Class of 2014 Lock-In

Hello everyone! As I am typing this, I am enjoying watching Planet Earth in my AP Environmental Science class. We’re learning about endangered species and animal populations in our textbook, so our teacher is showing us a DVD of Planet Earth on our Smart Board so we can visualize what we’re learning. This class is both very interesting and entertaining, and is just one example of some of the awesome classes we have at UC. I’m really excited for this Friday, because it is the Class of 2014 Lock-In! The Lock-In is an awesome event that welcomes our newest class into the school and lets them get to know the people they will be spending the next four years of their life with. I remember my Lock-In when I was in eighth grade; I was really nervous about going, but I ended up having a great time and I got to meet my friend Rich who is still one of my closest friends today. Everyone who attends is put into small groups, and then there are tons of games and activities to play throughout the night with your group that are led by the Student Ambassadors. I really recommend that everyone in the Class of 2014 goes, because it is the first of many opportunities to see how much fun you’re going to have in high school. Well, I hope to see everyone there; it’s on Friday from 7pm to 11pm! Talk to you soon!

-Brian

Welcoming a New Class into the UC Family!

Hello everyone! These past two weeks have been very busy for myself and my fellow Student Ambassadors. Registration is this Saturday, so we have had a lot of events here at UC to help make eighth grade students' decisions about high school easier. Last Tuesday we had a Phonathon, where we got to call all of the students who were accepted into Union Catholic and got to know them a little better. Wednesday, we had a reception in the cafeteria for the students who received scholarships, and I was lucky enough to meet a lot of students and talk to their parents as well. Saturday, we had the Accepted Students' Dance which was a lot of fun. All of the eighth graders who attended were dancing all night and met their future classmates. The ambassadors had a great time at the dance too, we made sure everyone was having a blast and no one was sitting down. Then on Sunday was the Q&A Session, where parents and students got to come in and ask any last minute questions they had about the school. We have had a lot of freshman for a day students this week as well that wanted to get a chance to see the school before registration. So this Saturday is the big day! I hope to see all of you come out and join the UC family!

New Year, New Beginnings!

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday break and I wish everyone a happy new year! Today is only January 5th, but 2010 has already become very eventful at Union Catholic. The Scholarship Exam for the Class of 2014 is this Saturday, January 9, 2010 at 9:00 AM. I encourage everyone to attend, I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship from the exam when I was applying. This month, all students in the school will be taking Mid-Term Exams to be tested on all material that we have learned in the first half of the school year. Having 4 AP classes and 2 Accelerated classes makes exam time especially strenous, but nothing to worry or stress over. Exams are from January 18-22, and then I am taking the SAT on the 23rd. That will probably be the hardest academic week of the year for me. Did I mention that the 23rd is also my 17th birthday? I would have liked to have gone on the UC Ski Trip again that weekend, but I decided not to go because I would prefer to spend my birthday with family and friends. The Ski Trip is in Vermont and involves skiing, snowboarding, tubing, swimming and a lot more. I'm sure that those who are attending this year are going to have a great time. After these crazy next few weeks is Catholic Schools Week, which is a great experience to look forward to. I'll keep you updated on every exciting happening, stay tuned!

Freshman For A Day Program

Hello everyone, I wanted to talk today about the Freshman for a Day program at Union Catholic. Being a student ambassador, I personally get to experience the program firsthand every morning. To sign up, students/parents should call 908-889-1600, ext 328 for an appointment. You should check out the calendar on the UC website to try to find a day where your grammar school has a day off and Union Catholic does not, but most schools allow at least one excused absence for Freshmen for a Day programs for 7th and 8th graders. On the day of your appointment, prospective students enter the building through the main entrance and are greeted by myself, my fellow ambassadors, our Head of Recruitment Mr. Luciano, and our Admissions Director Mrs. Thornton. Students are then matched up with current freshmen who probably take similar classes or are involved in similar activities to spend the day with. Students follow the freshmen through each class, including Lunch where they receive a free lunch voucher, and get to see the school through the eyes of a student. Students can then be picked up at the end of the day at 1:30 pm at the gym entrance. I personally went as a freshmen for a day when I was in 8th grade and it was really a great decision maker for me. Open Houses cannot truly give students the experience that Freshmen for a Day does. Please come sign up ASAP!

Thanksgiving Break

Hello everyone! Thanksgiving break just ended, and we're all excited to return to school for these short few weeks before Christmas break. Over the break, I spent time with my family and my brother came home from college too. We were all disappointed to see the Giants lose on Thanksgiving night, but we quickly got over it because we were having so much fun just being together and eating some amazing turkey (and chocolate cake!). Throughout the weekend, I tried to keep in mind everything that I am thankful for in my life. I am thankful for my loving supporting family, my hilarious friends, my good health and the health of my family, and everything I take for granted like having a home, enough food to eat, and even the ability to go to a school like Union Catholic. So although I enjoyed having time to relax, I'm relieved to be back in the swing of things at school! 25 days until Christmas!

My Life as a Student Ambassador

Hello, my name is Brian Milanes and I am a junior here at Union Catholic. I have attended the school since freshman year, and I've met some amazing teachers and friends. I'm excited to say that I will begin blogging as a junior ambassador, to give prospective students and their parents a chance to see what my personal experience is like at Union Catholic. I take all AP and Accelerated classes, and I am involved in Student Ambassadors, Big Brother/Big Sister Program, REACH, Academic Team, and National Honor Society. Juggling these activities with a lot of homework every night can get a little hectic, but never unmanageable. My goal in this blog is to keep you updated on what I am doing around the school and in the classroom, especially my Student Ambassador duties. I hope to also let you know when you can come see the school in person, and experience firsthand everything that the school has to offer.

Discover UC Day

In addition to our having our first Discover UC night here at school, last Friday we had a Discover UC day as well. It took place during our school day so that families could see what this high school is really about. The other ambassadors and I were able to take our small groups to sit in on three academic classes (a mock trial class, freshman writing course, and an anatomy class), see a forensics piece presented by two members of the forensics team, and have a Q&A session at the end. We had several families from the Sterling, NJ, area who all seemed very excited to be here which made our jobs as ambassadors all the more rewarding. When it came time for the Q&A session, there were, at most, two questions which means we did pretty well when it came to clarity while we individually talked to our groups!
It was good to be able to show the parents and potential students what real classes are like and let them walk our halls with us on a real school day. There was nothing rehearsed and nothing was set in stone which was nice and I think very beneficial when it came to our visitors really getting a feel for the school.
Overall, it was a great day and I can speak for all the ambassadors when I say we hope to see those families again soon!