Letter from the Principal - June 2019

By Mona Passman, Principal
June 12, 2019

Dear Families:

As we finish up another great year at Cretin-Derham Hall, I like to take a few minutes to take a look back on everything that happened on campus this year. It was another exciting year, full of great accomplishments and new initiatives.

We celebrated many big moments in the classrooms and on the athletic fields this year, and I want to share just a few highlights:

• Two new co-curriculars were added, the Sustainability Club and the Art Club.  
• CDH served as a temporary shelter for Project Home in July, and will do so again this summer. 
• The JROTC program celebrated its 100-year anniversary. 
• Campus Ministry started a new volunteer opportunity called Tutor Thy Neighbor, where CDH students tutor Somali youth. 
• The Girls and Boys Swim & Dive teams both sent athletes to State.
• The Political Affairs Club held a mock midterm election for the first time, helping students engage in local and national politics. 
• Pope Francis recognized former teacher Brother James Miller as a martyr. He’s expected to be beatified soon. 
• The Theater department celebrated the 25^th anniversary of the Lillian Theater with a full weekend of special events. 
• We began developing our Strategic Plan for the next five years at CDH. 
• DECA participants competed with students from across the state. 
• We began developing a new substance use prevention program. 
• The Twinning program raised money for Bisrate Gabriel, a fellow Lasallian school in Ethiopia. 
• Girls in grades 9-11 learned about STEM careers from Microsoft employees. 
• Seven students earned State level History Day awards. 
• We broke ground on a brand new entryway and gathering space for the school. 
• A new AP Human Geography course was offered, the only AP class for 9^th graders. 
• The spring musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, brought down the house. 
• We announced a partnership with Groves Academy and the Catholic Schools Center of Excellence to improve literacy in Catholic schools. 

While the school year is over, plenty is still going on around campus. Congratulations to the the student-athletes who competed in state tournaments in the last week including the Girls Lacrosse team, golfers and track team members. Congratulations also to the theater students and directors who performed in the Spotlight Awards last night. We have summer camps scheduled throughout the summer, so campus will stay busy. 

I’d like to congratulate and convey my admiration to the many teachers, advisors, coaches, mentors, parents, and students who have accomplished so much this year. Thank you to our staff for your caring and dedication to our students. Thank you to our parents and families for placing your trust in us. And most importantly, students: we celebrate your spirit and hard work.

Raider pride was certainly well-deserved this year, with so many more individual and community successes than can be listed here. Congratulations to all, and enjoy the summer!