Lehman Catholic High School
2400 Saint Marys Avenue
Sidney, Ohio 45365
January 31, 2012
Feast of St. John Bosco

Dear Parents:

 

I am writing this letter on the Feast Day of Saint John Bosco.  John Bosco was born in 1815 and ordained a priest in 1841.  He spent most of his time teaching and educating “at risk” youth.  He used three themes in teaching the youth – reason, religion and kindness.  He believed in teaching the whole child – body and mind (at Lehman High School we have a similar mission, teaching the whole person – body, mind and soul – for the glory to God and service to others).  St. John Bosco was inspired by St. Francis de Sales in his teaching and work.  He founded the Salesians religious order of men in 1859.  Their activities concentrated on education and mission work.  Later in 1871, he organized a group of Salesian Sisters to assist and educate girls in this same manner.  St. John Bosco died on January 31, 1888, and was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1934.

Catholic Schools Week is being celebrated January 29th thru February 5th.  Our week began on Saturday with the Foundation Banquet and the guest speaker Hall of Famer Eddie George.  On Sunday, we traveled to a couple of our partner schools (Holy Angels and St. Patrick) to set up our school display and answer questions about Lehman High School during their Pancake Breakfast/Open Houses.  On Monday the school celebrated Faculty Appreciation Day and lunch with our teachers.  On Tuesday, we had one hundred and six 6th graders from our partner schools, Holy Angels (Sidney), Holy Rosary (St. Marys), Immaculate Conception (Celina), Piqua Catholic (Piqua), St. Mary (Greenville), and St. Patrick (Troy) visit the school and join us for lunch.  On Thursday, we will have our Student Appreciation Day and the students will be provided breakfast during homeroom and will be able to wear jeans to school.  On Friday we will celebrate Catholic Schools Week with Mass at 10:00 a.m.  Mass is open to anyone in the Lehman community who would like to celebrate with us.  Catholic Schools Week will conclude on Sunday, February 5th, with our induction of new members into the National Honor Society.  This will take place in the St. Elizabeth Seton Chapel at 2:00 p.m.  We thank everyone for their continued support of Lehman Catholic High School and a Catholic Education for our students!  

Congratulations to Lehman teachers Jack Albers, Liz Maxson, Melissa Safreed, Sister Ginny Scherer, S.C., and Pam Wendel who will be acknowledged in Ohio Magazine’s 2012 Excellence in Education – Private Schools recognition program.  They will be featured in the March 2012 issue of Ohio Magazine.  We are pleased to recognize these teachers who are making a difference and contributing to the commitment of achieving Excellence in Education at Lehman!

Archbishop Schnurr spoke with Catholic high school students across the Archdiocese via videoconference on Thursday, January 26th. The Archbishop conveyed his gratitude for Catholic schools and answered student questions through a live close-circuit broadcast from Carroll High School in Dayton.  Three Lehman seniors, Dan Deafenbaugh, Colleen Kinninger and Emily Pax  participated in the teleconference.

We recently received the results of the Assessment of Catholic Religious Education (ACRE Test) Level 3, administered annually to Catholic high school seniors throughout the United States.  This year we also administered the level 2 test to our freshman so we can look at their spiritual growth over their four years at school.  Lehman Catholic seniors once again scored above the national average.  In the eight categories of Faith Knowledge, Lehman students’ scores averaged 84.7%, while the National average  was 70.8%.  The Lehman score summary by the Four Pillars of the Catechism of the Church include:  Profession of Faith (Creed) - 89% (Nat’l Ave. 76% and Parish Nat’l Ave. 66%), the Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Liturgy and Sacraments)- 88% (Nat’l Ave. 72% and Parish Nat’l Ave. 62%), Life in Christ (Morality) - 84% (Nat’l Ave. 68% and Parish Nat’l Ave. 60%), and Christian Prayer (Prayer) - 85% (Nat’l Ave. 71% and Parish Nat’l Ave. 63%).  In addition to the Faith Knowledge part of the test, there is also an Affective Statements Survey.  From relationships with others category on this survey, it was interesting to see that only 51% of our seniors say that their family prays together at home and only 55% said that they talk with their parents about serious issues.  We hope with your help, we can improve on this percentage for next year.  If you would like further information about this assessment, please contact me or Father Daniel Hess at the school.  Congratulations to the Religion Department (Henry Cordonnier and Joe Schmiesing) and Religion Department Chair Father Hess for their hard work!  

In the ACRE Level 2 Test, our freshmen students, also scored above the national average.  In the eight categories of Faith Knowledge, Lehman students’ scores averaged 79.3%, while the National average  was 73.0%.  The Lehman score summary by the Four Pillars of the Catechism of the Church include:  Profession of Faith (Creed) - 78% (Nat’l Ave. 68% and Parish Nat’l Ave. 57%), the Celebration of the Christian Mystery (Liturgy and Sacraments)- 73% (Nat’l Ave. 66% and Parish Nat’l Ave. 58%), Life in Christ (Morality) - 85% (Nat’l Ave. 78% and Parish Nat’l Ave. 68%), and Christian Prayer (Prayer) - 85% (Nat’l Ave. 79% and Parish Nat’l Ave. 69%).  In addition to the Faith Knowledge part of the test, there is also an Affective Statements Survey.  From relationships with others category on this survey, it was interesting to see that 61% of our freshmen say that their family prays together at home and 68% said that they talk with their parents about serious issues.  

Fifty-seven Lehman Catholic students and several of our parents joined School Chaplain Father Dan Hess, Pro-life guard advisor Kelly Staudt and Math Teacher Melissa Safreed as they traveled to Washington D.C. and braved the January weather to witness to the sanctity of human life by participating in the annual March for Life.  The rest of the student body joined the marchers in prayer.  

Music students participated in the Ohio Music Education Association Solo and Ensemble Adjudicated Event held at Greenville High School on January 28th.  This district event draws over 950 participants from 35 high schools.  Lehman High School had over 50 musicians participating including 5 vocal soloists, 4  piano soloists, 1 violin soloist, 6 instrumental soloists, 4 vocal ensembles, 6 woodwind ensembles, 5 brass ensembles, and 1 percussion ensemble.  From these musicians, Lehman brought home 12 superior ratings and 16 excellent ratings. We congratulate our musicians on their success!  

Lehman High School will host Troy Christian in a throwback basketball game on Friday, February 3rd.  The JV game will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Jerry DeLong Gym (The Chapel). The basketball players and coaching staff will be wearing throwback uniforms. The fans are invited to dress as they did back in the 70's and 80's. There will be music from the era being played during the game.  Players from the nineteen 70's and 80's basketball teams will be recognized at half time of the Varsity game.  For organizational purposes, individuals from those teams should register at the door when they arrive at the school. All former players are invited to attend a short reception in the cafeteria following the game.  Come out and support the past and present Cavaliers. If you have any questions, please direct them to the Lehman Athletic Department.

The first semester has ended and parent-teacher conferences have taken place.  We had  63 families pick up grade cards and speak with teachers.  If you have not picked up the grade card, you may pick it up from the front office or you may send a note with your student to pick it up.  Any grade cards not picked up by February 3rd will be sent in the mail.  Prior to the evening, the faculty had a soup dinner together.  

Opportunity Day 2 will be held on February 8th.  The purpose of this day is to expose students to opportunities for service in our communities for the second semester.  Our students will have the chance to sign up with the following organizations:    the local parishes, Holy Angels Soup Kitchen, F.I.S.H., Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Lehman’s Partner Schools Tutoring/Lunch Program and the Red Cross Blood Drive.  Service and community involvement are things that employers and colleges look for on a student’s resume, scholarship form or college resume.  

The Music Boosters are hosting Quarter Mania on February 9th in the Jerry DeLong Gym.  Doors open at 6:00 p.m.  Admission is $2.00.  See the attached flyer for more information.

Want to serenade your favorite sweetie or friend?  Send a “Singing Valentine” courtesy of The Lehman Limelighters.  See the enclosed flyer for more details.  The Limelighters are taking orders now through February 10th and will make calls Feb.13-14 to send their pre-recorded sound bite to your valentine.  $3.00 for one, $2 each for additional valentines.  Start your Valentine shopping today!

The Relay for Life Team continues to help recycle materials around the school.  They currently are recycling plastic bottles and pop cans.  Pop cans may be brought to the school the 2nd weekend of each month (February 10-12) or sent to school anytime with students.  A truck or recycle bin will be in the parking lot nearest the State Highway Garage to collect these items.  Please save your cans and help the Relay for Life Team Can Cancer.

There will be a Jeans Day for Lehman students on February 16th.  The money collected will go toward the Women’s Center in Sidney.  Students should follow the guidelines in the student handbook for jeans days if they choose to participate.

Class Registration for the 2012-13 school year will begin in February for students who are currently in the 8th grade and interested in attending Lehman Catholic High School.  Registration packets will be sent out to eighth grade students in the partner schools prior to registration week.  We will be at Piqua Catholic School (North St. Campus) on Tuesday, February 14th from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. and at Holy Angels School on Wednesday, February 15th from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Feel free to contact the high school if you do not receive your packet in the mail by February 13th.  You may make arrangements to meet with Mr. Hoying or myself if you are unable to make the times assigned by the jr. high schools.  We will also have  evening registration days on Thursday, February 16th from 5-7:00 p.m at Lehman High School and again on Monday, February 27th from 4-6:00 p.m. at Lehman.  A $100 registration fee, a copy of the student’s birth certificate and the packet of forms will be collected the day of registration.  Please pay with a check or money order, made payable to Lehman Catholic High School.  Parents are encouraged to attend the meeting with their child.  Registration for current Lehman students will take place in March, and further information and dates will be listed in next month’s (March) Parent Letter.  If you have any questions, please contact Charles Hoying in the Guidance Office at Lehman or give me a call.  

I would also remind you that tuition assistance dollars are available to help offset the financial need that families may have.  All tuition assistance is need-based, and an application must be completed before tuition assistance is granted.  The application information can be found in the registration packets.  The pot of tuition assistance dollars is not unlimited, however.  If you believe you qualify for tuition assistance, please apply and file as soon as possible.  The deadline to apply is April 30th.  Feel free to contact me or Lehman President Mike Barhorst if you have any questions about this process.

Once again this year Holy Angels students will be joining the Lehman Science Fair.  Piqua Catholic will still host their own on February 23rd.  Since there is an increase in the number of projects, Science Department Chairperson Sister Ginny Scherer is seeking extra judges for Lehman’s Annual Science Fair, which will be held on Wednesday, February 15th.  If you have expertise or you know someone with expertise in any area of science, psychology, sociology or health and can serve as a judge, please contact Sister Ginny at school (extension 204).  Judging projects is an excellent way to interact with the students and to have the opportunity to see firsthand the work they are doing in the science classrooms.  If you plan to attend the Science Fair, the exhibits will be open for public viewing after 8:00 p.m. and the results of the judging will be announced around 9:00 p.m., or as soon as the judges complete their work.  

The winter athletic tournament season begins the month of February.  The boys swimming team will start the competition with their sectional tournament at Trotwood on Friday, February 10th at 6:30 p.m.  They will be followed by the girls sectional tournament also at Trotwood on Saturday, February 11th at 3:30 p.m.

The girls basketball team will have their sectional tournament draw this Sunday.  The first round of the girls tournament will be played at Sidney High School on February 18th.  We will have more details after the tournament draw.  The boys basketball team will draw for their tournament dates and times on Sunday, February 12th.  The boys sectional basketball tournament will be played at Piqua High School with the first round game being played on February 24th or 25th.  Please refer to the athletic calendar on the Lehman website (www.lehmancatholic.com) for updated details after the drawings these next couple weeks.

Lehman will once again be hosting the OHSAA Sectional Wrestling Tournament on February 17th and 18th.  Wrestling begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday night and at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 18th with the finals taking place at 5:00 p.m. Come and cheer on our own wrestlers and show your school spirit!  If anyone wants to volunteer to work the concession stand please contact Athletic Booster members Bill Long or Rick Husa, and if anyone wants to volunteer to help during the tournament, please contact Athletic Director Richard Roll.   

Check it out!  Lehman High School has opened a spirit shop on the BSN Sports Website.  If you would like to purchase some Lehman attire for the spring, or if you are looking for baseball or softball cleats for your spring athletes, go to their website, www.bsnsports.com.  When you get to their website, you need to click My Team Shop and enter the access code for Lehman which is cavali4YP.  They accept Mastercard and Visa.  The orders need to be placed between February 18th and March 3rd.  The prices are good and Lehman will get a percentage based on the number of items sold.  If you have any questions about the spirit shop, feel free to contact me or Athletic Director Dick Roll.

The Lehman Music and Art Departments will present an Arts Gala concert on Saturday, February 25th at 7:00 p.m. in the Jerry DeLong Gym.  The ticketed event will include dinner and dessert, an art display, soloists, small ensembles, band, choirs, and the Lehman Limelighters.  More information will be sent out to music and art parents soon.

Attention senior parents!  If you have not scheduled an appointment for the formal senior photo, please do so soon.  The school asks that you consider using Underwood Photography (773-5583).  Mr. Underwood takes all the group photographs for the school at no charge. This year’s yearbook staff is planning a slightly different look for the senior section.  Each senior will have a quarter-page block to fill.  The must-have items for each student’s block are a color, formal headshot photograph and a list of school activities.  Optional items include a baby picture, message of good wishes from parents (50 words or less), a favorite quote or song title (subject to approval), nickname, college choice, and additional informal photos (maximum of 3 additional photos, subject to approval).  Start putting together items for your student’s “block.”  You should have received an envelope at Grade Card Pickup on January 26th in which to place all your items for your senior’s “block.”  If not, your senior has been given the envelope.  ALL SENIOR BLOCK ITEMS SHOULD BE TURNED IN TO MRS. SCHWELLER-SNYDER BY FEBRUARY 29th.

You can order a 2012 Cavalcade yearbook from now until April 1st by putting the money and student’s name on an envelope and turning it in at the main office.  The price is $45.00.  A limited number of 2011 yearbooks are still available at $45.  See Mrs. Schweller-Snyder to obtain one.

If anyone has a business that you would like to advertise in the 2012 Cavalcade, and has not been contacted by a student representative, please call the school or email Mrs. Schweller-Snyder at E.Snyder@lehmancatholic.com.  Business card size ads are $50.  We can accept ads until April 1.

The yearbook staff is looking for photographs.  If you have good quality photos from winter athletic events or candid photos, please send the photos to L.journalism@lehmancatholic.com or send them to school on a CD-Rom.

As noted on the 2nd quarter grade cards, we have a couple calendar and time changes for the third quarter.  The first is a delayed school start on February 28th.  Because of the Ohio Catholic Schools and North Central Accreditation process that we are going through this year, we will be starting school an hour later (9:00 a.m.) on February 28th so that our faculty and staff can meet with the External Accreditation Team that will be visiting our building on the 28th and 29th.  The second change is our Flex Day.  We will be moving our Flex Day scheduled for March 16th to March 23rd.  We are doing this so it does not conflict with the OGT Testing Week (March 12-16).  Therefore, we will be in school on March 16th but we will not be in school on March 23rd.  We apoligize for any inconvenience this may cause to your own schedules and we appreciate your understanding of these changes.

The Music Department has cast the 2012 all-school musical – Gershwin’s Crazy for You! – and 48 students will be on stage for the performances are April 19th, 20th, and 21st.  More will join us on the backstage crew.  There are lots of wonderful songs, a fun story, great parts, and a large chorus.  Playing the leading roles are Dan Davis, Emily Pax, Ethan Jock, Elaina Snyder, John Schmiesing, William Duritsch, and Natalie Davis.  We still need parent helpers for props, costumes, scenery building, and other jobs.  If you did not attend the Parent-Student meeting to sign up, contact director Libby Van Treese at 937-726-2385.

Once again this year we will be providing our students, who are attending prom, with some prom attire guidelines.  The purpose of these guidelines is to assist the student in choosing attire that will be considered modest and appropriate according to our school’s mission and the Catholic Christian values that we promote.  These values recognize the dignity and self-worth of all people.  We also want this to be a fun and memorable night for all, and we hope that these guidelines clear up any confusion on what is considered modest and appropriate.  Students are encouraged to ask Mr. Johnson or Mrs. Stauffer if they need assistance in deciding if the attire will be considered within these guidelines.  If a Lehman student or their guest comes to Prom wearing attire that is not within these guidelines they will be asked to leave and may return when properly attired.  It is the responsibility of the Lehman student to inform their guest of these guidelines as well.  This information is also provided in the school handbook (page 17).  Prom is scheduled for May 12th at Shelby Oaks in Sidney.

Girls

  1. A semi-formal or formal dress, including strapless dresses, but cannot be so low cut as to show any cleavage.
  2. Hemlines and slits in dresses or skirts must be no shorter than or extend above 2-3 inches above the knee.
  3. Students should be certain that the fit of the dress will continue to be modest and appropriate during the entire evening.
  4. There is to be no two-piece formal gowns or pants and top where the midriff or sides are showing.  
  5. The back of the dress must not dip below the midpoint of the back.
  6. There is to be no see-through, transparent, sheer or cutout portion of the dress.
  7. Girls must arrive wearing dress shoes.

 

Boys

  1. Boys are permitted to wear suits or tuxedoes with dress shirts, ties and dress shoes.
  2. No shorts, denim, athletic shoes or torn clothing will be permitted.

The junior parents are invited to attend an after-prom meeting on Monday, February 6th in the cafeteria.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m.  Please plan to attend and help in the preparation for this year’s after-prom activities.

Have you considered hosting a foreign student?  Such an experience can be very rewarding to the host family and to the foreign exchange student.  It sometimes can be an experience that lasts a lifetime.  These students are covered by insurance, have their own spending money, and pay their own tuition.  We currently have 2 foreign exchange/international students at Lehman this year.  Next school year we will have another opportunity for you to host exchange students wanting to attend Lehman.  We are currently working with an International Student Exchange Program (ASSE) to place students for the 2012-13 school year. Families hosting an exchange student for the school year and attending Lehman do receive a $2000.00 tuition discount.  If you have an interest in hosting a foreign student, please contact me at school.  If you would like to speak with one of our families hosting a student this year or last year, please let me know and I can put them in contact with you.  Our exchange students this year are from Vietnam.   

The ACT is America’s most widely accepted college entrance exam.  It assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.  The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas:  English, mathematics, reading, and science.  The Writing Test, which is optional and available for an additional fee, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.  Colleges have begun using this component to evaluate students’ writing skills in lieu of essays on college entrance applications.  Test dates for the 2011-12 academic year are February 11th, April 14th, and June 9th.  Students can register for the test, download sample questions and get updates online at www.ACTstudent.org.  Lehman Catholic’s testing code is 364-680.  Students must register for the test at least 40 days in advance.

The SAT is the other college entrance exam, and is preferred by some schools and required by colleges on both coasts.  We recommend taking both tests if students are unsure about where they will be attending college.  The SAT test dates for the 2011-12 academic year are  March 10th, May 5th, and June 2nd.  Students can register on line and get sample questions and other information at www.collegeboard.com.  Registration for this test is also at least 40 days in advance.

Below are several upcoming retreats and speakers coming to the area to present to students and adults.  All are invited to attend.  Feel free to contact Lehman or the Archdiocesan Offices if you need any further information.

Come join Damon Owens, a motivational speaker and authority on the late Pope John Paul II’s study on sexuality, for his talk on God, Sex & The Meaning of Life.  His “Teen Talk” for high school students will be on Wednesday, February 15th from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Ft. Loramie H.S., Jr. High Gym.  The cost is $5.00 at the door.  The “College Age & Adult Talk” will be on Thursday, February 16th from 7-9:30 p.m. at St. Michael Church in Ft. Loramie.  A free will donation will be received and bring your seat cushions.  For more information or to make a reservation, you can contact Kate Boeke at kateb@nflregion.org.

Join National and International Speaker, Gianna Jessen on Wednesday, March 7th from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church in Coldwater.  Through word and song, Gianna shares her miraculous journey of life from survivor of an attempted saline abortion to steadfast defender of life.  The doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the event is sponsored by Mercer Co. Right to Life and the Coldwater Cluster of Catholic Parishes.  Youth in grades 7-12 and adults are invited to attend.

Lehman students are welcome to join St. Albert the Great and the Dayton Holy Angels Parishes for a Theology of the Body Weekend Retreat at the Maria Stein Spiritual Center.  The program, Made For More is a jam packed weekend filled with praise and worship, Reconciliation, video scavenger hunt, skits, teen projects, games and much more. This weekend is dedicated to building culture of life and a civilization of love for students in grades 8-12 and is scheduled for March 9-11, 2012.  The cost is $95.00 per student and it includes meals and accommadations.  Featured presenters include Courtney Brown -Theology of the Body Education Coordinator at Ruah Woods & Kenosis Discipleship Team and Nick Cardilino - Composing Artist of the Official NCYC 2011 Theme Song.  Contact information, registration information and permission slips can be picked up in the front office at Lehman. For more details about youth and young adult ministry opportunities in and around the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, check out their websites at www.catholiccincinnati.org/youthmin (youth) and www.catholiccincinnati.org/yamin (young adults).  

The 13th Annual Life in the Spirit Seminar will be at the Spiritual Center in Maria Stein.  This event is for high school students and young adults and is scheduled for March 16th through the 18th.  The registration deadline is Friday, March 2nd.  Flyers and registration information for this seminar can be picked up in the front office at Lehman High School.

Now through March 19th, the National Catholic Youth Choir (NCYC) is accepting applications from high school youth for the June 12-27, 2012, choral camp and concert tour.  Applications are available on their website at www.CatholicYouthChoir.org.  Father Anthony Ruff, OSB, is the founding director and chaplain, the choir is conducted by Axel Theimer.

Cast Your Nets is a high energy youth rally geared toward strengthening your Catholic faith and daring you to live it boldly.  It will be held on March 25th at Sacred Heart Church in McCartyville.  The guest speaker is Courtney Brown.  The cost is $5.00 per person and includes the event, pizza and refreshments.  The event is for high school teens and young adults.

Unfortunately, inclement weather may impact the start of the school day at any time of the year.  Please get in the habit of listening to one of the local radio stations (WMVR and WPTW) in the morning.  Please do not call the school to ask if classes are delayed or cancelled, as it ties up telephone lines that may be needed for essential business (i.e., other schools attempting to contact us to let us know their plans, emergency personnel advising us of road conditions, etc.).  We are using the One Call Now Phone Notification Service and we feel that it has been working well.  This notification and voice messaging system has allowed the school to communicate with parents about school delays/cancellations and emergency information.  If you have questions, please contact me or Eileen Myers in the front office.  

As customary, the list of bingo workers is enclosed.  Please note that we only have bingo on Sundays.  The school assigns all parents to work bingo on a rotating schedule.  If your name is on the list, you need to come to the school on the date indicated, or find another set of parents to work in your place.  Bingo revenue is distributed equally to every family with students attending the school to reduce the cost of tuition (about $200.00 per student).  If you would prefer not to work bingo, simply call the school and we will add $200.00 to each of your student’s tuition bills.  If you miss your assigned date, we simply add $100.00 to each of your student’s tuition bills with the notation “social activities”.  If you have an interest in being a monthly worker, please contact Kathy McGreevy at the school (ext. 120).  

Just a reminder, we will not be in school on February 20th due to President’s Day.  We will resume on Tuesday, February 21st. 

Thank you for everything you do for our Catholic Schools!  We appreciate your prayers, time and support!  We could not do it without you!

 

Denise Stauffer

Principal

 

“Man should not consider his material possession his own, but as common to all, so as to share them without hesitation when others are in need.”                                 Saint Thomas Aquinas