Friday Focus Newsletter

From the Desk of Rev. Charles Warren

I’d like to announce the end of “Catholic Guilt”.

I’ve met many young people who live constantly in self-accusation. That’s not what guilt should do, it should move us to fixing our relationships to God and to others!

We need prudence to live a good life. It’s the virtue that helps us choose the right thing at the right time. If we jump from thing to thing with no reflection or thought, we become like a kid in a candy store with a lot of money and no supervision. Prudence would say yes to candy, but not too much or you’ll get sick.

For our school, each of us is called to think and pray about what is the true good that we and our children need. We know we want our students to get good grades, but if we force them to study and never let them go play with friends…they will collapse. No prudence there. We know we want our kids to be happy, but if we let them choose only what they want and that requires no effort…they will flounder when challenged. No prudence there.

Do my actions move me to true goodness or am I just picking my preferences?

Let’s move the conversation to the Christmas season. When should we decorate for Christmas? How do we celebrate? Answer: With Prudence.

It depends on what your family needs. Advent for Catholics, which starts Nov 30th, is a time of hopefulness and prayer, but not quite full blown Christmas celebration. How should a family decide when to listen to Christmas music, or decorate the tree, or put up stockings? Well, what is prudence saying that your family needs? How can you cultivate a home that is preparing for the birth of Jesus?

Most families know to feast and party on Christmas, but Christmas also lasts until the feast day of the baptism of Jesus (January 11th this year). How will those days look different from Advent? How can we celebrate and live in Christmas joy together?

I don’t want our families to stay in guilt and compare themselves to one another. I want us to be moved to what is good for us and our loved ones! Advent is somewhat similar to Lent in that it’s a time to prepare. Prudence may tell you to do some fasting, to add some extra prayer, to give money to a good cause. Our school will be a lot more full of life and love if we invite God into all of our life decisions. Invite God into this upcoming Christmas season and let us know how it goes for your family!

Know of my prayers for you!

Fr. Warren

STOCK UP ON SPIRIT WEAR - NOVEMBER 24

Need to update your Marian spirit wear collection or looking for a Christmas gift for your favorite Hurricane? On-Target Sales will be on site at Marian during the evening conferences on Monday, November 24th. Stop by before or after your conferences to shop with On-Target Sales. Cash, check or credit card are accepted.

DRIVER EDUCATION AT MARIAN CENTRAL

We are thrilled to announce that Marian Central will be offering an after-school driver education program starting after winter break. In partnership with One Way Driving School, a private driving school based in Huntley, Illinois, we are providing students with an easy and convenient way to earn their driver’s permit and prepare for the road test required for a driver’s license.

One Way Driving School even offers the road test itself, which many families appreciate. This allows students to take what can be a stressful test in a familiar environment with instructors they already know and trust.

Program Details:

● Schedule: Classes will meet 4 days a week, from 3:00–5:00 PM, at Marian Central HS in Room 129 (Miss D’Antonio’s classroom).

Classes will be taught by Miss D’Antonio who is a certified Drivers Education Instructor.

● Eligibility: Students must be 15 years old by the last day of class. Those already 15 meet this requirement.

● Cost: $420, payable in cash or check to Miss D’Antonio on the first day of class.

Checks should be made out to One way Driving School

● Requirements: Students will complete 30 hours of classroom instruction, 6 hours of driving, and 6 hours of observation, in accordance with the Illinois Secretary of State guidelines. Full details are included in the contract accessible after registration.

All Drives will be completed at the Huntley Location

How to Register:

1. Visit onewaydrivingschool.net

2. Scroll down to Services and click “Learn More” under “30 Hour Classroom”.

3. Click “Register Now” and enter your student’s birthday to view available sessions.

4. Select the session with Marian Central Catholic High School as the location.

5. Complete the registration form and select “Pay Later”.

For additional questions, please visit the One Way Driving School website or call them at (847) 659-9670.

We are excited to offer this opportunity and look forward to helping our students take this important step toward independence and responsibility on the road!

ACT – REQUIRED FOR ALL JUNIORS

To give our students the best opportunities for college admissions and scholarships and to provide valuable data to improve instruction at Marian Central, we will be having our juniors take the ACT (paper-and-pencil format) during the school day on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The test will begin at 8:00am and end by approximately 10:30 am at which time juniors will return to their regularly scheduled classes for the remainder of the school day. The Enhanced ACT consists of 3 sections: English, Math and Reading. The students will also be taking the Writing and Science portions of the exam. Scores will be available from 2-8 weeks after testing and will be college reportable for students who wish to submit their scores to any of the colleges and/or universities that they plan to apply to senior year.

Additional information about the ACT, including free test preparation options can be found here. Also, the PreACT results from the October test can be useful (and free) to prep for the ACT. Score reports indicate student answers to each test question and correct answers. Students can look up these questions in the test booklets and see where they went wrong and what types of questions they need to work on to improve scores once they take the ACT.

If your student receives testing accommodations through a formal ISP at Marian Central, Mr. Taylor will contact you and your students to apply for accommodations on the ACT. Applications for accommodations will be submitted before we leave for winter break in December.

No registration is necessary for juniors for the April 21, 2026 school day ACT test.

Please contact Mrs. Hilton (khilton@marian.com or 815-338-4220, ext. 121) if you have any questions regarding the ACT.

SUMMER LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOPHOMORES

The sophomores received information regarding a summer leadership conference opportunity available only for sophomores through an application process. Marian Central chooses two students each year to send to The Hugh O'Brian Youth (HOBY) Leadership conference. HOBY brings sophomores from all over the state of Illinois together for a weekend in June on a college campus to gain experience with developing leadership skills. Students have the opportunity to hear motivational speakers, be involved in team building activities, and to participate in service projects. All sophomores are welcome to apply by getting an application from the Guidance Office. Marian chooses 2 sophomores to attend the conference and pays the registration fee. The application deadline is Friday, December 5. To find out more about the conference, please click this link:

HOBY State Leadership Conference

Please contact Mr. Fearn (afearn@marian.com, 815-3638-4220, ext. 122) if you have any questions regarding HOBY.

EXAM EXEMPTIONS - SEMESTER 2

Seniors

Seniors who would like to be exempt from Semester 2 exams, the process starts soon. Please review the form below to make sure you understand what you will need to accomplish regarding academics, discipline and attendance over the third and fourth quarters in order to be exempt from your second semester exams.

Senior Exam Exemption Information 2025-26

AP Classes

All students (grades 9-12) who are enrolled in, paid the fee for, and eventually take the College Board test for any AP class have the option to be exempt from taking their end of semester 2 final exam for that class. Please review the form below to make sure that you understand the guidelines.

AP Exam Exemption Information 2025-26