St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter
January 11, 2018
A Message from the Principal...
Dear St. Louis Families,
 
This week was a busy one: Scantron testing and primary grade math assessments underway; middle school science fair data and analysis completion; 5th grade wax museum report work in full swing; novel book work going on in reading classes; Silent Auction planning a-plenty; basketball practices on-going; preparation for next Tuesday's PTO meeting... and the list goes on!  Looking ahead, we have the March for Life in Washington, D.C. on January 19th for those families who choose to attend with the parish (please see the letter that has gone home in today's Friday folders), and we have our first Band & Chorus concert of the year on January 22nd at 7pm.
 
Please pray for our teachers who have professional development time and head to an overnight retreat in West Virginia during these next two days. We will certainly be praying for all of you! Have a beautiful holiday weekend, and we look forward to seeing the students on Tuesday.

Peace,

Kathleen McNutt
Principal

The 2018 St. Louis School Directory is going home in folders today!  One copy per family is being sent with the youngest or only child in the family.
Weekly Prayer Intentions
Each day our school community prays for the intentions of our families. This week the following families were included in our prayers: Maceda, Madden, Maly, Mangan, Martinez, Matheis, Mathes and McBride.
School Announcements
Stay Connected - Follow Us on Social Media!
REMINDER: K-8 Sibling Applications Due February 15
If you have an incoming sibling for Kindergarten (that doesn't attend St. Louis Preschool), or if you have an incoming sibling who would be transferring into grades 1-8 from another school, St. Louis School applications  must be submitted no later than February 15, 2018 for priority sibling consideration.
 
Application packets may be picked up in the school office or downloaded from the school website at: www.stlouisschool.org/apps/pages/applicationforms
March for Life - Friday, January 19
On Friday, January 19, our parish will be joining thousands on the National Mall for the March for Life. Any families with students in K-7 grades re welcome to sign their students out form the school office for that day to take them to the March. Our eighth graders who signed up and returned permission slips before Christmas will be attending a special program and Mass at George Mason University before heading to the March. For more information and individual transportation options, please see the attached letter.
Open House Tour Guides Needed
St. Louis School will be opening its doors to prospective families on Sunday, Jan. 28, 10am-1pm and Tuesday, Jan. 30, 9-11am. Open House tour guides are needed to show our guests around the school.  Your knowledge and enthusiasm for the school is invaluable. If you have been at St. Louis 2+ years, enjoy meeting new people and would like to volunteer to be a tour guide, please contact Kristin Matheis at development@stlouisschool.org. Hours will count toward your volunteer hours; VIRTUS not required.
Comfy Clothes $1 Tag Day January 25 to Benefit Service Dogs of Virginia
During Catholic Schools Week this year, St. Louis students will have an opportunity to see service dogs in action! An afternoon assembly will feature a guest speaker from Service Dogs of VA and at least one of her canine friends in training! 

Service Dogs of VA does not charge the individuals who receive a service dog. Instead the organization works on a "pay it forward" model and raises money through many fundraisers to support the cost to train the dogs. St. Louis School will be participating in "paying it forward," with a TAG DAY, sponsored by the Student Council, with all proceeds going directly to Service Dogs of VA! For more information, please see the attached flyer.
Join Us for Family Code Night - January 30, 2018
Family Code Night  is a fun, interactive family-school event for kids (grades 2-5) and their parents or guardians to experience computer programming for the first time -  together ! Playing in teams to complete puzzles and challenges at their own pace, families learn foundations of coding in just one hour. Instead of  watching  screens, parents and kids will learn to  create what's on their screens!
 
Tuesday January 30, 2018 | 7-8pm  | Media  Center

Hurry! Space is limited.   Click here to sign up now:  http://signup.com/go/XbfjmfE

Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Mrs. Ruth Cody and you can be signed up manually.
                                                                                      
Fun & Memorable Family Screen Time!
  •  A great experience to share with your kids grades 2-5
  •  No coding experience needed
  •  Use our computers and headphones, no need to bring your own
  •  This is a family activity; no child drop-offs
Volunteers Welcome!  Parents & kids with tech experience, or kids who have participated in Hour of Code are encouraged to sign up as volunteer coaches. Please email Mrs.Cody at rcody@stlouisschool.org.
St. Louis Band Trip
Please see the attached flyer for information on this year's band trip to Busch Gardens on May 25th.
Yearbook News!
To order a yearbook or upload photos for the yearbook, visit Pictavo Community at
www.commpe.pictavo.com. Use Google Chrome for best results. Please see the flyer for more information.
PTO
PTO BOARD
Sharon Moss, President   srjones@hotmail.com
Carolyn Koch, Vice President   carolynlett@yahoo.com
Beth Burke, Secretary   burke62801@gmail.com
Melissa McGuire, Treasurer    straydog64@gmail.com
PTO Meeting - January 16
Join us for the January PTO meeting on Tuesday, January 16 at 7pm. Babysitting will be provided by the 8th Grade. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
Because there is NO Golf Tournament scheduled for this year, don't wait until the year's end to complete your volunteer hours!  If you are looking for volunteer options, contact the PTO volunteer coordinator, Vanessa Milewski at vanessamilewski@yahoo.com

There are several upcoming volunteer opportunities:
  • Catholic Schools Week, Jan. 28-Feb. 3 - volunteers are needed to help out with this week-long celebration. Contact Tricia Reeder, triciareeder@gmail.com
     
  • Open House Tour Guide, Jan. 28 & Jan. 30 - parents who have been at the school 2 years or longer can volunteer to share our school with prospective families. Contact Kristin Matheis, development@stlouisschool.org
     
  • PTO Bake Sale, Jan. 28 - bakers and volunteers needed. Contact Carolyn Fortes, pastryred@homtmail.com
     
  • Silent Auction, Feb. 3 - volunteers are needed in advance of and the evening of this event. Contact Emily Chuma, emily.chuma@gmail.com
Catholic Schools Week  January 28 - February 3

Praise, PJs and Pastries - Wednesday, Jan. 31
The students and staff will have "Praise, PJs and Pastries" to begin the day! All will be allowed to come to school in fleece/flannel pants and sweatshirts for the day (Mrs. McNutt will send out the dress code policy reminders and details beforehand).

After morning prayers, the students and staff will enjoy a muffin snack! The muffins (including allergy free muffins) will be provided by Krystle Island and Bag Lady Catering. We are asking you to please help us make it a wonderful treat, and we will need some help in the halls in the morning during set-up.


Community Service Day - Wednesday, Jan. 31
During Catholic School's week, we are partnering with Carpenter's Shelter, which supports the homeless to achieve sustainable independence through shelter, guidance, education and advocacy, and is serving more than 600 formerly homeless, and homeless, children and adults each year.

The Shelter has asked for 100 toiletry bags (50 men, 50 women) -- with full size items -- that shelter residents can take with them when they transition to permanent housing. Similar to last year's Community Service Day activity, this effort involves the whole school community, from kindergartners decorating the bags and older grades placing items in bags, to middle schoolers forming a chain passing the bags through the gym to delivery vehicles (aka parent volunteer cars).  With your generous contributions, plus a few volunteers sorting items and helping students fill bags on Community Service Day, the entire St. Louis School community will participate in this Community Service project on Wednesday, January 31, 2018.

If you would like to join us in this community service effort, please use this sign-up for toiletry and/or volunteer donations.
 
Silent Auction Donations
Similar to the wise men in search of the Christ child, the Silent
Auction committee is in search of donations and assistance for the
upcoming auction on February 3rd, 2018. Please see the attached letter and flyer for more information. Contact Emily Chuma at emily.chuma@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

Bake Sale - Sunday, Jan. 28
The PTO will be holding its next Bake Sale after all Masses on Sunday, January 28. Volunteers are needed to donate baked goods and to work the sale from 8am-2pm. Sign up links are below. For more information, contact Carolyn Fortes pastryred@hotmail.com.

CYO & Extracurricular Activities
Heritage Club
Did you know?  Students and their families at St. Louis come from and have ancestors from many amazing places around the world like Australia, France, Congo, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Native American Nations, Pakistan, and many others!

Students in 5th and 6th grade are invited to join St. Louis's newest club! We'll meet monthly to engage in fun activities to learn about the places that our students and families come from! For more information, please see the attached flyer.
Parish & Community
Youth Ministry Winter Dodgeball - January 15th
The Youth Ministry Teams of Good Shepherd and St. Louis Catholic Churches will be hosting Winter Dodgeball, Monday, January 15 for grades 4-12 at St. Louis. Individual and team registration must be received at Good Shepherd by Friday, Jan. 12. For more information, please see the attached flyer.
Aldersgate Church Community Theater - Seussical, Jr.
Aldersgate Church Community Theater is putting on a production of the musical Seussical Jr.  It opens January 12th and runs through January 21st. There are three St. Louis students in the cast: Isabella Spooner (6th grade); Nora Hixson (5th grade); and Ian Hixson (3rd grade).  For more information and tickets, visit   https://acctonline.org/current-show/
BI Hackathon for 8th Graders
Students from all over the Northern Virginia area are invited to learn about different subjects related to Computer Science and practice their skills with other high school coders like themselves. The environment is open to students of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced.  Eighth grade students are invited from 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM on January 20th. For more information, please see the attached letter and flyer.
St. John Paul the Great HS - Upcoming Middle School Events
  • 3v3 Soccer Tournament - January 27    Calling all soccer students in Middle School thru 9th  grade: you are invited to participate in the annual JP 3v3 Soccer Tournament. The indoor JP 3v3 is a great opportunity for soccer players of all skill levels to come sharpen skills, work with JP soccer coaches and players, and have a great time during the cold blustery days of January! See the attached flyer for more information.
     
  • 7th Annual Band & Choir Festival - January 27  All Middle School musicians are invited to participate. For more information, please see the attached flyer.
UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS

Please refer to the school calendar on the website for additional information. Subscribe to the calendar to automatically receive all of the latest updates.

Jan. 15 - No School
Jan. 16 - PTO General Meeting, 7pm
Jan. 19 - March for Life
Jan. 22 - Winter Band & Chorus Concert, 7pm
Jan. 23 - Coffee with the Principal, 8:15am
Jan. 26 - End of 2nd Quarter
Jan. 28 - Catholic Schools Week Mass, 8:45am
Jan. 28 - Open House for Prospective Families, 10am-1pm
Jan. 30 - Open House for Prospective Families, 9am-11am
Jan. 28 - Feb. 3 - Catholic Schools Week
St. Louis Catholic School
2901 Popkins Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306
Principal: Kathleen McNutt
Phone: 703-768-7732
www.stlouisschool.org
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