From the desk of Mr. McLaughlin:

I have traditionally written a monthly Principal’s Newsletter containing school happenings, accomplishments, and events. Then on March 12, 2020, our world changed course, school closed, remote learning began, we lived in quarantine, and we managed life in vastly different ways than we were ever used to. The Newsletter stopped! I needed to communicate with everyone in a variety of ways to keep us all connected regarding the changes and adjustments at hand. Now we continue with new protocols in place to keep ourselves and others healthy: washing hands regularly, being socially distant, wearing a mask, and staying home if you are ill. We spent the summer cleaning, disinfecting, and realigning our school. We introduced cohorts and webcams into our planning. We are making this new normal work for the benefit of our students and their future. Our administration, faculty, staff, medical office, technology team, maintenance crew, cafeteria personnel, and security team are working harder this year than any other school year in the past. We have been confronted with unforeseen challenges and problems that were not part of any strategic plan. But we are here to provide our students with the finest Catholic education in NYC! And by the way, our students have been supportive and respectful of and cooperative with the protocols in place to keep everyone safe and healthy.

So the Principal’s Newsletter returns, containing the good news of our community!

Feast of St. Francis Liturgy

On Monday, October 5th, 2020 the SFP Community celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with a liturgy. We recognized dedicated Faculty and Staff members with distinguished years of service awards.

The Canticle Citation Awards were presented to the following:

25 Years of Service

Anthony Grimm

Lisa Schaefer-Heuer

Susan Sparagna

15 Years of Service

Paul Cohen

Matthew Corrado

Danielle Forte

Kimberly Istrico

David Kobayashi

Nicholas Lombardo

Nicole May

Nicole Pasinkoff

President’s Award

Jean Truzzolino -25 years

Carl Frey- 15 years

The Mass from The Feast of St. Francis below:

Campus Ministry

It was a busy summer and start to the school year for Campus Ministry!

At the end of the school year last year, we hosted a “Drive and Drop” food drive to benefit Presentation Soup Kitchen. Together in our Prep community, we collected over 300 boxes of canned goods to benefit the guests at the soup kitchen. We so appreciate the generosity of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We hope to host another Drive and Drop during the Thanksgiving season.

During the month of September, we kicked off our new school year with a prayer service for each grade level. The graduating year of our freshman class, “2024,” was added to our school candle, signifying the place our new students have in this community. Their graduating year will remain on the school candle until they depart from our community in four years. We also had two Masses of the Holy Spirit, asking God to bless our new year and each one of us. Seniors received their Tau crosses and senior pins, representing their leadership in our school community. Though there is physical space between all of us, the Spirit is alive in our day-to-day routines.

At the beginning of October, we celebrated the Feast of our patron St. Francis. It is tradition on this feast day to honor members of our faculty and staff who have given 15, 25, and 40 years of service to SFP. This year, we celebrated 13 honorees: Ms. Schaefer, Ms. Sparagna, and Mr. Grimm and Ms. Truzzolino (25 years of service) and Mr. Frey, Ms. May, Ms. Istrico, Mr. Kobayashi, Ms. Forte, Mr. Lombardo, Mr. Cohen, Ms. Pasinkoff, and Mr. Corrado (15 years). We give thanks for their time and dedication to our students and their families during their years here!

On October 15 and 16, we hosted two training sessions for our retreat leaders. During that training time, our retreat leaders took time to get to know one another and prepare to lead the sophomores in their retreats during the year. Our retreat leaders are faithful juniors and seniors who are dedicated to leading the sophomores to discover their values and their capacity for resilience in the midst of challenging times.

So far, two of our sophomore classes have come on retreat. We look forward to hosting the rest of our sophomore classes and creating an experience for our C cohort students.

On October 28, we are hosting the first of several park cleanups to give our students the opportunity for service hours and to tidy up the area around our school. Any students interested in future experiences to do service can stop by the Campus Ministry office at any time and speak with Mr. Sempowich.

As always, Campus Ministry is here for our students and families. Please contact us if you are in need of support throughout this school year. God bless you!

Halloween at SFP

Mr. Castellano as his favorite Freshman

Art Department

WINNERS IN NYC 34^th WATER RESOURCE CONTEST

Before quarantine, many of our Art students in Advanced Drawing and Painting entered the NYC Water Resource Contest. Recently we received news of two winners from our school: Xuanchen Zhu (recently graduated Senior) and Angelina Valentino (Current Senior). Jessica Dennehy (Current Senior) received an honorable mention for her work. They have been selected as winners for their outstanding art entries submitted to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) 34th annual Water Resources Art and Poetry Contest. Their entries were beautifully executed and showed a genuine understanding of and appreciation for New York’s water resources. More than 1,600 New York City students participated in the contest this year. Xuanchen, Angelina, and all of their contest winners are called Water Champions; all other student participants are Water Ambassadors. We are very proud of their accomplishments! Congratulations!

Science Research

A senior in the Science Research Program is taking his research beyond academics. Jaskeerat Gujral is currently studying ways to alleviate symptoms in Parkinson's patients. This inspired him to do more for these patients, so he is raising money to fund other treatment options. His story was featured in the Queens Chronicle last month. The full story can be accessed here:

Queens Chronicle Article: Jaskeerat Gujral

Athletics

We hope everyone is happy to be back at Prep! We started our Fall Sports season on a delay on September 21^st.

The followingsports are playing in season now:

• Cross Country (boys and girls)
• Soccer (girls and boys)
• Girls Swimming
• Girls tennis

In addition, a Flag Football league of 7 versus 7 players was added.

Opportunities for additional sports training have been made available for the following:

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Bowling
• Cheer
• Hockey
• Softball
• Volleyball

We are following all safety guidelines and modifications put forth by the NYS CHSAA in conjunction with the NYS Department of Health. All information for sports is posted on our website. Please check it regularly for updates. Please check the game schedules. Unfortunately, spectators are not permitted for some sporting events. Only students who are medically cleared by our school nurse are permitted to tryout or train for sports.

If you have any questions, please email Mr. Fischetti at [email protected].

We pray that you and your families are safe and healthy!

Senior Day for Varsity Soccer

Saturday, October 24, both the Girls and Boys Varsity Soccer teams recognized the dedication and hard work over the past four season of their seniors.

Girls Varsity Soccer Seniors:

Vanessa Battaglia, Isabella Carbonara, Viviana Cvecic, Ali Mancuso, Fran Palmeri, Francia Pressoir, and Kayla Walsh.

Boys Varsity Soccer Seniors:

Nicholas Andriopoulous, Michael Angelaras, Justin Brown, Alejandro Jad, Adrian Kabashi, Jonathan Lizama,Bryan Palma, Angel Salas, Sean Salgueiro, and George Voyias

Both teams enjoyed victories that day with the help of their Seniors.

Girls Varsity : 7-0 win over TMLA

Boys Varsity: 2-0 win over Iona Prep

Track

On Saturday, October 31, at Van Cortlandt Park the varsity boys cross country team won the Brooklyn-Queens championship. The team was led by individual champion Jordan Leon. The Terriers placed six runners in the top 10 for the victory The team consisted of Jordan, Charles Meghan, Brandon Donaldson, Michael Koenig, Matthew Vene, Robert Deck, and Wesley Ramsey.

Girls Basketball

Great story in the Tablet about our Girls Basketball Championship!

https://thetablet.org/prep-senior-guides-team-diocesan-title/

Swimming

Congratulations to the St. Francis Prep Varsity Boys Swim Team!

On March 7, 2020, six members of the team competed at the NYPHSAA State Championship. Sandon Karinsky finished first in the State in the 50 meter Freestyle event with a time of 20.81. This puts Sandon in All-American consideration. Sandon finished second in the State in the 100 meter Fly Event with a time of 49.47. Fernando Oliveira, Joshua Nierer, Philip Tyka, and Sandon Karisnky finished ninth in the State in the 200 meter Freestyle Relay with a time of 1:27:87. We are so proud of the boys for their love of and dedication to swimming. We would also like to recognize Jack Whelan and Nicolangelo Sofsky for being our alternates and supporting their teammates and coaches Danny Finn, Maria Finn, and Domenica Cinquemani.

Brooklyn-Queens Catholic Forensic League

Saturday, March 7^th, was the final tournament of the year for the Brooklyn-Queens Catholic Forensic League. The SFP debate team placed 3rd in the league overall for total points scored this season. Valerie Franchitti qualified for the national tournament in Chicago as a Lincoln Douglas debate competitor.

Alumni

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Coach James McHugh H'92. He passed away recently at the age of 94. There will be no Wake, and the Mass will be only for immediate family on October 21st at St. Francis Cabrini Church in Coram, NY.

Coach McHugh was held in high esteem by many alumni. During his career at Prep (1950-1962), he coached teams to 29 consecutive major titles along with eight CHSAA City Championships including two in Cross Country and three each in Indoor and Outdoor Track. His relay teams set national records in the 1-Mile (1958) and 2-Mile (1954, 1957, and 1961). Under his guidance, his teams won five Championship of America titles at the prestigious Penn Relays between 1956 and 1958.

During World War II, Jim served in the US Army Air Force, participating in combat missions in the air offensive against Japan. Before coming to St. Francis Prep in 1950, Jim graduated from St. Francis College and later earned an MA from NYU. His years at the Prep included teaching History and serving as the Athletic Director.

After his Prep days, Jim coached at Manhattan College from 1962-1969. During his tenure, Manhattan won nine Metropolitan Intercollegiate titles, recording two in cross country, four in indoor track and field, and three in outdoor track and field. McHugh mentored 11 future Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. By the end of his coaching career, 17 of 26 Manhattan College track and field team records were shattered. He also became a US Olympic Committee administrator and later a long-time hospital administrator.

He was inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame and into the Manhattan College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2014, St. Francis Prep inducted him into the Inaugural Class of the Terrier Red and Blue Ring of Honor.

Jim attributed much of his coaching success of the Prep track program to the fine athletes and the significant interest and support of the Franciscan Brothers, particularly Brother Timothy Walsh, O.S.F.

The Bernice and James E. McHugh Scholarshipwas established in his (and his late wife's) honor by Track alumni. Under the leadership of Ed Kennedy '57 and Dan Corry '58, since its inception the Fund has awarded scholarships to many senior track athletes in good academic standing.

Anyone wishing to honor Jim's memory may donate to The Bernice and James E. McHugh Scholarship Fund at the Prep by clicking here.

Please keep the McHugh family in your prayers. Jim will be missed by all those who knew and loved him. May he rest in peace!

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