Friday Focus Newsletter

From the Desk of Mr. Brad Williams

I would like to start this Friday Focus by thanking everyone who attended our Back to School Night on Wednesday. It is wonderful to connect with parents directly and for them to develop a sense of the day-to-day experience of their students. It truly is appreciated, and I thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to come to the event.

This Friday marks the completion of the second full week of the school year and we are off to a great start. Our new students and faculty are settling in nicely--we are grateful to have them join our Marian Central community. It’s wonderful to see all the fresh and smiling faces! We had a beautiful all school Mass on August 15th, complete with a blessing from Bishop Malloy of our new grotto and our Queen of Peace Courtyard. Our students represented themselves with reverence and respect, making a great impression on the Bishop. Thank you to our students, staff, Fr. Warren and to Bishop Malloy for making this a special moment for our school.

On August 22nd Marian held our Fall Sports Showcase event. Great to see our teams preparing for their upcoming seasons. Our fall sports include boys golf, girls tennis, boys soccer, football, volleyball, cross country, cheerleading and poms. Please come out and support the teams and show your Hurricane spirit! Congratulations to our Athletic Department and Coaches on a great event and good luck this season—Go Canes!

Our first home football game is this Friday versus Richmond-Burton. It should be a great game! One element of home football games is student and parent service in concessions. The running of concessions is important because of the impression it makes on our community and our visitors, and students receive service credit for working concessions. Seniors and Juniors receive a 50% discount on their prom ticket (last year that dropped the price down from $120 to $60—a great deal!), and Sophomores and Freshmen receive credit toward their service hour total (target is 20 hours overall for the year). We also need parent volunteers to handle the cash payments. If you are able, please sign up to work concessions at a home football game by using the sign-up genius link below. We appreciate your support!

Sign up genius link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4FAEAA22A0FFC16-57654258-football#/

Brad Williams

Dean of Students

Football Game Tickets - Online Purchase Option

If you are attending tonight's home football game, you can avoid the ticket booth line by purchasing your tickets in advance. Click the link below to buy your tickets online.

Marian Central vs. Richmond Burton - Football - Aug 29, 2025

Notre Dame to Host Evening Program at Marian Central

The University of Notre Dame will be hosting an evening program for the McHenry County community in the Marian Central Catholic auditorium on Wednesday, September 3rd from 7:15pm - 8:30pm. This will be a great opportunity to meet a member of their admissions team, to learn more about the University of Notre Dame, and to ask any questions you might have about the university. This event is open to all Marian Central Catholic students and parents.

While registration is not required, it is recommended. To register or for more information, please visit the ND on the Road website. Hope to see many of you there!

College Visits Next Week

All juniors and seniors may attend these visits. Students must receive permission from their teachers to attend each visit and must sign up for all visits in SCOIR.

Thursday 9/4: Alma College-8th Period, St. Anthony College of Nursing-10th Period

Friday 9/5: Holy Cross College (IN)-8th Period

Grandparents' Mass - October 2nd

Mark your calendars! Grandparents play an important part in our students' lives! Marian Central Catholic High School would like to celebrate and honor grandparents for all they do and the role they play in the lives of their grandchildren. Enjoy a day dedicated to our grandparents on Thursday, October 2, 2025! Grandparents' Mass is at 10:30am, followed by light refreshments and a tour of the school.

Financial Aid Night – Monday, October 6 at 7:15 PM

Seniors and their parents are invited to attend our Financial Aid Night on Monday, October 6 at 7:15 PM in the Auditorium.

A representative from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will be present to share important information about the FAFSA, One Click Admission, and other financial aid resources available to your student.

This is a valuable opportunity to learn more about the financial aid process and get your questions answered as your student prepares for life after high school.

We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, please connect with Mr. Wochner (swochner@marian.com) in Guidance.

Summer Volunteer Hours - Due September 5th

Students who completed volunteer hours over the summer are asked to submit the Outside Service Volunteer Form. This form is available in the Guidance Office and on our website. All summer volunteer hours should be reported to Mrs. Diamond in Guidance by Friday, September 5th.

If you have never been to a Meat Raffle, you are in for a fun time! Join us for an afternoon of food, fun, and fundraising in support of the Marian Central Catholic Football Team on Saturday September 13th!

Free item for first 50 attendees! PLUS a shot at our Grill Master Giveaway - new this year!

Bring your friends, enjoy the game-day atmosphere, and help support our Hurricanes! Everyone is welcome—don’t miss out on the fun and prizes!

VIP Days - A Day as a Hurricane

VIP Days for the 2025-2026 school year are officially open Tuesday, September 2! Looking to know what it is like to be a Hurricane? Sign up now to experience a full day with our faculty, staff, and students to get the real Marian Central Catholic High School exprience!

Absence Reporting Procedures

When a student is going to be absent, the parent must report the absence by calling the school's Automated Attendant (338-4220 ext. 299 available 24 hours/day) prior to 9:30 a.m. Parents must call every day the student is absent, even when the illness continues for more than one day. At the end of each school day, each student who is unaccounted for will be marked as unexcused on school records.

Please do NOT email. We require a phone call to the attendance line.

Student Workers Needed - Cafeteria

We are looking to add two student workers to our Cafeteria Crew! Students will receive up to $1100 that will be applied to their tuition balance at the end of the year. Want to work but don't have a study hall during lunch periods? Eligible students will be considered for a course change fee waiver upon review of their application.

Parents will need to fill out an application - available for pick up in the Main Office or with Dan in the Cafeteria. The deadline for applications is today. All questions can be directed to: mfabian@marian.com

Senior Portraits - September 30th

SAVE THE DATE: Senior portraits will be taken at Marian on Tuesday, September 30th during the school day.

All seniors will be photographed individually in both dress clothes and a cap and gown, and all members of the class will pose for a group photo together at the end of the day.

Attire guidelines and a detailed schedule will be shared later.