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November Parent Bulletin

11 November Parent Bulletin
11November ParentBulletin

Hope your holiday is filled

with traditions that uplift you, prayers that inspire you and your family and friends who love and appreciate you.

Wishing you God’s blessings, at Thanksgiving and always.

Parent Association News Parent Association News

Parent Association Events

Preston's Annual Father Daughter Dance was held on Thursday November 6th at Marina del Rey. We welcomed 100 students along with their fathers, brothers, grandfathers and uncles who shared in an evening of fun and dancing. As per tradition, one senior in attendance is randomly chosen to become the Princess of the evening and her escort the King and this year it was Casey Purvis and her father Charles Purvis. Thank you to Jason D'Oro Enterprises for the entertainment, Irvin Simon Photographers for the portraits, LionChaser Media for the videography and Flowers by Wild Orchid for the flowers. If you attended, check your email in the next week for information on how to order portraits.


Parent Association Meeting

The November Parent Association meeting will be held on Tuesday November 18th at 6:30pm via Zoom. In addition to the administration team, Dario Anaya will be joining us to discuss his app for mentoring during the college application process. Use this link to join the meeting on Tuesday Nov. 18th at 6:30pm: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/81399375182?pwd=WHR0L1NRZjJyZDVSQmVQTFNsdXByQT09


GIVING TUESDAY is a national day of giving that encourages individuals to give back to organizations close to their heart. Preston's campaign theme for 2025 is "Rooted. Resilient. Rising." Join our efforts on Tuesday, December 2nd as we raise funds to support the fund for Preston High School and continue our mission. There are several ways to participate and show your support: tell your family and friends, share on your social media, mail in a check, or click here to donate.

October Students of the Month

Congratulations to our October Students of the Month! Devyn Berroa (9), Scarlett Pierna (10), Ciara Calderon (11), and Rayana Ruiz (12) earned the highest number of merits in their grade level this month.
Merits are awarded by teachers and staff for exceptional service, kindness, and leadership—and these Panthers truly stood out! Each honoree received a lunch line skip card and a special pin to celebrate their achievement.

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Congratulations to

Senior Rayana Ruiz
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Congratulations to

Freshman Devyn Berroa

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Congratulations to

Sophomore Scarlett Pierna

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Congratulations to

Junior Ciara Calderon

Recent Events Recent Events

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Earth Science Showcase- Rate of Change | Cooling Curve of Coconut Oil

Our students recently completed a hands-on lab exploring how substances change state. Using coconut oil placed in an ice bath, students measured temperature changes over time and observed the oil transition from a liquid to a solid. This created a cooling curve — a graph that shows how temperature decreases and levels off at the freezing point.

Students practiced:

  • Collecting and organizing data over time

  • Graphing with proper labels and spacing

  • Calculating Rate of Change using the formula:
    Rate of Change = (Change in Temperature) ÷ (Time)

Many were surprised by how solid coconut oil becomes when cooled! They compared the rate of temperature change during the cooling period and the plateau where the temperature stabilized.

Student Reactions:

  • “The solid coconut oil is stuck in the test tube!”

  • “The rate of change for the plateau is zero!”

  • “The line slopes downward, so the rate of change is negative!”

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Wonder Girls

The Preston chapter of Wonder Girls joined other Wonder Girls from all over New York and New Jersey for their annual Wellness Day at Rockland Community College. They embarked on a "passport to wellness," where they attended mini workshops that focused on fitness, mental health, skincare, nutrition, and stress management. Our very own Cielo John and Jazlene Perez were some of the day's raffle winners!

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Dia de los Muertos

Spanish Club's Ofrenda: Each year the Spanish Club offers an Ofrenda for El día de los Muertos which is celebrated in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries to honor the dead. Day of the dead is from November 1 to November 2 where relatives place pictures of their relatives on their ofrenda altar with marigolds, water, food, calaveras decoradas (decorated skulls), papel picado (cut up designed paper) and candles. This is an honorary tradition to keep our loved ones who have passed away alive. In Mexico relatives tell stories about their loved ones which can last all night until the morning.

Sports Update Sports Update

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Soccer

Our Varsity Soccer team celebrated their Senior game with an exciting 1–0 victory over Fontbonne! Each senior was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in appreciation of their dedication and commitment to the team and the sport.

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Varsity Volleyball

Our Varsity Volleyball team wrapped up an incredible season, finishing 2nd in our division, winning their semi-finals and earning their place in the championship match. They played with heart, determination, and true Preston spirit—pushing the finals to an exciting fifth game and leaving everything on the court. While they came up just short of the title, their effort, teamwork, and resilience are something to be proud of.

Congratulations to our varsity volleyball team on a truly memorable season!

From the Counseling Department From the Counseling Department

To Senior Parents and Guardians

All seniors with a January application deadline or who want materials sent to schools before Christmas break should submit their Counselor Review Forms by Monday, December 1st. Once your student has applied to college, please encourage them to check their email accounts for directions from individual schools to create online portal accounts and to check their application and financial aid status.

We hope that all seniors were able to take advantage of the amazing opportunities from SUNY schools to waive their application fees at the end of October. This month, CUNY schools will have a similar opportunity starting November 10th up until November 21st. Students who choose not to participate during free application weeks are still eligible to apply to these institutions by their application deadlines, but will now have to pay. The CUNY application is $65 for 6 campuses, and each SUNY campus application is $50. Our experience from previous years has shown that the CUNY application system has become backlogged, causing a delay in students receiving their decision letters until March and even April due to processing delays.


Macaulay Honors College Applicants: Please note that the official and firm deadline to submit your application is Monday, November 17th at 6:00 PM. No extensions will be granted. To ensure your materials are submitted on time, all students must complete and submit their application by Sunday, November 16th. This will allow counselors to upload your transcript, along with your CUNYfirst ID, on Monday to guarantee that your application meets the deadline. Letters of recommendation are due separately by Thursday, November 28th at 6:00 PM.


Please remember that the FAFSA® Application | Federal Student Aid and CSS Profile opened on October 1st. Please complete the FAFSA ASAP! We have reminded seniors to please check the colleges’ websites for their individual, and often strict, priority filing deadline for the CSS profile (only certain private schools accept the CSS profile). Links for these websites and other financial aid resources can be found on the Senior Counseling Google Classroom. For a list of colleges that accept the CSS profile, please visit CSS Profile.


A reminder that if your student has not already done so, please encourage them to take advantage of our upcoming instant decision days. Students can sign up by completing the form on the counseling Google Classroom. Please see the dates listed below for the participating colleges/universities:

  • Mercy University- November 7th
  • Pace University- November 12th
  • Dominican University- November 13th
  • St. John’s University- November 18th
  • Iona University- November 20th
  • University of Mount Saint Vincent- November 25th


We have already hosted instant decision days at Mercy University, Pace University, and Dominican University. Please note that students who participate in instant decision days can receive scholarships that are only merit-based. To receive other aid, they must complete the FAFSA and TAP, and should still be reviewing the scholarship opportunities document located on Google Classroom and college websites for college-specific scholarships.


To Junior and Senior Parents/Guardians:

Please review the accompanying SAT Fee Waiver Eligibility link to see if your student may be eligible for fee waivers when they register to take the SAT, AP exams, dual credit courses, college applications, etc. If you fit the eligibility criteria, you must submit one of the following documents to Mrs. Murphy for approval:

*Snap letter

*Confirmation of the Student’s SSI letter

*First two pages of your most recently filed 2024 IRS 1040 tax forms

Once Mrs. Murphy verifies your eligibility, your student’s counselor can then provide a fee waiver code or signature as needed when students register to apply for various tests and programs. Students need the fee waiver code BEFORE they register for their SAT through their College Board accounts.


To Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior Parents/Guardians:

Students who took the October 2025 PSAT can now view their scores through their personal College Board accounts. During upcoming classroom counseling sessions, counselors will ensure that students are able to access their scores and will provide guidance on how to use the Bluebook app for PSAT and SAT test preparation.

Juniors will also receive instructions on how to register for the SAT if they have not already done so.

To help families better understand the PSAT score report, please visit the following link:

Sophomores and Juniors

Your PSAT/NMSQT Score Explained - SAT Suite

Understanding Your Digital PSAT/NMSQT Scores

Freshmen Understanding your PSAT 8/9 scores

Upcoming Calendar Dates Upcoming Calendar Dates

  • 11/21 - Compassion Connection Food Drive Ends
  • 11/25 - No Homework will be assigned to ensure families enjoy their Thanksgiving holiday
  • 11/26 - No Homework will be assigned to ensure families enjoy their Thanksgiving holiday Noon dismissal.
  • 11/27 - 11/28 - Thanksgiving Holiday -Enjoy
  • 11/30 - First Sunday in Advent
  • 12/1 - Classes Resume - No Homework Due - Senior Mindfulness HR
  • 12/2 - National Giving Tuesday - $2 Giving Tuesday Dress Down - No Homework due
  • 12/3 - Junior Mindfulness HR
  • 12/5 - Freshman Christmas Breakfast - Jr. Mindfulness HR
  • 12/7 - Second Sunday in Advent
  • 12/8- Feast of the Immaculate Conception Liturgy
  • 12/09 - 2nd Quarter Interim Grades Report available at 5:00pm /PA meeting 6:30pm
  • 12/10 - Sophomore Mindfulness HR
  • 12/11 - Senior Class Luncheon at the Marina del Rey, Noon- 4pm
  • 12/12 - Faculty Conference Day - No School for students
  • 12/13 - Scholarship Exam for incoming Freshman, 8:30am / SO/JR Social, 7pm- 10pm
  • 12/14 - Third Sunday in Advent
  • 12/15- Freshmen Mindfulness HR
  • 12/17 - Advent Liturgy & NHS Senior Induction Ceremony - Caribbean Christmas, 3pm-5pm
  • 12/19 - Christmas theme free dress up / Noon Dismissal
  • 12/22 - 01/02 - Christmas & New Years Holiday break
  • 01/05 - Classes Resume
  • 01/06 - Feast of the Epiphany Prayer Service
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Contact Info

Preston High School

Principal: Ms. Jennifer Connolly

Asst. Principal: Mrs. Kelly Keane and Mr. Edgar Martinez

Main Office: Mrs. Casario and Mrs. Murphy

Email: amurphy@prestonhs.org
Website: www.Prestonhs.org
Location: 2780 Schurz Ave, Bronx, NY 10465 USA
Phone: (718) 863-9134

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrestonHS/

Twitter: @prestonpanthers

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Senior Retreat at Silver Beach

On October 17, the Class of 2025 gathered at Silver Beach for a day of reflection, connection, and spiritual growth. The retreat began with a special candle-lighting prayer, with each candle representing a faculty or staff member, offered in gratitude and support for their ongoing mission to do God’s work. Seniors then created personalized “time capsules” containing letters to their future selves and heartfelt notes from their peers—sealed until 2030. It was a beautiful day of community, faith, and looking ahead with hope.

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Confession and Adoration

As part of our continued commitment to spiritual formation, students and staff have the opportunity twice a month to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, thanks to the faithful ministry of Father Sandro from St. Frances de Chantal. Many students have expressed how noisy and fast-paced the world has become, making quiet time in Eucharistic Adoration especially meaningful. These moments of stillness before the Blessed Sacrament allow students to reflect, recharge, and truly listen for the voice of God in their lives.

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Sophomore Retreat

On October 28, the Class of 2028 gathered for their Sophomore Retreat. The day was filled with activities where students bonded as a classes, strengthened their friendships, and celebrated that they could spend another year together at Preston. The theme of the retreat was “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.” The sophomore reflected on the fact that they were created by a loving God who made them the way they are on purpose, for a purpose!

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