From the Desk of Mr. Mike Shukis

Dear Parents and Guardians,

After much reflection and with a full and grateful heart, I am writing to share with you my decision to retire at the end of this academic year. Serving this school community for the past eight years has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. This moment comes with both deep joy and a touch of sadness, as I prepare to say goodbye to a community that has meant so much to me.

It is also very important for me to state that from my very first day, I felt called – not just to lead, but to serve. What I could not have fully anticipated then was how profoundly I would fall in love with this school and how it would shape me in return. Each and every day I have been inspired by the students at Marian Central: by their kindness, their resilience, their faith, and their ability to find joy even in the smallest moments. Yes, they will always be known as my greatest teachers.

I have been equally blessed by you, their parents. Your trust in our mission, your partnership in nurturing both the minds and hearts of your children, and your quiet acts of support have made this community what it is. Catholic education will always be the strongest when school and home walk hand in hand, and I have witnessed that beautiful partnership here time and again.

Together, we have celebrated milestones and faced challenges, and I am especially proud that we have done this with faith, and we continue to grow as a community rooted in Christ’s love. Through it all, I have had the pleasure to see how powerful our shared values – compassion, service, integrity, and faith have taken root in the lives of our students. This is our legacy and one that will endure far beyond any one person.

As I step into the next chapter of my life, I do so with immense gratitude and hope. I am truly confident that this school will continue to flourish, guided by the same spirit that has made it so special. I would like everyone to know that even though I may no longer walk these halls each day, however, this community will always remain in my prayers and in my heart. I have informed the Diocese of Rockford that I will continue through the end of my contract (June 30) and if needed I will stay on until they have found a replacement.

A big thank you to my office staff, Marian’s administration team, and our outstanding faculty and staff. I would like to thank them all for allowing me the privilege of working at their school for these past eight years. I would also like to thank you for allowing me the privilege of being part of your children’s lives. It has been an honor I will carry with me always.

May God continue to bless you and your families abundantly.

With heartfelt gratitude and faith,

Mike Shukis

Head of School

Marian Central Catholic High School

Super Raffle Ticket Sales - Earned Days Off

Congratulations to our amazing students for reaching their sales goal for Super Raffle tickets and earning those well-deserved days off! Your hard work and dedication truly make a difference in continuing to move our school forward!

Friday, April 24th: Noon dismissal for Juniors and Seniors; No school for Freshmen and Sophomores

Friday, May 1st (Prom): Noon dismissal for Freshmen and Sophomores; No school for Juniors and Seniors

All School Retreat - April 16th

Our annual All School Retreat will take place on Thursday, April 16, 2026. Attendance at retreats is important for the spiritual life and growth of the students and is required for graduation.

Attire

Students are welcome to dress in comfortable, appropriate attire. Uniforms are not required.

Schedule

The retreat will begin at 9:45 am and end at 2:45 pm (Late Start Bell Schedule). Students will not attend regular classes.

Lunch

Lunch will be provided at no cost to all students and staff, and will consist of a chicken sandwich, fries, cookie and water. Please note that on the retreat day, the cafeteria will be serving only the items mentioned. Students will not be able to purchase additional items during lunch. Students are welcome to bring lunch from home if they prefer.

We are looking forward to this year's retreat. Thank you!

Class of 2026 End-of-Year Activities

As the school year draws to a close, we are finalizing plans for the celebration of your student’s high school career. The Marian Central Administration, faculty, and staff would like to congratulate the Class of 2026 for their diligence and dedication to their Catholic education.

The letter linked below contains information pertaining to the year-end schedule of events and expectations for all seniors through the remainder of the year. We look forward to celebrating our members of the Class of 2026!

Class Rings

Today, a representative from Jostens met with our sophomore students during Advisory to present information about ordering class rings. Please click the link below to learn more. Our rep will return to Marian on Wednesday, April 15th to collect orders and answer student questions during the lunch periods.

Please click here to learn more about ordering class rings.

If you have questions, please reach out to Jostens directly. Thank you.

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.

Service Hours - FINAL CALL

As we approach the end of the school year, we ask that all community service hours completed during this academic year be reported to Mrs. Diamond no later than Monday, April 13, 2026. Please send documentation or verification of service hours directly to Mrs. Diamond at jdiamond@marian.com or drop them off in Guidance so that we can ensure all hours are properly recorded.

If you have any questions about reporting service hours, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Wochner or Mrs. Diamond 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 12:15am 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

Thursday, April 16th - Late Start; 9:45 am start; All School Retreat 9:45 am - 2:40 pm

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