A Message from the President

Dear East Catholic Family,

We had a very productive and busy Catholic Schools Week! On Wednesday night we welcomed students and families from St. James’ and St. Bridget’s Schools for both girls and boys basketball games. The gym was packed for some exciting basketball and cheerleading. It was so nice to see so many families with ties to East Catholic, as well as future Eagles!

On Thursday, we celebrated Mass with a dozen Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur on their Feast Day. Many of the sisters worked at East Catholic over their careers, so they had a great time reminiscing on campus. Many thanks to all who were involved in welcoming the sisters for Mass and lunch.

We wrapped up the week with our Winter Sports Pep Rally. Always fun, the pep rally featured announcing our winter sports captains, a couple songs from the pep band, a raffle, and volleyball games by class (the Seniors won). It was an exciting afternoon!

This week kicked off with an all-school speaker, Mr. Mark Leinweaver. Mark is a successful Major League Baseball agent for 75 MLB players. In addition to his vocational success, Mark’s avocation is speaking to kids (middle and high school) about “Why Character Matters.” His energetic and passionate presentation was well-received by our students, many saying he was the best speaker we have had in a while.

With the Winter sports season winding down, we have a number of teams who are gearing up for both CCC and State tournaments. Please keep an ear out for opportunities to go and support your fellow Eagles!

Senior nights will also be taking place in the upcoming days. Both our boys basketball team and our girls hockey team celebrate their senior night on Friday, February 9th. Next week our girls basketball team honors their seniors on Monday, February 12th and our boys hockey team will hold their senior night on Saturday, February 17th. We hope to see many of you in the stands cheering on our student-athletes as they celebrate their athletic achievements over the past 4 years.

Looking ahead at our academic calendar, next week will be a full week of school, with Ash Wednesday Mass on Valentine's Day, 2/14. The week of 2/19 will be off our February Break.

As always, be sure to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or celebrations!

Peace and blessings,

Sean P. Brennan '85

Chief Administrator

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Spirit Week

Last week was Catholic Schools Week and the Student Government planned a week of spirit days to celebrate! Even the staff got in on the fun!

St. Bridget vs St. James

East Catholic's gymnasium was host to the annual St. James Sabers vs St. Bridget Blazers basketball showdown! The girls' teams competed first, followed by a nail-biter of a boys' match-up! The cheer teams from both schools came to perform between games, and the fans filled the stands. What a lively night! We hope both schools enjoyed their showcase here. We also hope to see some of these 8th graders in our halls next year...

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

On Thursday we hosted the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur for a Mass to honor their Feast Day and their contributions to our school. During the Mass, Sister Peggy shared a little about their history with East Catholic.

When East Catholic opened in 1961 there were 7 Sisters on the faculty. When Sister Peggy arrived in 1968, there were 28 Sisters teaching here! The Sisters lived in the convent on the grounds of the school, and last year, when the unoccupied building was torn down, some of the bricks from the convent were saved. These will be used this Spring to build a grotto outside the Music wing where the Statue of Mary currently hangs. This statue used to hang on the chapel wall of the convent and was also saved during the demolition. This grotto will be dedicated to the 71 Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who worked here at East Catholic over the decades.

The afternoon of hosting these wonderful women concluded with a luncheon provided by Advancement. Thank you, also, to the peer ministers who were able to join the group for lunch!

Prom Attire Collection

Class of 2025 is collecting the following to help support The Cornerstone Ministries in Rockville. The Cornerstone holds a Prom Boutique in March where students in need can get the full prom attire shopping experience for free. 

ECHS juniors are collecting the following items to donate to this event:

• Long formal dresses
• Men’s suits
• Women’s and men’s dress shoes
• Jewelry, scarves, and dressy purses
• White and solid color dress shirts
• Dressy ties, bow ties, and vests



All donations can be dropped off during the weeks of February 12th-16th and February 26th- March 1st. Students will be collecting donations before and after school or they may be dropped off in the office.

Help make someone’s prom an evening of fun, not financial strain (AND help declutter your closets!). If you have any questions, contact Junior Class Advisor Sarah Poirier at poiriers@echs.com.

Volunteer seamstresses are also needed for this event at The Cornerstone. If you have the time and talent to donate, please contact Sarah Poirier for more information!

High Spirits!

Stage East's Spring Musical 2024 is High Spirits. The cast and crew are working hard on preparing this production for your enjoyment! Performances will take place on Friday, March 8th at 7:00pm and Saturday, March 9th at 1:00pm and 7:00pm. Mark your calendars! We look forward to seeing you in the audience!

An amazing group of Stage East volunteers were hard at work last weekend assembling the set for this production. Your help is so appreciated! It really takes a village to bring the stage to life!

Why Character Matters

The week kicked off with a talk from Mark Leinweaver on "Why Character Matters." He broke it down to the "ABCs of Representing Yourself" - Accountability, Balance, and Character. He reminded students what a powerful tool our phones are in today's world and how our digital footprint on social media matters today, tomorrow, and in the future. Our Eagles were engaged and enthusiastic about the presentation, with many staying after to ask questions.



Why Character Matters – At Schools Nationwide For All Students

Winter Pep Rally

Our spirit week ended with a pep rally to celebrate Winter sports teams and the grand reveal of our new student section banner!

SAT Day March 26th!

We are excited to announce that we will be offering an SAT School Day Test on March 26, 2024 for all juniors. We had a very successful Digital PSAT administration in October 2023 and believe the new Digital SAT School Day will go just as well. More information will be coming about this next step for our Juniors. 

Sophomore Updates

The Sophomore class met in the auditorium this week to go over Naviance and how to utilize the site to its fullest capacity. They were shown where their academic information will populate, how navigate to the different tools, and reminded to keep their resume of service experience and activities up-to-date.

Senior Updates

Seniors should be applying for scholarships! Please continue to check Naviance as scholarships continue to be added, and, while you are there, update your colleges with the decisions you received from them. 

Student Testimonies

Last Sunday, at Holy Trinity in Hartford, Christian Quinones spoke to his parish about Catholic education, particularly his experience at East Catholic. He told the congregation about the academics, the supportive faculty and staff, and all of the student life opportunities he has been able to participate in over the years. We are so proud of him for speaking so confidently and eloquently on behalf of the school. Students are truly the best advertisement for all that we do on The Hill. Thanks, Christian!

Service Spotlight

Marissa Patria '25 (left) and Briana Flores '25 (right) of the East Catholic Book Club earned their service hours by bringing to life a wonderful idea of getting more books into the hands of kids. They raised $200 through a bake sale and used the funds to buy about 50 books for the library at the St. James School in Manchester and another 40 books for CT Children's Hospital in Hartford.

Flores and Patria delivered the fresh, new, and current books to the St. James School and read to the after school program. 

"Their excitement was contagious and the aftercare program was thrilled to receive the books that they can use for years to come," said Patria. "It felt great to bring these kids so much joy and to give the aftercare program the resources they needed to help their students succeed."

"I used to go to Saint James School and I remember the aftercare program’s books were worn down and some even broken and missing pages," added Flores. "I am so happy that I was able to give back to them and that the new generation of aftercare kids can enjoy new, not broken, books."

Service Hours

Remember that all students are required to complete 10 hours of community service by the Spring. The holidays are a great time to get in your hours, as many organizations could use extra hands to assist in their undertakings for the community.

Although it is the student's own responsibility to search out places to volunteer, Campus Ministry does have some opportunities that are offered right here through our school, as well as a few volunteer activities with local organizations that are happening on a weekly basis. If you are in need of assistance finding an organization to partner with for your hours, please stop by Campus Ministry and they can help get you signed up!

Shelter Meals

Caleb Munoz, Tara and Anna Button, and Cat and Biz Carmon served their first shelter meal this week at South Park Inn. All students did a wonderful job that evening!

The next meal is scheduled for February 27th at ImmaCare.

Penny Wars

Penny Wars are taking place during the Boys Basketball home games! Come ready with your change. All proceeds benefit Project Graduation. We greatly value your support!

Project Graduation Dress Down

Project Graduation is sponsoring a Dress Down Day as a fundraiser for their event. Bring $2 to your advisory to dress down on Tuesday, February 13th. Your donation to dress down supports the Class of 2024.

Next Meeting

Our next Parents' Association Meeting will be on Monday, March 11th in the first-floor conference room at 6:00PM. All are welcome!

For more information on upcoming events and volunteering opportunities, visit

East Catholic High School - Parents Association (echs.com)



Any questions? Email echsPA@echs.com.

The 2023-2024 School Calendar has been posted to the ECHS website and portal.