Summer Reading Course 921 Section List & Book Titles

Instructions for determining what book to read

Dear MSJ Students and Parents & Guardians:

The entire Mount community engages in a school-wide Summer Reading program.  The purpose of this program is to encourage reading, not just for all of its academic and learning benefits, but to help students discover that reading can be a meaningful and pleasurable activity. 

The instructions below pertain to the course 921 Summer Reading (listed as SReading) on each student’s schedule. 

1)      Determine what section number of course 921 Summer Reading in which you are enrolled by inspecting your course schedule (electronic copies initially mailed by Mr. David Norton of the Studies Office during the week of May 21^st).

2)      Click on a link below to see a list of book titles paired with section numbers to see what book you must read this summer. 

Summer Reading Course 921 Section List & Book Titles (Word version)

Summer Reading Course 921 Section List & Book Titles (PDF version)

3)      Every student and teacher at MSJ reads a book for this program during the summer, and on a day in September, students and faculty will split up into book groups to discuss what they read. This is a mandatory program, and part of a student’s official schedule.  Participatory credit is indicated on a student’s transcript upon successful completion of the program, but it is not tied to a particular academic class. 

Note:  Students have been placed into sections according to the book choices they submitted in April and early May.  In cases where a student failed to submit his choice by the deadline, that student was simply assigned a book to read.

What other MSJ summer reading requirements exist besides those for the course 921 school-wide Summer Reading program?

An incoming freshman will be contacted directly by his English teacher during the summer about the book he is reading for course 921, and additional requirements will be explained then.   Freshmen are required only to read the book indicated by the section on their schedule.

Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors have additional book(s) as summer reading requirements for their specific English classes, and these instructions have been explained elsewhere. 

If you have any questions, please email me at gmcdivitt@admin.msjnet.edu.  Thank you in advance for your support of this program.

Mr. Greg McDivitt

Summer Reading Program Coordinator

Summer School at Mount Saint Joseph is open to Catholic and non-public school students and includes a variety of Review Courses, Original Credit Courses, and Study Skills Seminars.

Review Courses are credit courses for students who have failed a course for the regular school year. These classes begin on Monday, June 18th and end on Friday, July 20th.

Original Credit Courses are credit courses that allow students to acquire new skills and information and are for one full credit. These classes begin on Monday, June 18th and end on Friday, July 27th.

Study Skills Seminars provide students with practice in the skills necessary for success in high school. Classes meet for one week and are scheduled at different times during the summer school.

For more information about specific course offerings, summer school policies, scheduling, tuition fees, and to obtain registration forms, please click on the links below.

Review and Original Credit Programs - Information & Registration Form

Study Skills and Motivational Seminars - Information & Registration Form


If you have questions, please contact Mr. Greg McDivitt, Summer School Director, at gmcdivitt@admin.msjnet.edu

Class of 2016 Make-Up Test Dates

Math Placement Make-up Date----Tuesday May 8 @ 3:30 (Please arrive on campus between 2:45-3:15)

Test will begin at 3:30PM will have 90mins to complete. (Parents pick-up 4:45-5PM)

Foreign Language Make-up Date---Tuesday May 15 @ 3PM (Please arrive on campus @ 2:45)

Test will begin at 3:00PM will have 90mins to complete. (Parents pick-up 4:30) 

January 17, 2012

Dear Parents, Students, Alumni, and Friends of the Mount, 

Over the last several months of his life, Brother James had several conversations with me about “succession planning,” or as Brother sometimes referred to it “what to do when I’m dead and gone.”  These were always frank talks, and his only goal was to do what was best for the Mount and for our students.  With Brother’s guidance the Board of Directors embarked on a path of transition that would lead to a directed search for a candidate to become our President, a candidate who could build successfully on the legacy Brother left us.  Brother wanted to be sure that we would remain true to our Xaverian and our Catholic roots.

Once the candidate was identified, the Board created a Succession Committee to help in the process of questioning the candidate.  He was then put in touch with five of our students and one alumnus from 2011.   The Board then spent an entire meeting with our candidate, assessing his candidacy.  On January 11^th, our candidate came to school, and he spent the day meeting with all of the faculty and staff, followed by meetings with some alumni and some parents.  Following those sessions, the Board met with the Succession Committee to receive final input prior to a full Board vote.  

I am happy to announce that the Board of Directors of Mount Saint Joseph has appointed George E. Andrews, Jr. as the President of Mount Saint Joseph for a three year term, beginning July 1, 2012.  George is no stranger to the Mount community, as he taught here from 1987 to 1998 in the Social Studies Department.  During that time he also served as Admissions Director and Assistant Principal, Director of Staff Formation.  For the last fourteen years George has served as the Principal of York Catholic High School in York, P.A., where, according to one alumnus of York Catholic, his “outstanding leadership was a major factor in the continuing success and viability of the school.” 

George is a graduate of the Xaverian Brothers’ school in Leonardtown, MD, St. Mary’s Ryken High School (Ryken HS at the time of his graduation).  He has maintained contact with the Brothers over the years, even serving on the Board at his alma mater when Brother James was the chair of that Board.  George and his wife, Mary Kate, have two children, Catherine, 16, and Michael, 14, both of whom attend York Catholic.  I am certain that a part of George’s heart will always be with York Catholic.   As he serves at the Mount as President and at York Catholic as a proud parent, I can assure you that he will devote every ounce of his energy to building on the legacy Brother James has left us to “take good care of the boys.”  Please join me in welcoming George back to the Mount and join me in praying for him, his family, and the community at York Catholic as he makes this transition.

Sincerely,

Barry J. Fitzpatrick
Principal

On the morning of December 3, 2011 at sunrise, around 6:55 AM, Brother James Kelly, CFX, our president, died peacefully in his home surrounded by his sister, Pat, and his Xaverian Brothers, Brother Lawrence Harvey, Brother Arthur Caliman, Brother Thomas Ryan, Brother George Donnelly, Brother Daniel Lynch, and Brother John Mahoney.  He died, as he wished to, on the feast of Saint Francis Xavier, the patron of the Congregation of the Xaverian Brothers.  The loss for his family, for the Brothers, and for Mount Saint Joseph is not measurable.  As one of our own said recently, he is one of those rare individuals that cannot be replaced, and we shall not try to do so.  What we shall try to do, with every fiber of our being, is to honor the legacy he has left us at his Mount, and we shall try to march on, as he would say, in the face of this loss.  He was my friend for over forty years, and I know him well enough to know that he would not want us to wallow in deep sadness but to resurrect in great joy at what we might accomplish if only we trust in God’s divine Providence.  That we shall do together, holding one another up, praying now TO Brother for our Mount community, for his Brothers, and for his family, especially his dear sister, Pat.

We need to call on him, as the psalm we have been praying asks, knowing he will come to us, arms full of wisdom and light, opening up our blocked paths, untangling our knots, and serving as our avenue to God.  With him we will surely find our way.

I am reminded of the words of the hymn we sang at school on Thursday, which Brother heard us sing via Skype, “You are Mine,” and I can imagine his loving Father, saying these very words to him as He welcomed Brother home:

                Do not be afraid, I am with you

                I have called you each by name

                Come and follow me

                I will bring you home

                I love you and you are Mine.

Home indeed!  May Brother rest in peace.

Peace,

Barry Fitzpatrick
Principal

The President's and Principal's Newsletters are available online monthly.

May 2012 Newsletter: PDF, Interactive Version

Newsletter Archive

Come out this Saturday at 1 p.m. to see the Mount Saint Joseph baseball team compete against Gilman in the President's Cup championship game at Camden Yards!

Admission and parking are FREE!! Fans should park in Lots B/C and enter the stadium through Home Plate Plaza (on Russell St nearest M&T Bank Stadium). The lower seating bowl is open between the bases. All of the same rules regarding what you can and can’t bring into the ballpark apply.

For those who can’t make it, the game will be broadcasting on WBAL.com and Orioles.com. The game is also available to anyone who has the WBAL app on their smart phone.

For more information, click here.

Mount Saint Joseph will conduct a basketball camp on May 4th, 5th, and 6th. The camp is for boys ages 10 through 15. The camp emphasizes fundamentals and skill development. For more information and registration information, please call Coach Pat Clatchey at 410-788-3441.

March 2012 Volume LXXX - Issue IV 

Interactive Version

Quill Archive

Dear Junior and Junior Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

This letter is to inform you of the details of this year's Junior Prom.  It will take place at Mount Saint Joseph High School on Friday, May 18, 2012, from 8:00 p.m. till midnight.

The cost for the prom is $50.00 and will be collected in the Business Office immediately after Spring Break.  Tickets will be distributed shortly thereafter.

The dress is casual to semi-formal.  Students and their dates may want to dress according to the Prom’s theme (TBA).  Faculty members will serve as chaperones. 

Pictures will also be taken and paid for that evening.  The pictures will be mailed directly home the following week.  Students will receive price lists regarding the various packages available.

A buffet dinner will be included.

Students must arrive by 9:00 p.m.  If students arrive after 9:00 p.m., they will not be allowed to enter the premises, regardless of the fact that they have paid for their ticket.

Members of the Junior Class have invested a great deal of time and effort into the coordination of this event and we hope that this information helps you in your planning for this memorable event.

Sincerely,

Jean Meyer

Junior Class Moderator

Remember:

• There is a 320 character limit, including spaces (use the character count in word count!)
• Use spell check!
• If you use a quote, please remember to include who said it
• No initials (ie, no “Shout out to HGY and JFK for all the good times!”)
• Try not to use contractions (“I will” instead of “I’ll”)

Things to think about/include:

• Who is it important to thank?
• What has your experience at St. Joe been?
• What are you looking forward to?
• Is there a quote that sums up your time/expresses something you want to say about where you are going?

If your write-up does not follow the above directions, it will be edited.  

Please type your write-up in Word and email the file to Ms. Slingluff:

sslingluff@admin.msjnet.edu

If you have any questions, see Ms. Slingluff.

The spring session of driver education is scheduled to begin on April 30th and end May 11th.  Classes are held each day after school. Cost is $395.  See Mr. McDivitt in room #209 for a registration form or click here to download. Return to Mr. McDivitt.

We need your support with this year’s senior post prom party. We want to make this a fun, safe and memorable evening for the class of 2012.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Please click for more information

Click for PDF

Cancer Awareness Week is next week! In an effort to increase awareness and to demonstrate the Mount’s ability to rally for this worthy cause, MSJ SOCKS FOR THE CURE will be sold by the school store until February 29th. MSJ SOCKS FOR THE CURE was created to show support of a Mt. St. Joseph student/lacrosse player whose mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. Socks are available in a five different color options and can be purchased by clicking here.