golf Tournament on Friday, May 1, 2015 at the prestigious Rendi-tions Golf Course featuring carefully crafted replicas of 18 holes that have defined the history of golf. This tour-nament is in memory of Phil Terry, a great friend and coach of BMHS.

In addition, the 3rd Annual Sip & Swing event will be held simultaneously for the non-golfer. This event is filled with lessons from Renditions Golf Pro, wine pairing lunch, seated massages and so much more.

Registration fee for either event includes giveaways, gift bags, lunch, awards dinner and everlasting memo-ries. The proceeds from both signature events will be used to provide financial assistance to deserving students.

Please consider golfing, sip & swing, or a sponsorship.

Mustang Cup Information: Registration: 7:30am; Shot gun start: 9:00am Format: Four person -BEST BALL to keep play moving Registration fee: $160 – includes giveaways, green fees, cart, lunch, award banquet, drinks & prizes.

Sip & Swing Event Registration: 9:00am Fee: $100 - includes giveaways, golf lessons, wine pairing lunch, dinner, drinks & prizes. Register on line for events www.bmhs.org

Caritas Nominations Outstanding Volunteer Service

Is there a parent that you’ve watched work tireless-ly on behalf of Bishop McNamara, putting in an extraordinary amount of volunteer time to help the school? If so, please submit a nomination (who and why they should receive an award) by Wednesday, April 8th for the Caritas Award for Outstand-ing Volunteer Service to L’oreal Edmondson at loreal.edmondson@bmhs.org or 301-735-8401 x134. Nomination forms are available from the Advancement Office or on-line.

Annual Spring Phon-a-thon “50 Years of Excellence in Education”

March 8th-11th Please consider making a pledge to support our academ-ic and co-curricular programs if you get a call from one of our wonderful volunteers!

Parent Volunteer Service Opportunities REMINDER: All Parent Service Hours for

the 2014-2015 school year MUST be completed before May 3, 2015

Volunteer Service Hours Coordinator: Alice Case Phone: 301-735-8401 x122

E-mail: alice.case@bmhs.org

Honors Breakfast for Class of 2019 and Accepted Stu-dents Day: Parent volunteers are needed. Contact Patricia Garber at patr icia.garber@bmhs.org or 301-735-8401 x113.

Class of 2019 Placement Testing: April 25th. Parent volunteers are needed. Contact Patricia Garber at 301-735-8401 x113 or patricia.garber@bmhs.org.

Service Learning Workshop: parent volunteers need-ed to mentor students in youth leadership in wellness and emergency readiness. Contact Rosemary Pezzuto at in-fo@campfireusa-patuxent.org.

Mustang Cup Golf Tournament: Volunteers needed May 1st. Please contact alice.case@bmhs.org

Mother/Son Brunch: May 3rd. Parent volunteers are

needed. For more information contact Charlene Howard Choward@achsdc.org

The following hours will count for the 2015-2016 school year

Used Uniform Sales Coordinator: We are looking for a parent volunteer to coordinate the Parents Club used uniform sales. Please contact Eva Stattel at evastattel@verizon.net.

Parents’ Club Nominations Needed for 2015-16 Officers

As BMHS celebrates its 50th year and plans for the future, this is a perfect time to get actively in-volved in the Parent’s Club by running for an of-fice. The purpose of the Bishop McNamara High School Parents' Club is to promote and extend the interest of Bishop McNamara High School by as-sisting the pursuit of its educational, cultural, spir-itual and charitable endeavors. If you would like to receive 25 volunteer hours while making a difference at your student’s school, please consider joining the Parents’ Club Execu-tive Board. Elections will be held at our April 21st meeting. —President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Sergeant at Arms. For more info: Contact Rosie Allen Herring at rahdst@gmail.com

April Calendar 1-6 Easter Recess 7 School Resumes 8 7PM Jazz Concert 11 Theatre Workshop 12 I.C.E. Night 13 7PM Music Trip Mtg 14 8:15 AM Liturgy 15-19 Music Trip 21 6:30 PM Parent Club Mtg 23-26 Sankofa 25 Class of 2019 Placement Testing

Spring Sports Practices Started February 23rd

Spring Sports: Golf, Women’s and Men’s Lacrosse, Softball, Baseball, Track and Men’s Tennis.

All students participating in a spring sport must have a current Medical Evaluation of Student Form (dated af-ter June 1, 2014), the Concussion Form and an Emer-gency Medical Authorization for Athletic Participa-tion Form on file. Questions? Call the athletic office at 301-735-8401 x103.

Winter Sports Awards Ceremony March 3rd at 6:00 p.m.

Questions? Call Tony Johnson at 301-735-8401 x103

Counselor Corner

Graduation announcements that were ordered during the Balfour representative’s visit are here – please see Mrs. Mendiola in the Coun-seling Center to pick them up.

Course Verifications: Course selection verifi-

cation sheets will be distributed to students and posted on the portal in mid-March. These sheets confirm the students’ course selections for the 2015-2016 school year. Students and parents must review them carefully; if there are any errors students should see their counselor by March 31.

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Attention Senior Parents MANDATORY MEETING

Monday, March 23rd at 6:30pm

A MANDATORY MEETING for Senior Parents will take place on Monday, March 23rd at 6:30 PM in the Fine Arts & Athletic Center Gymnasium. At this meeting information will be distributed with detailed instructions for all of the end-of-year senior activities. At least one parent representative for each member of the senior class must be present at this meeting. If you have any questions please contact the senior class moderator at laura.keller@bmhs.org

**Please mark your calendars for this very important meeting.**

Labels for Education

The Parents’ Club is collecting labels from Campbell products (soups and juices including V8), Prego, Pepperidge Farm, Swan-son Broth, and Franco-American Gravies to earn free merchandise for McNamara. Click on www.labelsforeducation.com for more information.

Please contact Sandi Hodges at 301-868-2402 with questions. Collection box is located in the main office.

Driver’s Education Class March 9th-March 20th

3:15pm – 6:30pm; Fee $350

Register at http://www.gregsdrivingschool.net

Summer Camp Registration Is now open

Reserve your spot today!

Visit www.bmhs.org to register or contact Jeff Southworth 301-735-8401 x102 for more details.

FACTS Tuition Management

If you have any questions regarding your child’s tuition account or payment terms, please contact Mrs. Gessner at Mary.Gessner@bmhs.org or 301-735-8401 x158.

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Military Appreciation Game The BMHS Varsity Baseball team will host a mili-tary appreciation game on April 11. The team will be playing Springbrooke High School at PG Sportspark. Admission is free. All military person-nel will be honored and given tickets for free con-cessions. For further questions, please contact Anthony Johnson, Athletic Director at anthony.johnson@bmhs.org

Committee Chair: Contact Charlene Howard For more Information:

Contact: choward@achsdc.org

The Parent’s Club of

Bishop McNamara High School Requests the Honor of Your Presence at its

14th Annual Mother Son Brunch

“Boy’s Passage – Man’s Journey”

Sunday, May 3, 2015

10:30am to 1:30 pm

Cost: $30.00 per ticket (until March 23, 2015)

$35.00 per ticket (March 24 to April 13, 2015)

Greenbelt Marriott 6400 Ivy Lane

Greenbelt, MD 20770-1410