| Dates to Remember | |
Tuesday, December 7
Christmas Concert
Holy Name Church
7:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 9
Faculty Meeting Schedule
School Starts at 9:00 a.m.
Progress Reports Mailed
Friday, December 10
Christmas Gift Drive Starts
Ends on Thursday, December 16
Monday, December 13
Parent & Teacher Conferences
3-6 p.m.
Friday, December 17
Lessons & Carols
Monday, December 20
Field Trip/Historic Boston
8:00-2:20
Wednesday, December 22
Start of Christmas Vacation
School Resumes on Monday, January 3
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Save the Date
The Parent Dance with
"Group Therapy"
has been rescheduled for Saturday, February 12, 2011,
from 7-Midnight in the Perry Gymnasium
Please join us for this evening of fun and friendship!
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 | | Colonel Keane and Kevin Lynch |
Semper Fidelis
by Kevin Lynch '15
This past November I had the opportunity to attend a very special event, the promotion of my Uncle Christopher Keane to Colonel of the United States Marine Corp. My family drove to Manassas, Virginia to stay at my uncle's house. This by the way is the 17th time my uncle and his family have had to move! One of the many sacrifices they have made in serving their country.
On November 1, 2010, we all went to the Marine Corp Museum in Triangle, Virginia where the promotion was held. First, we toured the museum. Then, my Uncle Christopher, at the age of 43, was promoted to Colonel by a Two-Star General! I was so proud of my uncle! After the promotion and celebration were over, I had the opportunity to interview my Uncle Christopher about his career in the Marine Corp and this is what I learned...
My Uncle Christopher attended Marquette University in Wisconsin and became a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. During his sophomore year at Marquette he observed other individuals that were going to pursue the Marine Corps as a career and that is when he decided that was the career path he wanted for his life. He graduated from BC High in 1985. He graduated from Marquette University in 1989. College was followed by The Basic School where he was trained in every aspect of Marine Corp philosophy, leadership and physical fitness for 6 months. In order to graduate from TBS he had to display marksmanship of both an M-16-A1 rifle and M-9 pistol, as well as display the physical and mental attributes of a leader. No matter what your position in the Marines, they are all required to be marksmen. Following TBS my uncle was trained at Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA. Here they test out leadership ability, physical fitness and mental capacity.
My Uncle Christopher is also a pilot specializing in flying the CH-46 which is a medium lift tandem rotor transport helicopter. The CH-46 is used by the United States Marine Corp to provide all-weather, day or night assault transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment. Assault support is its primary function, and movement of supplies and equipment is secondary. Additional tasks include combat support, search and rescue, support for forward refueling and rearming points. The first flight of the CH-46 was in August of 1962. To become a pilot my uncle had to undergo an intensive program of academics, physical fitness and initial flight training that included such events as the "Dilbert Dunker," and Marine Corp obstacle course and exams on navigation, weather systems and flying under instrument conditions. The challenges of the Dilbert Dunker are to be submerged under water, fastened to a seat belt and blindfolded and then escape from the simulated downed aircraft. Kind of scary!
It took my uncle 21 years to become a Colonel. The various ranks he had to go through to get there were 2nd Lieutenant, Lieutenant Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel. The next rank he would be in line for is Brigadier General! When I asked him what promotion to Colonel meant to him, he said, "The ability to lead Marines at a higher level and with greater influence and hopefully affect the lives of more Marines in a positive way." Currently there are 202,000 Marines and these numbers are on the way down. Out of that 20,000 are officers, and of that, 600 are Colonels. The Marine Corp is part of the Navy.
The official promotion to Colonel consists of the reading of a warrant which comes from the President of the United States and is approved by the Senate and then signed off by the Service Chief who is the Commandant of the Marine Corp. The oath of office is given to reaffirm your defense of the Constitution of the United States. At present, my Uncle Christopher is attending the Marine Corps War College. The MCWAR is a graduate-level college within the Marine Corps University, located at Quantico, Virginia. Its mission is to educate selected senior officers and civilians for decision-making across the range of military operations in a joint, interagency and multinational environment. Graduates are prepared to assume senior leadership positions of increasing complexity through the study of national military strategy, theater strategy and plans, and military support to those strategies within the context of national security policies, strategic-decision making, objectives, and resources.
It was a real privilege to be present at the promotion of my Uncle Christopher. He is a proud, but very humble man. He is a great leader who has made so many sacrifices for his country. He is married to my Aunt Cecelia and has three sons, Joseph (15), Christopher (12), and John (10). Over the course of his career he has had to deploy to some very dangerous situations and be away from his family a lot! More sacrifices demanded of him and his family.
The title of this article is called Semper Fidelis which means Always Faithful. It is the motto of the United States Marine Corps. After speaking to my Uncle Christopher and visiting the Marine Corps Museum I have a much better understanding of what it means to be a Marine and the sense of pride and loyalty toward country, fellow Marines and family that Marines have. I hope to be the man that my Uncle Christopher is one day continuing to work hard in school, be kind and helpful to those around me and those less fortunate, and always look after my family and friends. Semper Fi Uncle Chris!
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Christmas Gift Drive
This year's Christmas gift drive begins Friday, December 3. Students in grades 9-12 will be able to select a tag from a Giving Tree during the high school lunch periods (E, F, and G). In addition to having the name and gift request of a specific child in need, the tags will also have a number on the back. Students selecting a tag will be asked to give their name, homeroom number, and tag number to a Peer Minister stationed next to the tree. The gifts must be wrapped and returned with the tag the student received. All gifts from the Giving Tree are due by Friday, December 10th. All gifts must be new, and a suggested gift card amount is $20-$25. Please click here for detailed instructions on Giving Tree gifts.
Students in grades 7-8 are asked to bring in items that could be used for stocking stuffers such as gloves/mittens, small toys (Playdough, cards, silly putty etc.), small bottles of lotion, shampoo/conditioner or body wash, candy and gum. All items for stockings are due by Wednesday, December 15th.
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CM Bookstore Christmas Sale
This year's Christmas Sale will take place on Sunday, December 12, from 10am-2pm in the CM Lobby.
For those who cannot make the sale, the Bookstore will be open the week of December 13-17 from 2:20-3:30 for last minute purchases.
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Reminder, the next field trip will be on Monday, December 20th to Historic Boston. Seventh graders will be exploring church history and architecture during their visits to Trinity Church and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Eighth graders will be visiting some of the sites along the Black Heritage Trail and sites that commemorate the rich political tradition of the city.
 | | Trinity Church |
 | | Cathedral of the Holy Cross |
 | | Robert Shaw Regiment Memorial |
You can connect to us at:
  
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 | | Mrs. Eberly and Patrick O'Leary '15 |
Mrs. Eberly on the Ice?
Patrick O'Leary '15 recently sat down for an interview with Mrs. Eberly. Below is the interview:
What are your plans for the English Program?
Mrs. Eberly: I plan on having a lot of writing, revision, more creative writing, and of course, speaking. This eighth grade class is up to the challenge, so I really want to push them in a more creative way. I am trying to help them for the high school and for the real world as they become adults.
What are your plans for the speech team this year?
Mrs. Eberly: This group is perhaps the most highly motivated group. On December 5th, we have our next competition. We are only allowed to have 20 kids so right away there were 20 permission slips, 20 entry fees and 20 parents who are willing to judge. At Christmas, we will do a festival and everyone will perform in front of their colleagues. By the end of the year, I think this will be an outstanding place.
Where is the speech team going?
Mrs. Eberly: We want to increase the chance for the team to speak publically so students will be at speech parties. They will probably be at 2-3 competitions this year and there will be 2 school festivals. I hope that they choose to become lectors in their Church or give memorial addresses for their families. At this age, I want to see the kids become leaders in their communities.
Do you like the Smartboard?
Mrs. Eberly: I love the Smartboard. I am not good at it yet, but I love it because I am able to flip 17 different screens and I am able to access my website. It is wonderful and it really makes teaching easier. I have not mastered the subtleties of it, but I can show the kids what I want or go back to something I did the day before. I also love the Vocarro, which is the online speech website the students can use at home to practice their speech.
What are your plans for hockey this year?
Mrs. Eberly: I am predicting a bumper crop. I will pull 4 teams for Saturday mornings from the 7th, 8th and some 9th graders. I am looking forward to it. It will be a lot of fun. I thought it was funny when some of the seventh graders said, "You coach?" and I said, "No, I don't coach. I just organize." They were laughing to think of me on the ice. So, I got a chuckle out of that.
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Student Council Visit
the Irish Cultural Center
By Jack Stark '15
On November 19th, the Student Council and the Irish studies class took a field trip to the Irish Cultural Centre in Canton. Once a month seniors from the centre get together to celebrate Mass and have lunch. The boys from CM worshipped with the seniors at Mass and participated in the service. My fellow student council member, Timothy Weinstein, and I each did a reading. During the Mass, each one of the Irish studies students said a prayer in both Gaelic and English.
After the Mass was over, each one of the student council members sat at a table with the people of the cultural center and talked to them. The people were very outgoing and loved talking to us. Some of the seniors from the centre had relatives that had gone to Catholic Memorial. Also, many of the members of the Irish Cultural Centre were interested in what we were learning and if we liked our school. I told them that I loved my school and that it was one of the best choices I ever made.
The CM students helped serve lunch to the seniors and the students that were not serving food helped carry the senior's full plates to their tables. Once the seniors were seated with their food, the CM students had a meal of chicken fingers and French fries. After lunch, the students served coffee and tea to the group. Many of the seniors commented on how impressed they were with the way the students acted.
While everyone was enjoying coffee and tea, some of the CM students, including myself, sold raffle tickets. The prizes were donated by the seniors and each CM student was given three tickets to participate in the raffle. We had to return to school before the winners were drawn and the next day at school I was called to the office to pick up one of the prizes that I had won! It was a gift bag full of candy, mints and a beautiful hand knit scarf.
As part of our experience at Catholic Memorial and being part of the Edmund Rice Society, we help serve the community. This trip to the Irish Cultural Centre was a privilege and it was a pleasure to partake in such an event. It was rewarding to know that we helped the seniors have a spiritual and fun filled day. This learning experience helps us grow as students and mature young men. We thank Ms. Concannon and Mr. Boyle for helping us with this project.
 | | Students serving guests at the Irish Cultural Centre |
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Intramural Basketball with Mr. Carey
On November 15 and 16, fourteen middle school basketball teams competed in the 3rd Annual 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament. After many closely contested games, Team O defeated Lil' Globetrotters to claim the 7th grade championship, and Top Flight beat the Blue Rockets to earn the 8th grade title. In the ultimate championship, Top Flight defeated Team O. Denis Tobin, Sean Fontes, and Kellan Grady were the members of Team Flight, while Owen Morris, Matt Kerressey, Jimmy Stewart, and Max Pisano were the members of Team O.
Also on November 16, twenty middle school students participated in a basketball shootout. Each student had one minute to earn points by making shots from various spots on the court. Kellan Grady defeated Matt Kerressey in the finals to win the shootout.
Thank you to all the middle school students who participated in this year's tournament and shootout and a special Thank You to Mr. Carey and Mr. Murray for organizing the tournament.
 | | And the winners were...Denis Tobin, Sean Fontes, and Kellan Grady |
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The Seventh Grade Field Trip to the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall Armory, and the Fire Museum
by Jacob Schaefer '16
 | Jacob Schaefer
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Recently the 7th and 8th graders of Donahue Hall went on a field trip to explore different places in Boston which included the Boston Fire Museum, significant stops along the Freedom Trail and Faneuil Hall Market Place. The purpose of the trip was for us to learn a little bit about historical contributions that were invented or initiated, not only on American soil but also right under my very feet, in Boston, Massachusetts. With every step along the tour, my interest in the history of Boston grew.
Fist stop: the Boston Fire Museum. I didn't really know what to expect when I arrived at this museum. As a young boy I had taken a trip to a local fire station and was allowed to sit in the cabin of the fire truck. I guess I expected that this was going to be a complete waste of time. To my surprise, I learned some pretty interesting things. Through photo and artifact displays I saw the evolution of our modern firefighting system. We saw a first generation fire truck that had a water pump on board. The firemen had to actually work together to pump the water through it in order to put out the fires. I also saw medals that were given to firefighters for their bravery, old fire helmets and an early fire alarm system. This alarm system was created in the 1900's and is still used today.
Second stop: McDonald's. Just when I was contemplating a career as a Fireman, it was time for lunch. Since there's not much to say about McDonalds and we didn't actually get a history lesson on it, I decided to do a little research on my own when I returned home. Here's a brief but fun fact: McDonalds was founded in 1948 and they served 15 cent burgers. Can you believe that for only $1.00 I could've ordered 6 burgers and I would've had 10 cents left over!
Third stop: Faneuil Hall Marketplace. When we arrived we went straight to the Faneuil Hall building and went up a few flights of stairs where a man gave us a lecture about the history of the Armory in Faneuil Hall. After the lecture, we were allowed to explore some of the artifacts in the Armory. Among them I saw an encasement of swords from the early military days, a painting of George Washington standing on a boat surrounded by his men, and two sentry guns used in actual battle and believed to be the only two remaining. When we were done, we got a little fresh air and we continued on to the Freedom Trail.
Fourth stop: A spot along the Freedom Trail. An actor who played the part of Paul Revere's wife by the Old State House led us through the Freedom Trail. Here, she pointed to a spot in the middle of the street where the Boston Massacre took place. This happened in the late 1700s when British soldiers retaliated against rock and snowball throwing Americans by shooting at them with guns. After this incident, many Americans believed that the British were under orders from their captain to fire on the raging crowd to control them. In the end, there were several casualties and many injuries.
Walking towards the Boston Common we stopped along the way to one of Boston's oldest cemeteries called the Granary Burial Ground. We walked though and spotted many headstones under which many famous historical figures such as Peter Faneuil, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere were buried. After the cemetery walkthrough we continued along the Freedom Trail path and heard some brief facts about Boston.
Final stop: Boston Common. This is the beautiful common and garden where many families take their children. We didn't have much time to explore the Public Garden because our busses were waiting for us. We hopped on and journeyed back to the school. During the ride back, I reflected on the events of the day and I realized something. I was beaming with pride to be an American and more specifically a Bostonian. Boston is a place where many of our courageous forefathers lived and died for the freedom that we get to enjoy today. This trip I will remember as an unforgettable adventure.
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The Eighth Grade Field Trip to the
State House and Freedom Trail
by Kevin O'Toole '15
 | | Kevin O'Toole |
On November 12, 2010, the Catholic Memorial Middle School Program left Donahue Hall and went on a field trip into Boston. We went by bus and were divided up by homerooms. The seventh and eighth graders were split up. The bus ride felt long but we finally reached our first stop on our field trip-The State House. We sat outside for a few minutes just marveling at the outstanding architecture of the building until our tour guide was ready. While we were waiting in the nippy November weather we saw a hawk on its perch in a nearby tree. It was beautiful and it caught everybody's attention.
Finally our tour guide was ready. He was State Senator Mike Rush. Mr. Rush was a graduate of Catholic Memorial in the class of 1989 and moved on to Providence College. Mr. Rush also use to teach in the Middle School Program until he was elected to the State House of Representatives. He explained the unique history of the State House and what all the symbols on the building meant. He then brought us through many different rooms and halls that showed the history of Massachusetts. But the highlight of the trip to the State House was when Mr. Rush brought us into the House of Representatives and we all got to sit at somebody's desk and he answered any questions we had.
After the tour we then moved across the Boston Common to have lunch at McDonald's. Everybody was so hungry that they could hardly wait to get to McDonald's. We stayed there for a while until we were ready to go on the next stop on our trip, The Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is a wide variety of places that tell not only the history of Massachusetts but the history of the United States as well.
We were divided into groups by homeroom and we were ready to meet our tour guide in the Boston Common. Her name was Mary, she was dressed as if she was living back in the days when the United States was founded. Mary claimed she was born around that time. She noticed that we were from Catholic Memorial and said that she had been there a few years ago and told the kids about the Freedom Trail. Mary brought us through the Boston Common and told us the history of the Puritans and how the Boston Common was the first public park in America. After that we followed the red line to an old cemetery. There we saw the graves of many famous Americans like Paul Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, and the victims of the Boston Massacre. Then we made our way to the Old State House where we saw the beautiful architecture of the building. Mary then led us to Faneuil Hall and told us the history of it. Mary really knew her history and she was a great tour guide. All in all it was a great field trip and I really enjoyed it. It was a fun day and I hope we will be able to do it again.
Merry Christmas!
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