DON BOSCO PREP “Empowering Young Men for Life”

Volume 91 November 2012

Please find in this issue:

Article Page

Director’s Message 2-3

Principal’s Letter 4-5

Assistant Principal for 6 Student Affairs

Office of Youth Ministry 7

Nurse’s Notes 8

Guidance News 9

Article Page

Mission Club 10

Chapel Concerts 11-13

Spring Musical 14

Mothers’ Guild 15

MG Fashion Show 16

Home Run Club 17

Yearbook Corner 18-21

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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT

November 2012 Dear Parents and Students, I write on the morning that electrical power has been restored to our Don Bosco Prep campus, one week following the tragic arrival of Hurricane Sandy. To my knowledge, none in our wider school community have lost their lives due to the storm. For that, we are immensely grateful. Nevertheless, some of our families have suffered damage to their homes and/or businesses, while most of us have lost electrical power and lived lives interrupted, so to speak. It will take some time for things to get back to what we consider as “normal”. All the experiences of life offer us lessons, however, and Hurricane Sandy is no exception. It has taught me the importance of several things. First, the importance of acceptance in daily living. As I go from day to day, setting my sched-ule, making plans, accomplishing tasks laid out, I can function under the illusion that my life is in my hands, conducted under my power. A hurricane makes it clear: life is a gift from God, who unfolds things according to a plan that is often not aligned with my own. I must adjust. It is best to live life with an open mind, with acceptance of life on life’s terms. Second, the importance of gratitude in daily living. So many things I can take for granted: elec-tric light, hot water, refrigerated food, the television, heat, the Internet, gasoline and more. When a hurricane removes these things, I realize they are really gifts which I too often take for granted. In fact, viewed from a global perspective, they could be considered luxuries, as much of the world’s population lacks one or more of these things. I am blessed. It is best to live life with an open heart, with an attitude of gratitude. Third, the importance of mutual support in daily living. Eleven of us Salesians live on campus here, and the hurricane and its effects necessitated that we look out for one another with great-er care. Some were in need of a flashlight. Others in need of an extra blanket as the chill set in. The elders needed assistance getting up and down the stairs, since the elevator did not function. We all needed patience and an encouraging word. We are one. It is best to live life with open hands, with a desire to help others. In the days and weeks to come, the recovery from the effects of Hurricane Sandy will go on, and life will get back to “normal” for many of us. But, please God, the importance of ac-ceptance, gratitude and mutual support will remain within us. For more than just characteristic of wise living, they are really the way of Jesus. And His way is really at the center of our school. Cordially in Don Bosco,

Father James Heuser, SDB Director/President

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents/Guardians, Well, the month of November has certainly not been kind to us thus far. I hope that the effects of Hurri-cane Sandy were minimal for you and your family and friends. I keep in my prayers all those who were so devastated by this storm and remain hopeful that lives and neighborhoods might be restored fully in good time. Let us continue to pray together as a school community, and let us continue to work together to restore what has been lost. We also begin the month of November by recalling the millions of people recognized and unrecognized as saints of the Church – those Christians who lived God’s law of love of God and love of neighbor to a heroic degree. And we also pray for those deceased who are still completing their journey back to the Father. Your deceased loved ones are remembered daily at Mass during the month of November. Due to the disruptions to the school calendar, the first quarter has been extended until Friday, November 9

th. You should be receiving your son’s first quarter report card on or about November 14

th. This is a

good time to discuss whether short-term goals are being met so that the remainder of the year will be a successful one. Don’t wait too long to contact your son’s teachers if you have concerns about his pro-gress. There have also been several other calendar changes in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The Mother’s Guild Fashion Show, originally scheduled for November 8

th, has been rescheduled for November 28

th at

The Rockleigh Country Club. Friday, November 9th, was to be the COOP exam day for 8

th graders with

no classes for our students. This exam has been postponed, so November 9th will be a full day of clas-

ses for all students. Also, the Winter Drama originally schedule for the weekend of November 30th, Dec.

1st and 2

nd has been rescheduled to the weekend of January 4

th, 5

th and 6

th. Finally, please join us for

our next chapel concert on Saturday, November 17th at 7:30 pm in St. John's Hall Chapel. The perfor-

mance will be an All-Male High School Chorus Festival, featuring some of the finest male voices from the local high schools. I want to also take this opportunity to announce that Dr. Albert DelPrincipio, Assistant Principal for Aca-demic Affairs, has moved on to a new position in a new school. It is my anticipation that this will not cause a disruption to our academic programming. If you have any questions or concerns about your son’s academic progress, these should be communicated with his department chairperson and/or his guidance counselor. I will be working closely with each of these groups to ensure uninterrupted attention to academic concerns. Of course, if you have any unique issues, these can be communicated directly with my office. A reminder to all, that online grading system is continually updated to enable students and parents to keep abreast of class assignments/ assessments and to monitor overall academic performance. Also, our dedicated teachers are available if extra help is needed. Please utilize the Prep’s resources that are established for each student to attain success in his pursuit of personal excellence.

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As we give thanks for all that we have been given, we also reach out to those in need. During these days, we will begin our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive, sponsored by our Youth Ministry Team and Student Council. Our goal this year is to collect food items, turkeys and supermarket gift cards to be de-livered to various local communities affected by the hurricane. This is a great opportunity for families to work together towards this goal. I would ask you to spend time speaking with your sons about the very real problem of poverty in our community, and our obligation to reach out to others. This year, I hope that the focus is less on the quantity of food items collected and more on the educational component of raising consciousness about the grave problems which the poor and displaced face in our community. While we look forward to the great bounty of the Thanksgiving table, there are millions looking for their next meal. Please be as generous as possible! Finally, this is the month where we give thanks for God’s many blessings upon us. Let us take time this month with family and friends to share our gifts and be grateful for all that has been given to us. Here at Don Bosco, I cannot be more grateful for the gift of the over 850 young men who walk through our doors each day. The spirit, kindness, enthusiasm and joy they bring to all of us here is immeasurable. I am thankful, also, for the contributions to our school community made by our teachers and staff, our parents and friends, all of whom go above and beyond in helping to build a true “family table” where each of our gifts are welcomed and appreciated. Know of my prayers for you this month. Thank you again for all that you do to make Don Bosco Prep the family that it is. Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving! Peace and Love, John Stanczak

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By the time you read this message, I hope that all of you have been able to return to some degree of normalcy after the storm and that those that are still struggling find re-lief in the hours or days to come. As we move forward, please keep in mind the follow-ing issues that bear repeating. Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate and the re-mainder of the school year will not present with any additional surprises:

Please remember that any challenges to an attendance record must be submitted

within ten (10) days of receipt of the quarterly report card. No appeals will be considered after that time.

Be reminded that the uniform mandates noted in the Parent/Student Handbook

have not changed. Please review pages 53-54 for additional information. As noted, all outer garments must be those that are approved and sold through the bookstore. No “hoodies” or other hooded garments may be worn at any time during the school day. The only exception to this rule is the hooded “bench-warmer” type overcoat that is sold in the bookstore.

Please take note of the “Hair” subsection in the Handbook on page 54. We have

noted a number of hair styles this year that clearly do not meet the school’s mandate. Specifically, variations of what most refer to as a “Mohawk” have been noted. Students reporting to school in violation of grooming requirements may be sent home until such time as the issue is satisfactorily resolved.

Finally, I have had a number of parents advise me that they were not aware of some of the rules that are being enforced at the school and were also not being kept in-formed of student grades or conduct issues. Please note that the majority of answers to your questions may be found in the Handbook that everyone received in the begin-ning of the year. Additionally, accessing the Bosco Backpack will give you an overview of grades and conduct information. You, of course, can always contact faculty or guid-ance counselors if you have questions or concerns. If you have questions regarding Backpack technology, please contact Mr. Dennis Patti (Ext.190) or Mr. Mark Siemon (Ext.171). Again, my best wishes to all as you and your family/friends recover from the storm and its related problems. As we rapidly approach the beginning of the Holiday Season, I would ask that you reach out to those that are less fortunate than yourself. Whether it is through efforts here at “The Prep” or elsewhere, please provide whatever assistance you might be able to offer to those in need. My best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving. Regards, Ed Nekel

FROM THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS

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From The Office of Youth Ministry

Show me your hands. Do they have scars from giving? Show me your feet. Are they wounded in

service? Show me your heart. Have you left a place for divine love? Venerable Bishop Fulton Sheen

I hope all our doing well and recovering from Hurricane Sandy. In the month of October we had

the recitation of the rosary with the various classes, and I encouraged our boys to hold on to that special

prayer throughout their lives. As the storm was passing by I was praying the rosary for the protection of

all of you.

In this month of November our main focus in the Youth Ministry office is our annual food drive. It is

going to be a late start for us, but we can definitely help our brothers and sisters who are in need, espe-

cially during this time. I encourage our community to consider bringing in food items this month. Last

year we collected about 13, 000 items, so this year we want to surpass this number. You can help in

three areas. You can donate Shop Rite or any other food store gift card and I can distribute it to some of

the families that I know can use them. You can also help by bringing in food items. And finally you can

bring in a turkey on November 17th, which will be a turkey drop off day in front of my office in Immacula-

ta Hall beginning at 9 am to 3pm. Last year we collected about 120 birds.

I finally want to mention about the Mother and Son Retreat which was held in October. We had

about 40 mothers and 40 sons, and it was a great day. I was impressed by the reflections that were

made both by the moms and sons. One of the boys said that “we need to remember that mom does not

only have to worry about us, but she has a lot of other things to worry about, so we need to help her in

any way we can”. Many mothers have asked me to do another one in the Spring for those mothers that

could not attend. I will consider running another retreat in the spring and I will keep you all posted.

This is a reminder that this month there will be sophomore and junior retreats. One junior and

two sophomore retreats will be rescheduled due to the closing of school. Please look at the school cal-

endar for actual dates.

God bless you,

Fr. Manny

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Influenza Season

Seasonal flu is a contagious respiratory illness called by the flu virus. It spreads be-tween people via droplets containing germs i.e. when a person coughs, sneezes or talks. It can cause mild to severe illness. When is flu season? Influenza type illness typically begins to increase in late December or Early January and peaks in February. Last season set a new record for lowest and shortest peak for influenza like illness since CDC surveillance began. What sort of flu season are we expecting this year? The timing is very unpredictable and can vary from year to year. It is also not possible to predict how mild or severe the upcoming season will be. Who is at risk? Young children, pregnant, age 65 and older, people with chronic health conditions What are common complications of influenza? Complications can include bacterial pneumonia, ear or sinus infections, dehydration or worsening of chronic health conditions How can you protect yourself? Get the flu vaccine as soon as possible. The 2012-2013 vaccine is now available. Fol-low good health guidelines including good hand washing, good nutrition and hydration, rest.

Wishing you a healthy November, B Cena RN

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GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT

MEMO FOR SENIORS

FRESHMEN

CLASS OF 2016

The MANDATORY GUIDANCE NIGHT for freshmen will

be rescheduled.

BOTH PARENT(S) AND STUDENT ARE EXPECTED TO

ATTEND

TRANSCRIPT RELEASE FORMS

TRANSCRIPTS WILL NOT BE RELEASED TO ANY COACHES, COLLEGES, SUM-

MER PROGRAMS AND/OR SCHOLARSHIPS UNLESS THIS SIGNED FORM IS RE-

TURNED TO THE GUIDANCE OFFICE. If you have not handed in a “Transcript Re-

lease Form,” please do so.

******IMPORTANT DEADLINES******

The Naviance website has a listing of all SAT and ACT deadlines for this school year.

You are particularly reminded that:

November 1 – Applications with a January 1 or January 15th deadlines must be

submitted to the Guidance Office by this date to insure your

applications will be processed in a timely manner to meet the

deadlines set by colleges

Registration deadline for December 1st SAT/SAT Subject Tests

November 2 – Registration for December 8th ACT

November 16 – Late registration deadline for December 8th ACT

Late registration deadline for December 1st SAT/SAT Subject Tests

PLEASE NOTE: The Naviance website has a listing of colleges and universities visiting

Don Bosco in the afternoon. While all students are free to visit with these representatives,

senior students are especially encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity!

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DON BOSCO PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL

REV. JAMES HEUSER, SDB TONI BILOTTI CECERE

Director/President Concert Director

Please join us for Season 2012-2013

Chapel Concerts

Saturday, November 17, 2012 at 7:30PM ALL-MALE CHORAL FESTIVAL NEWARK BOYS CHORUS, NJ YOUTH CHORUS, DELBARTON, Tickets: $18 General Admission SETON HALL PREP, BERGEN CATHOLIC, and DBP CHORUSES

Friday, December 14, 2012 at 7:30PM PATRICIA LAZZARA, Flutist Take a break from the frenzy of the Christmas Season by listening KRISTY CHMURA, Harpist to celestial music on flute and harp!!! Tickets: $15 General Admission

Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 7:30PM COLLEGIATE A CAPPELLA Snow Date: Saturday, February 15 CONCERT Collegiate a cappella groups delight! Tickets: $15 General Admission

Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 7:30PM YOUNG ARTISTS’ Finalists of the statewide high school scholarship competition perform SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS and a $1,000 scholarship is awarded to one winner. Tickets: $15 General Admission

************************************************************************************************************************

ORDER TICKETS BY RETURNING THE FORM BELOW "*****************************************************************************************

CONCERT SERIES TICKET ORDER FORM (Return Immediately - Seating is limited) Name _____________________________________________ Address____________________________________________ Subscribe to complete series and SAVE! City/State/Zip_______________________________________ _____Subscriptions to all four concerts @ $60 $______

Phone Number______________________________________ Individual Tickets

Email address_______________________________________ Concert Name Ticket Price # of Tix TOTAL

_______ _____ ___ ____

No tickets today but add me to your mailing list.________________ _______ _____ ___ _____ __________ _______ _____ _______ Donation to Chapel Concerts Enclosed $_____________________ __________ _______ _____ _______ TOTAL ENCL $_______ How did you hear about this concert series ? ___________________________________________________

Please make checks payable to Don Bosco Prep Chapel Concerts. Return completed form to: Toni Bilotti Cecere, Don Bosco Prep, 492 N. Franklin Tnpk., Ramsey, NJ 07446

For more information www.donboscoprep.com click on Arts/Chapel Concert Series OR

CALL (201) 327-8003 x188

All programs subject to change. Tickets are non-refundable.

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DON BOSCO PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL 492 North Franklin Turnpike Ramsey, New Jersey (201) 327-8003 www.donboscoprep.com

REV. JAMES HEUSER, SDB TONI BILOTTI CECERE

Director/President Concert Director

Chapel Concerts presents

ALL-MALE CHOIR FESTIVAL

NEWARK BOYS CHORUS Donald Morris, Director

YOUNG MEN’S ENSEMBLE, NEW JERSEY YOUTH CHORUS William Baker, Director

SCHOLA CANTORUM, DELBARTON SCHOOL David Blazier, Director

BERGEN CATHOLIC MEN’S ENSEMBLE Barbara Peraino, Director

SETON HALL PREP C TONIANS Theresa Neglia, Director

DON BOSCO PREP CHORUS Toni Bilotti Cecere, Director

Saturday, November 17 at 7:30PM

Concert will be held in Mary Help of Christians Chapel, St. John’s Hall

For more information www.donboscoprep.com click on Arts/Chapel Concert Series OR

CALL (201) 327-8003 x 188

Tickets $18 General Admission All programs subject to change. Tickets are non-refundable.

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DON BOSCO PREPARATORY HIGH SCHOOL 492 North Franklin Turnpike Ramsey, New Jersey (201) 327-8003 www.donboscoprep.com

REV. JAMES HEUSER, SDB TONI BILOTTI CECERE

Director/President Concert Director

Chapel Concerts presents

PATRICIA LAZZARA, Flutist KRISTY CHMURA, Harpist

Friday, December 14th, 2012 at 7:30PM

Concert will be held in Mary Help of Christians Chapel, St. John’s Hall

ORDER TICKETS: Return this order to address below.

************************************************************************************** December 14th TICKET ORDER FORM (Return Immediately - Seating is limited)

Name _____________________________________________ Email address_______________________________________ Address____________________________________________ No. of tickets ___________ x $15 = ______________________ City/State/Zip_______________________________________ No tickets today but add me to your mailing list.________________

Phone Number______________________________________ Donation to Chapel Concerts Enclosed $________________

How did you hear about this concert?_____________________________________________________________

Please make checks payable to Don Bosco Prep Chapel Concerts. Return completed form to:

Toni Bilotti Cecere, Don Bosco Prep, 492 N. Franklin Tnpk., Ramsey, NJ 07446

For more information www.donboscoprep.com click on Arts/Chapel Concert Series OR

CALL (201) 327-8003 x 188

Tickets $15 General Admission All programs subject to change. Tickets are non-refundable.

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Dear Bosco Moms, It is hard to believe that we are heading into November and leaving our busy, back to school season behind us. We are now looking forward to some fall fun and holiday preparation. Thanksgiving is such a lovely holiday and we at the Mothers’ Guild are ex-tremely thankful not only for our families and friends, but also for our wonderful Don Bosco moms who give so freely and generously of their time and talents on behalf of their sons. We wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving and hope that you all enjoy the well-deserved break. Looking back, all of our October events went off without a hitch! Thank you to all of the women who supported our Lord & Taylor Day and Yankee Candle Sale, Liz Barnet and Jackie Peticca for chairing the Teacher Appreciation dinner, the wonderful team of wom-en who came to welcome potential new students and families at the Open House, Kathy Mack for chairing the National Honor Society Induction and Liz Barnet and team for their work on the Senior Breakfast. Thank you, too, to all of the moms who baked delicious treats for our faculty and staff earlier this month. The response was overwhelming and the teachers were thrilled and grateful for the delicious desserts! Looking forward, we are excited for our upcoming Fashion Show at The Rockleigh Country Club. We wish Gina Stanziale, Liz Barnet, Tina McNichol, Nancy Slaff and their hard-working committees the best of luck as their show comes to fruition on November 28

th. We are looking forward to a wonderful, prosperous and glamorous evening for the

Mothers’ Guild and its guests. Our next meeting is November 12

th, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria. We are

asking our moms to donate bags of candy for the Children’s Christmas Party. Please avoid bringing anything with nuts and no Halloween-themed candy. Those who donate candy will have the chance to win a fabulous prize. As always, we hope you will join us! Best, Kathleen Martorano and Theresa Ruoff, Co-Presidents

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IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:

SENIOR ADS DUE 11/15

Senior Quotes/Activities due 11/20 After Hours submission due 11/20

Attention Senior, Junior, Sophomore parents: If your son has not yet picked up his 2012 Yearbook

(due to his being absent on distribution day), please remind him to see Ms. Fecht, 2

nd floor St. Johns, for his copy.

Do YOU have any school event pictures you would like to submit to the Yearbook staff? If so, please refer to page 20 for instructions on how you can share your pictures with us by using eShare, a utili-

ty that is available through our publisher, Herff Jones.

Senior Quotes/Activites – deadline November 20, 2012 In September, your son received an email (through the Bosco email system) that links him to the online form regarding his Senior Quote/Activities. Please refer to page 19 for complete instructions.

“After Hours” Articles – deadline November 20, 2012 As you may be aware, there is a section in the Yearbook named “After Hours.” This section is dedicated to events and happenings by students and faculty “after school hours.” Did your son do something special over the summer? Will your son be doing something special this school year? Will he be earning an award soon (i.e. Eagle Scout)? Did he do some special volunteer work? If so, the Bosconian staff would like to hear from you. Please contact Ms. Fecht, Yearbook Advis-er, or email an article (with pictures) to yearbook@donboscoprep.org by November 20, 2012.

Yearbook

Corner

Senior Ads deadline November 15, 2012

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Senior Ads – deadline November 15, 2012 Only ½ page ads will be accepted. Dimensions are Length (5 ½”) X Width (8 ½”). The ad section of the Yearbook will be in color, so please submit a color ad. Price for ad is $200. Your submitted ad must be camera ready. A camera ready ad is one where a) you cut-out and paste the pictures and text on a piece of paper and then submit the completed ad or b) you create the ad using a software package of your choice and you print it out and submit it. Your ad will be published just the way you submit it. The Yearbook staff will not alter anything. The Yearbook staff will not print out any ads, so please do not electronically send us the ad. Please do not submit loose photos and text – they will not be accepted and will be returned to you. Please make sure the student’s full name is on the ad. Ads must be submitted with a completed Senior Ad Form (below). A copy of this form will also be available online in September.

Don Bosco Yearbook Senior Ads: 2012-2013

Parent/Guardian Name ____________________________________________

Phone number ____________________________________________

E-mail address ____________________________________________

Student Name ____________________________________________

Make checks payable to Don Bosco Prep.

Each ½ page ad is $200.

All ads and full payments are due by November 15, 2012.

Please PROOFREAD your ads. Please check that all spelling/grammar is correct.

We cannot correct any errors.

Payment along with this form and the camera-ready ad must be

given to Ms. Fecht (2nd floor St. Johns) directly by the senior

student.

Valuable family photos can be reclaimed at the end of the school year, usually at the Senior Dinner.

Reminder: Please make sure your son’s full name appears somewhere in the ad !

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Do Senior Quotes Online!!!

In order for your senior quote/activities to be included in the year-book please follow these directions:

Go to your Don Bosco Prep Look for the email with the subject line “Senior Quote/

Activity Form” Open the email and click on the designated link. This will

bring you to the online form. Fill out the Senior Quote/Activity Form completely and to the

best of your knowledge - don’t just make things up. Also, make sure all your spelling is correct - especially any name that is referenced.

Please follow the format that is shown (i.e. commas, hy-

phens, spaces, etc.)

Hit the “Submit” button when you’re finished and that’s it! To make changes/corrections at a later date, please open the

BMail that confirms/shows you the information you sent. The email will have a link that says “edit my response”.

Click on it and it will bring you back to your original form. Make your changes and SUBMIT again.

Quotes are due by November 20, 2012 If you have any questions see:

Isacc Abraham Brian Cho Ms. Fecht

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Fall Photos:

Nov 30

3038012