Academic/Service Clubs

50 Members Support Newman's Key Club

Key Club is part of the Kiwanis International Organization. We are a service group that helps the Red Cross, the PADS Homeless Shelter, Salvation Army and other agencies and groups in the Sterling-Rock Falls area. During the 2001-02 school year, Newman's Key Club received the IL-IA District's Single Service Award as a result of their two Bloodmobile drives surpassing set goals. In December 2004 we received a $200 grant from Kiwanis International Youth Opportunities Fund to buy Christmas gifts as part of Sacred Heart's Giving Tree. In December 2006, we earned $100.00 at our Culver’s Ten Percent Night. The club matched this money and shopped for a local family at Christmas. We we able to purchase clothes and toys for 4 children. Last summer our club members served 450 lunches to needy children in the twin-city area through the "Feed the Children" program. Members of the Sterling Kiwanis Club also helped to pack lunches during the two week period.  Both groups will participate in the program this summer (2007) for the sixth consecutive year.

During the 2007-2008 school year, Key Club will sponsor the Back to School dance, a fall and spring Bloodmobile, a Bucket Brigade to raise money for the homeless shelter, bell ringing for the Salvation Army, and Culver’s Night to raise money for the Sacred Heart Giving Tree program at Christmas. An ongoing project is collecting pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. Tabs may be dropped off at the front office or put in Mrs. Kelly’s mailbox at school. Membership dues are $11.00/year with the money distributed between Key Club International, the Illinois/Iowa District and .50 for the Newman Club. .

This year the Math Club will participate in the American Mathematics Competition and the ICTM Mathematics competition. The American Mathematics Competition is a single day event held each February. In the past, Sauk Valley Community College's Tech Prep has hosted this event. There are two different categories--a freshman-sophomore exam and a junior-senior exam. Students with a certain score at each level qualify for the next level of competition--the AIME. SVCC awards prizes, including two tuition waivers, as an added incentive. The ICTM Competition includes individual subject tests in algebra I, geometry, algebra II, and pre-calculus: two- and eight-person team events; a calculator competition; a relay event; and an oral round. This school year the ICTM Regional is at RVCC or IVCC on Feb. 23, 2008. The ICTM State finals will be at U of I in Champaign on April 26, 2008. The problems from all these contests draw from a wide range of high school topics: geometry, algebra, trigonometry, logarithms, series, sequences, exponentials, roots, integers, real numbers, combinations, probability, coordinate geometry, and more. Working through these problems is an excellent practice for college-bound students who will be taking the ACT or SAT tests. Those wishing to participate in Math Club are encouraged to speak with Mrs. Diana Wade, sponsor of the club.

---

National Honor Society
Marion Chapter

Newman's National Honor Society, Marion Chapter, is an honorary group based upon academic achievement. Students must attain a 3.5 cumulative grade point average after four or six semesters to be eligible to apply for membership. Acceptance is also based on the criteria of leadership, character, and service. All candidates and members must be involved in an ongoing, supervised service project. We have students who volunteer at the hospitals, are tutors, are extraordinary ministers at their parishes, have completed Eagle Scout projects, and teach Religious Education classes. Members usher at school events, participate in the Adopt-a-Highway program and provide tutoring for other Newman students. Currently, 17 Seniors are members of NHS. The Honor Society Induction ceremony is held each fall of the year in the front lobby of Newman Central Catholic High School. The tentative induction date is Wednesday, October 31, 2007 at 7:00 PM.

2007-2008 Officers
President	Austin Blessman
Vice-President	Cami Conley
Secretary	Paige DeWitt
Treasure	John Welty
Chaplain	Emily Ferris
Advisor	Mrs. Sue Olson

 

Building Last Impressions that Never Die – this slogan has never meantt more to our two schools and our communities than it has this past school year 2005 – 2006. The class BLIND leaders of both schools have made an impact on Nursing Homes, Retirement Centers, Grade Schools, Junior High Schools, Learning Disability facilities, and local businesses.

Sterling High School and Newman Central Catholic High School have come together to show a community that it doesn’t matter what our social or economical status is in our schools, there is always something that our youth of today can do to give back to our respected communities. We are tearing down the stereotypes; we are coming together and supporting one another at our sporting events, during our tough times, and during our good times. We have expanded out to Dixon High School and hope to reach Rock Falls High School this coming year.

This year our teams will be participating in a BLIND leaders retreat in August of 2006. We will be sending some students and adult leaders to a convention to bring back new ideas and possible guess speakers for the coming year. Finally, we look forward to working with our new leaders and our new schools.

The dates have been inserted into Newman’s Annual Calendar. Please check our web page throughout the year for updates on our activities and special events. Fr. Paul White, Mr. Chris Somers, Mr. Tom DePasquale, Mrs. Janet Freed, Mr. Jerry Binder are sponsors of this program. Newman students and parents are encouraged to contact Fr. Paul White or Mr. Chris Somers with questions.

This interactive, school and community-focused club provides Newman students many opportunities to share their faith with one another and others through faith-related, service-oriented projects. Students use creative opportunities to share their faith such as presenting skits and working on varied projects at community churches and giving retreats or assisting in lock-ins for school and/or church groups. The Faith Sharing Group generally meets twice a month, Fridays, "A" days, during homeroom, in room 106. Meeting agendas start with prayer and lead to discussions of past events and plans for upcoming events. Also, importantly, this club offers Newman students personal reflection time-time where they can share their individual thoughts on what is happening in their own lives. The Faith Sharing Group is open to any student attending Newman. To join, a student need only come to a meeting or speak with the club sponsors, Steve & Lynn Davis.

(The Faith Sharing Group is a separate entity that should not be confused with Key Club).