Marian High School, grade schools to hold Open House

The 19th Annual Open House program for prospective Marian High School students and their parents will be held Sunday, Jan. 31, with registration beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the school.

This Open House is offered to any student in grades 9 through 12 and any student from Carbon, Luzerne and Schuylkill counties interested in attending Marian for the upcoming school year.

Grade schools who feed into Marian High School will also be holding Open House for prospective students.

The following local grade schools Open House dates are: St. Jerome Regional School, Tamaqua - Open House - Tuesday, February 2, 2010 from 9:30 - 11:00 and 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.; Our Lady of the Angels Academy, Lansford, Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m..; McAdoo Catholic, McAdoo - Open House - Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 11:00 - 1:00 p.m.; Ss. Peter & Paul, Lehighton - Open House - Sunday, January 31, 2010 beginning immediately following the 11:30 (Family Mass); St. Joseph Regional Academy, Jim Thorpe - Open House - Sunday, January 31, 2010 from 11:30 - 1:30 p.m.; Holy Family Academy, Hazleton - Open House - Sunday January 31, 2010 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.; Trinity Academy, Shenandoah - Open House Wednesday, February 3, 2010 from 9:00 - 11: 00 a.m. and 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

As part of the school's 2010 Catholic Schools Week celebration at Marian, the program will begin with information exhibits. There will be booths showing various activities, clubs and organizations. Individual subject areas will also be set up with presentations, and tours will be conducted. Refreshments will also be served. This is an opportunity for interested families to gain information about educational opportunities at Marian.

The formal part of the program will begin at 1:00 p.m. and conclude with door prize drawings, including a top prize of $500 toward tuition at the school, for the 2010-2011 or the 2011-2012 school year. This drawing is available for any student entering his/her freshman year in 2010-2011 or 2011-2012. Participants must be present to win.

For more information on all schools, contact the Development and Alumni Office at (570) 467-0641.

The theme for the Catholic Schools Week is "Catholic Schools - Dividends for Life" and festivities will continue all week.

Marian High School Activities for the week include:

Monday, February 1 - "Dividends for Life - In Our Community" - Speaker (Ms. Janine Holter from the Attorney General's Office will speak to the students.)

Tuesday, February 2 - "Dividends for Life - In Our Students" - All students will be served sundaes at their regular lunch. They will be served by the Faculty and Staff, 10:24 a.m. through 12:21 p.m.

Wednesday, February 3 - "Dividends for Life - In Our Vocations" - Speaker in Theology classes.

Thursday, February 4 - "Dividends for Life - In Our Nation" - Faculty, Staff and Students will collect items for our Servicemen

Friday, February 5 - "Dividends for Life - In our Faculty, Staff and Volunteers" - Continental breakfast for Faculty and Staff will be served by Student Council. Jeff O'Lear, Marian Alumni '77 will host the "Brain Show" in the gymnasium - 1:00 p.m.

Marian Catholic has called a high school built on farmland in Rush Township home since 1964, and is now in its 55 year.

The school was formed in 1954, which had been declared the Marian Year in honor of the Blessed Mother.

The school had a unique, three-town campus created from the former Catholic high schools in those communities. At the beginning, Marian freshmen students attended St. Jerome, Tamaqua; sophomores attended St. Ann's, Lansford; and juniors and seniors attended St. Mary's Coaldale.

The current campus was constructed in 1964.

The nickname of the school's boy's sports teams, Colts represents the towns from which it drew students, with the C for Coaldale, L for Lansford, T for Tamaqua and S for Summit Hill. The O represents Other communities that sent students to Marian.

The three school setup lasted for 10 years before the present school, which is still home to Marian Catholic, was built to accommodate all four grade levels.

Marian serves students from parishes both Roman and Byzantine in eastern Schuylkill and Carbon counties and Luzerne County, while extending a welcome to students of other faiths.

This year, there are 32 faculty members and 319 students enrolled, with a graduating class of 88.