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DECEMBER 8, 2015 
Visions of Christmas Tree Raffle
Children at Breakfast with Santa gather around Carondelet President Bonnie Cotter as she announces the winners of the Visions of Christmas raffle trees.  
Principal's Update

Dear Families,

After almost six months at Carondelet, I continue to be so impressed by the spirit of Carondelet and the amazing spirit of our students and families and the dedication of our faculty.

Our 26th annual Visions of Christmas events were a huge success! I had the privilege of stopping by each of the teas and participating in Friday's fashion show. Meeting so many wonderful families and alumnae was a joy. On behalf of the entire school community, I'd like to extend a sincere thank you to all of our guests, donors and volunteers.

We are moving forward with several new course offerings for next year that we are excited about. More information will be provided at the beginning of the new semester and we will have a scheduling information night for all parents in late January (date tbd). We are also in the process of creating a summer program that will include middle school offerings, advancement and enrichment courses, and sports camps.

As a reminder, finals are next week. Please encourage your daughter to study in distraction-reduced environments, take breaks, eat healthful meals and get plenty of sleep. The Christmas holiday is almost upon us and while we look forward to some time off and the opportunity to celebrate with family and friends, there is still work to be done as we close this semester.

I also want to let you know that Mrs. Pamela Seto resigned her position as Assistant Principal last week. On behalf of everyone in our Carondelet community, I want to thank her for her service to our school and wish her well in the future. Please call the main office at 925.686.5353 x100 for matters you may have reached out to Pam for in the past. We anticipate this transition to be as seamless as possible for everyone. Please stay tuned for more information about scheduling of classes and our summer offerings.

Sincerely,

Kevin Cushing
Principal

Visions of Christmas Success!
Visions of Christmas Thanks

Thank you to everyone who helped make Visions of Christmas a huge success - guests, sponsors, donors, silent & online auction participants, boutique shoppers, raffle ticket purchasers and our hundreds of volunteers!

Congratulations to our lucky raffle tree winners:

Christmas and Cabernet -- Merrie Jo Campbell
Santa's Grand Slam -- Sarah Henry Walsh '80
Nutcracker Suite -- Elizabeth Coyne Ringbom '79
A Few of Our Favorite Things -- Caroline Edwards
Tech the Halls -- Maybelline Dizon and Dr. Kevin Miller


Carondelet Ornaments Still Available
If you're looking for a fun and festive Carondelet Christmas gift, our heart ornament and 50th anniversary ornament are available in the school store for only $8. 
parent association
 Join us for a Holiday Potluck - Tonight!

Date:  Tuesday, Dec. 8

Time:  6:30 p.m. 

Location:  At the home of Parent Association President, Carolyn Rebuffel Flannery. 2171 Norris Road, Walnut Creek, CA 94596  

RSVP: to Carolyn at [email protected]

What to bring:  
A-L please bring a savory item to share
M-Z please bring a sweet item to share
Please also bring a beverage to share
holiday-garland.jpg
Free Christmas Concert - Tomorrow!


The 2015 Christmas Concert featuring the choirs and bands of Carondelet and De La Salle will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 9  at 7 p.m. in the DLS Hofmann Center.  

Admission is complimentary, so bring your friends and family and join us for an evening of festive music and fun!

"The Christmas concert is a wonderful event put on by both Carondelet and De La Salle where the instrumental and choral art programs can showcase their talent and hard work in the spirit of the holidays. It's a special event that I look forward to each year!" - Noreen Curran '16, Choir President

Carondelet Welcomes New IT Director
Elizabeth Chaponot_ PhDMs. Elizabeth Chaponot recently joined Carondelet as our new Director of Technology, Innovation and Information Services.

Most recently, Elizabeth worked for the Lyc�e Fran�ais de San Francisco as the Chief Administrative Officer. Prior to that, she spent 24 years at Lyc�e International de Los Angeles (LILA), where she taught English and computer classes at the junior and high school levels, as well as Theory of Knowledge for the International Baccalaureate program. Elizabeth was director of the secondary school before becoming head of school at LILA in 2006. She was awarded les Palmes Acad�miques in 2009.

Elizabeth is fluent in both French and English and holds a French Baccalaureat, as well as a bachelor's degree in English, a Master's in International Education and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration (minor in Applied Linguistics). Welcome, Elizabeth!

Photographer on Campus 12/9
To help build our Carondelet image library, we'll have a professional photographer on campus on Wednesday, Dec. 9. He'll be taking candid shots of student life outside of the classroom. 

Students should wear appropriate uniform attire and be aware that we may use these photos in future advertising campaigns, as well as in our magazine, website and on social media. 

Class of 2016 Financial Aid Night

Parents and Guardians of seniors are cordially invited to attend our annual Carondelet/De La Salle Financial Aid Night on Monday, Dec. 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Garaventa Center. 

Norman Caito, Director of Financial Aid at the University of San Francisco, will discuss all types of financial aid including the FAFSA and Cal Grant. Students are also welcome to attend.

Tuition Assistance
If you are interested in applying for tuition assistance for the 2016-2017 school year, please visit this link to review the process, view important dates and to access the online application. 

Please note that applications must be completed no later than Monday, Feb. 8, 2016. Late and/or incomplete applications will be reviewed at a later date.

Should you have any questions, please contact Terri Meehan at 925.686.5353 x152 or by email at [email protected].

Online Tutoring Available
From the Center of Student Success:

We wanted to share some exciting news - we have partnered with Skooli, an online tutoring service, for a two-month, no obligation trial to provide two hours of free 1-on-1 tutoring to all Carondelet students. 

Skooli provides students with top tutoring across all subjects through a secure digital classroom with video conferencing, online chat, document sharing, and an interactive whiteboard.  (Read more about the key features here.)

The two-month trial begins 12/4/15 and ends 2/15/16. Students must use their two hours of free tutoring within this time frame.

Skooli offers tutoring across 1,700 subjects, including ACT and SAT prep, throughout the year, on demand. To get your daughter started, sign up at Skooli.com and use code CARONDELET for two hours of free tutoring!
 
The first 25 students who book a session will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift card.

If you have questions or would like to bypass the formal sign-up process but still receive two hours of free tutoring, please send Ms. Simonelli an email at: [email protected]

givingJoin Us in The Season of Giving
Join us this holiday season in making things a bit brighter for families in need.  Our Advent service project began yesterday and will run through Monday, Dec. 14. 

Carondelet will be collecting items for four Bay Area non-profits. Please consider donating diapers, cereal, coffee, toys, games and sports equipment. You may send them with your daughter to be dropped off in the Inner Court. 

Your generous donations will benefit Monument Crisis Center, St. Martin de Porres Elementary School, A Friendly Manor and Running with Love.

image source:http://quotesgram.com/christmas-charity-quotes
      
Carondelet Basketball

Athletics News & Highlights

Go, Cougars!

Fall Sports Awards Night
Carondelet's Fall Sports Awards Night will be held this Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Garaventa Center. We look forward to a great night celebrating our Fall Athletes and all of their hard work. Light appetizers and desserts will be provided. See you there!

Keep up with all the action by following us on Twitter @Go_Carondelet or liking us on our Athletics Facebook page.  

Important College Info for the Class of 2016
"My daughter received an email that a college she applied to was missing some documents, such as transcripts and recommendations. What should she do?"

Our Student Success counselors have the answer to this and other important questions regarding your senior's college applications. Download their new fact sheet here.

Please also mark your calendar for our Dec. 14 financial aid night at 7 p.m. in the Garaventa Center. 

California Scholarship Federation - Fall Members
CSF
Congratulations to the 2015-2016 fall semester California Scholarship Federation (CSF) officers and members! 


Founded in 1921, CSF is the oldest and largest high school honor society in the state. The organization emphasizes high standards of scholarship and community service for California high school students.

Save-the-Date for Our Mother-Daughter Retreat
Mother Daughter Retreat Info

Young women of high school age and alumnae are invited to gather to spend special time with their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and other significant women in their lives. 

The $24 per person non-refundable fee includes the retreat, brunch, and beverage service. Follow this link to purchase your tickets.
Financial assistance is available. 

For more information or to inquire about financial assistance, please call Stacie Besagno, Personal Counselor and Director of Student Services, at 925.686.5353 x158 or Sister Joann Heinritz CSJ, Director of CSJ Spirituality and Mission, at 925.686.5353 x179

Registration for Spring Early College Credit courses now available

Registration for Spring Early College Credit courses through College of the Siskiyous is now available. Please see Mr. Cushing for enrollment information. Below is a link to more information on courses and an overview of the program.  
  • Cost-savings on future college course work
  • Guided transition to college level work
  • College scheduling flexibility
  • Learning how to navigate an online environment
  • The opportunity to make the college application more "attractive"
  • Strengthening time management skills while learning in a flexible learning environment
  • Gaining college credit for the cost of a textbook
Follow this link for more information.

PIP Hour Opportunities
Looking for a way to get involved and earn your 20 PIP hours?  Visit the Volunteer Opportunities page of the website for a list of available opportunities.  

Dec. 15-17:  Snacks for Finals.  Sign up for as many items as you'd like. Follow this link.   

If you have any questions regarding your volunteer requirements/clearance, contact our Volunteer Coordinator Angela Ricci at [email protected]

From the Business Office
Just a friendly reminder that all retuned (NSF) checks from the bank
will be added to your Smart Tuition account and a $15 NSF fee will be charged.

The Smart Tuition account will show it due on your next monthly payment.

Subscribing to Our E-Newsletter
Would you like to add another email address to our E-Newsletter distribution list? If so, you can easily do this on your own by subscribing to our newsletter through this link.

As a reminder, this will ONLY add you to our E-Newsletter distribution list, it will not update any of your information in PowerSchool. For PowerSchool updates, you will need to contact our Registrar, Joanne Missaggia, at [email protected]. 

Events & Special Schedules

Wednesday, Dec. 9Winter Concert - FREE
7:00 p.m. in the DLS Hofmann Center
Thursday, Dec. 10Fall Sports Awards Night
6:30 p.m. in the Garaventa Center
Friday, Dec. 11Mothers in Prayer
8:15 - 9:00 a.m. in the Carondelet Chapel
Monday, Dec. 14Class of 2016 Financial Aid Night
7:00 p.m. in the Garaventa Center
Tuesday, Dec. 15Finals 1, 2, 7 (Special Schedule)
Wednesday, Dec. 16Finals 5, 3, 0 (Special Schedule)
Thursday, Dec. 17Finals 6, 4 (Special Schedule)


Monday, Jan. 11Classes Resume

1133 Winton Dr.  |  Concord, CA 94518   |    P. 925.686.5353   |   F. 925.671.9429

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