From the Desk of Mr. Benji Winkelman

As we move deeper into the spring season, there is a great deal of energy and excitement throughout our school community. From the fields and courts where our spring athletes are competing with pride, to the stage where students are preparing for the upcoming Black Box production of Saint Longinus, it is a time that truly showcases the many gifts and talents of our students. With Prom just a few weeks away and only 25 school days remaining until graduation, the pace of the school year is certainly picking up.

I would be remiss not to take a moment to thank the many volunteers and organizers who made last Saturday’s Emerald Gala such a tremendous success. Events like these are a testament to the strength and generosity of our community, and we are deeply grateful for the time, energy, and support that made the evening so meaningful.

As Dean of Students, my work often centers on areas like discipline and attendance—topics that may not always be the most exciting, but are essential to the growth, accountability, and overall success of our students. Consistent attendance and responsible decision-making are foundational habits that help set our students up not only for success in the classroom, but for life beyond our halls. I appreciate the continued partnership of our families in reinforcing these expectations.

Finally, I would like to recognize an important transition in our school community. At the end of this school year, we will be saying goodbye to our Superintendent and long-time friend Mr. Shukis, as he enters retirement. Mr. Shukis has been a true model of what educational leadership should look like. He has led with integrity, consistency, and a deep commitment to students, always keeping their well-being and growth at the center of every decision. His ability to listen, to bring people together, and to navigate challenges with both clarity and compassion has set a standard that will endure well beyond his tenure. More than anything, he has shown that this role is not just about managing a system, but about building a community grounded in grace, truth and unity.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of our students and our school. The weeks ahead are full, meaningful, and worth treasuring.

Sincerely,

Benji Winkelman

From the Finance Office - FACTS Payment Plans

Marian families, if you have not already selected a FACTS payment plan, please be aware that if written documentation has not been submitted to request a specific invoicing option (Pay in Full, Semi-Annually/Semester, or Ten Month) then on April 24th, all pending agreements will be converted to ten month payment plans. This is ONLY for families who have NOT selected a plan or written to the Finance Office to express their preference. Ten-month payment plans will incur a $55 FACTS fee, Pay in Full and Semi-Annual plans incur a $25 fee.

ALL families will need to have a FACTS account as all student billing will now go through the platform (tuition statements can be found on the website as well as tax documentation for next year). Families will receive an email confirmation about their selected payment plan. If you have not expressed a preference and have not selected a payment plan yet, you may do so to: mfabian@marian.com before April 24th. Thank you!"

Fine Arts Boosters - Meeting May 12th

The Fine Arts Boosters would like to invite all parents to their next meeting, Tuesday May 12th @7:00pm in the Music Room. Those who are not able to attend in person are invited to join the meeting remotely by clicking the link below.

Meeting Link: May FAB Booster Meeting | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams

Topics of discussion at the meeting will include:

Decades Dinner Postmortem

Board Elections for Next School Year (positions listed below)

Summer Musical

New Business

The Fine Arts Booster Club’s board of directors is a highly collaborative group! While we have listed official roles and responsibilities, the group shares the load as much as possible to ensure success. We hope you will consider joining the team!

President: create meeting agendas, manage sign up genius, serve as liaison with Mr. Ossler/play director/advancement office
Secretary: take and distribute meeting minutes, make arrangements with office
Treasurer: get budget reports from business manager, submit purchase orders, order food/supplies

Social Media/Outreach: manage facebook page, coordinate with parishes, monthly newsletter

We hope to see you there!

Junior Parents - One Click Admit

We are excited to share a new opportunity for Illinois residents: the One Click College Admit program. This initiative provides a simple, stress-free way for students to receive admission offers from 10 of Illinois’ 12 public universities, giving them early college options and helping reduce the pressure of the application process. Deadline to apply is May 22.

An email with additional details and links to the One Click College Admit website was sent to junior parents on March 26. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Wochner in the Guidance Office.

April School Day 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 12:15pm at which time juniors will eat lunch and 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 to juniors (and free) to prep for the ACT. PreACT score reports indicate student answers to each test question as well as correct answers. Students can look up these questions in their 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.

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) or Mr. Fearn (afearn@marian.com, ext. 122) if you have any questions regarding the ACT.

Upcoming Calendar

Friday, April 24th - Noon Dismissal for Juniors and Seniors; No school for Freshmen and Sophomores

Friday, May 1st - Noon Dismissal for Freshmen and Sophomores; No School for Juniors and Seniors; Prom

Friday, May 15th - Seniors No School; full day all other grades

Monday, May 18th - Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors no school; Seniors Honors Day

Tuesday, May 19th - Exams periods 1, 3; 10:40 am dismissal

Wednesday, May 20th - Exams periods 4, 567, 8: noon dismissal

Thursday, May 21st - Exams periods 9, 10; 10:40 am dismissal