The Most Reverend James Massa Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn Union Catholic Boys High School Class of 1978
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UC MagazineCelebrating the Community of Union Catholic High School The Most Reverend James Massa Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn Union Catholic Boys High School Class of 1978 2015 UC Magazine CONTENTS IN EVERY ISSUE 6 Graduation A UC Student’s Commitment to Service 38 Community Corner 15 Read a travelogue written by a UC senior about her recent mission trip to Haiti. 40 Alumni Spotlights 44 Alumni Notes Journey of UC Forensics 20 The Union Catholic Forensics program has established itself as one 46 Faculty Notes of the top in the state. UC School Consultative Board 24 What is it? Who is on it? Learn how the SCB supports UC’s administration and helps chart a bright future for our school community. Planned Giving 26 Make a difference for the students of tomorrow by remembering Union Catholic in your Will today. The Most Reverend James Massa ’78 is Named 28 Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn A UC alumnus answers the call to expand his ministry. Union Catholic’s 6-16 Virtual 32 Catholic School UC delivers an answer to the question, “How do Catholic schools Please excuse our error in UC Magazine continue to thrive today, tomorrow, and beyond?” 2014. On page 28, we noted that Doug Grysko ’91 was married to Maryalice Belluscio Grysko ’94, when Union Catholic Business Networking Luncheon in fact, Greg Grysko ’94 is married to 35 Union Catholic launched its first annual UCBNL in April. Learn Maryalice. how UC is providing synergistic opportunities for business entities and not-for-profit organizations. EDITOR Kristine Mintel Esposito ‘04 Hall of Fame CONTRIBUTING EDITORS 36 Photos from UC’s 11th Hall of Fame Induction Dinner Susan Dyckman and John Rotondo ’07 DESIGN Kelly Hydock Cavallo ‘93, Black Dog Design 2 UC Magazine Message from the Director of Development & Donor Relations In June, I had the great fortune of meeting a number of UC’s California alumni. Union Catholic hosted alumni get-togethers in San Francisco and Santa Clara in conjunction with the National Catholic Education Association Blended Learning Symposium at Santa Clara University at which Noreen Andrews, assistant principal; and faculty members Marla James and Kathy Webber presented. Laughs, hugs, happy memories and funny stories filled the air. Whether they graduated in 1969, 1976 or 1989, UC alumni are grateful for the tremendous foundation they received from Union Catholic and our core values. They recognize the sacrifices their families made to give them the gift of a UC education. Upon graduating from UC, they knew they had the tools to Message from the succeed and forge a great life. Alumni Relations It was inspiring to hear why alumni feel Coordinator such strong ties to 1600 Martine Avenue Another amazing year at Union Catholic and exciting to get their enthusiastic is in the books! Each year, the goal of feedback on what’s happening at UC the Alumni Relations Office is to connect today. I look forward to helping our with more alumni. This year, we had our Alumni Relations Office keep those highest attendance rates for the Alumni connections and communications going strong; and to visiting with other Christmas Breakfast and Career Day, which is something we are very proud alumni and friends around the country as UC takes to the road once again of! We are constantly working on bringing our alumni into the fold of the in 2015-16. ever-present and constantly growing UC Community. We are accomplishing that in a variety of ways. Alumni are entitled to certain perks at events like Susan M. Dyckman the Viking Spooktacular 5K, including special registration and giveaways. Director of Development & Donor Relations We hosted a Legacy Breakfast for alumni who are also current parents. Through Pub Nights closer to home and alumni get togethers out of state, UC is working to strengthen and renew connections with as many alumni as possible. All alumni are a part of the UC Community and should feel welcome to attend any UC event, whether you attended an event last year or haven’t walked the UC halls for 30 years. I encourage you to check out the Community Corner section of this magazine (page 38) and consider joining us this year! Kristine Mintel Esposito ‘04 Alumni Relations Coordinator 3 Q & A WITH PRINCIPAL SISTER PERCYLEE HART, RSM Q. What WOW comes to mind as you look back O rganizational Capacity Objective: By the year 2022, curriculum over the past year? guides will have been written that identify student learning objectives and define the scope and sequence of the educational A. For me, the biggest WOW is Pope Francis’s appointment of alumnus program. Father James Massa, Union Catholic Boys School Class of ’78, Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn. What a role model he is for our students and alumni We welcomed the Middle States commission to UC this month for its who are discerning a vocation to serve Our Lord. On behalf of the entire UC assessment visit. Community, I congratulate Bishop Massa and ask God to abundantly bless On another front, we are responding assertively to ensure the future him and all his endeavors in his Church leadership role. vitality of Catholic education. UC’s 6-16 Virtual Catholic School initiative demonstrated measurably powerful outcomes for our pilot partner, The Academy of St. Joseph of the Palisades in West New York this past school Q. How are things at UC in this current year. We look forward to partnering with St. Augustine Elementary school year? School in Union City in addition to St. Joseph’s in 2015-16 and have A. This is one of my favorite questions! Things are awesome. Enrollment is begun conversations with Catholic university and college presidents to stronger than ever. initiate partnerships for the virtual delivery of college courses. As of 9/16/2015 total enrollment is 785. We will never be finished growing, expanding or adapting in our academic programs, faith-based initiatives, physical plant enhancements UC awarded $200,000 in scholarships to applicants for the Class of ’19. and institutional advancement initiatives. We welcomed five new faculty/staff members and a new school counselor to the UC Community. Q. It sounds like UC is looking outward. Our Athletic Program is on fire and our student athletes do not rest even when we break for the summer. In July, rising Junior Sydney McLaughlin A. We are definitely looking outward beyond our campus in Scotch Plains. won the 400 hurdles at the 9th IAFF World Youth Championships in Cali, I often reflect on a quote from Hillel the Elder that hung in my office back Colombia. in the 1970s: “If not now, when? If not you, who?” The time is now. UC is in a position to make a difference, not only in the lives of our own students, We have made some great improvements to our facility over the summer, but in the lives of students in Catholic elementary schools by providing including an access ramp to the cafeteria hallway, charging stations students with a cutting-edge learning opportunity and their schools with a in the cafeteria to meet the needs of our ever expanding virtual world, unique marketing opportunity. renovations to our School Counseling Office, and new state-of-the-art furniture in several classrooms. And, best of all, I anticipate another year of no plateaus. Q. It costs money to make that difference. A. Yes, it does. We were fortunate to receive grants that allow us to grow our program and expand our partnerships within the 6-16 Virtual Catholic Q. What do you mean by “no plateaus?” School. A. I mean that our administrators, faculty, staff and I are excited to I invite all members of the UC Community to support our Catholic school continue responding to the challenge of preparing students for success in mission by making your first donation or increasing your giving to The the real, virtual and spiritual worlds. Union Catholic Fund, Building the Future Major Gifts Initiative or Endowed Two administrators and seven faculty members received further Scholarship program. Depending upon where you are in life, UC’s Legacy training on our new Canvas learning management system in July Giving program also offers you the opportunity to sustain the UC difference at InstructureCon in Park City, UT. They, in turn, are training their going forward. colleagues on how to maximize their use of this cutting-edge learning management tool. Q. What is the strategic plan for UC moving UC established its Middle States Accreditation objectives: forward? Student Performance Objective #1: By the year 2022, Union A. We have many exciting plans and initiatives in the near future, Catholic High School students will improve their critical reading including the growth of the endowed scholarship program, the installation proficiency as evidenced by their performance on the PSAT and the of an elevator, and the completion of the athletic complex. In the future, we ACT. envision the construction of a multi-purpose central gathering space for Student Performance Objective #2: By the year 2022, Union liturgical celebrations, collaborative learning and after-school socialization. Catholic High School students will demonstrate increased knowledge of the principles of Catholic social teaching as measured by an increase in the average score for freshmen and juniors Q. Why is UC able to take a leadership role on two relevant sections of the Assessment of Children/Youth in educating students for the real, virtual and Religious Education (ACRE) test taken in 9th and 11th grades: Moral spiritual worlds? Formation and Missionary Spirit. A. Because of our extraordinary human endowment in our administrators, faculty and staff. They are all about the mission of UC and view their work here as ministry, as discipleship.