Dear Parents,

Our fourth and final quarter of the 2007-2008 school year begins on April 7.  The first three quarters have passed quickly, and I hope they have been as enjoyable and productive for you and your family as they have been for all of us here at St. Hilary School.

Although the final months of the school year are upon us, I encourage you to reinforce with your child the importance of continuing to put forth his or her best efforts.  As the weather improves and the days begin once again to grow longer, it is easy for students to become distracted.  However, we remain dedicated to the mission with which you have entrusted us – educating your child.  In order to achieve success in this mission, it is necessary that we have complete support from you, as parents, and from your child.  We appreciate your commitment to your child’s education. 

Third quarter report cards will be sent home April 10.  This is an ideal time to work with your child to set appropriate goals for the final quarter.  Many opportunities for educational growth remain in the coming weeks.  Please urge your child to make the most of this time.  Fourth quarter interim reports will be sent home May 8, with final report cards to be mailed after school ends in June.  Please make sure that your 2007-2008 tuition and fees have been paid in full prior to the end of the school year, so that we can release your child’s final report card.

I would like to remind you that if you have not yet re-registered for 2008-2009, we must receive your form and fee now in order to reserve your child’s place for next school year.  We continue to receive new student registrations for 2008-2009, as well.  You are the best and most pervasive ambassadors of our school, and we are grateful to you for referring your friends and family members to St. Hilary School.   Thank you for making a St. Hilary education a priority in your child’s life, and for spreading the good word about all that we offer here.  You have entrusted our dedicated teachers and staff members with an important responsibility that we take very seriously.

We are very proud of the accomplishments of all of our students who have recently represented St. Hilary School in science fairs, spelling bees, geography bees, and math and writing competitions.  Each week’s issue of The Connection has been filled with the names and achievements of our students, and we will continue to keep you informed about our students’ successes as they occur.  Special thanks to our faculty advisors for their dedication in helping our students prepare for these events.  We are especially proud, too, of our eighth graders who have earned scholarships to area Catholic high schools.  It is always a pleasure each year to see our oldest students successfully complete their St. Hilary education and prepare for high school.

Spring brings many rites of passage, some sacramental and some secular.  Our second graders will receive the sacrament of First Holy Communion on Saturday, May 10.  Our eighth grade students will receive the sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday, April 19.  Several other special events for our eighth graders will be their farewell mass and recognition luncheon on Wednesday, May 28, and the graduation ceremony and party on Tuesday, June 3.  Please keep our second and eighth graders in your prayers as they mark these memorable occasions, and continue to pray for all of our students, that they may learn and grow each day.

When the school year ends in June, please remember that your children’s opportunities for learning continue.  Encourage your children to read and to practice skills they have learned this year.  Their transition to the next grade level will be much smoother if they do not leave learning behind during the summer months.

Please continue to monitor the website and this space, throughout the spring and summer months, for updated messages about year-end events for this year, and opening schedule information for next year.  I look forward to continuing to work with you and your children as we come closer to the end of another successful school year and look ahead to a new one.

Dr. Nugent