WEEKLY NEWS
January 23, 2018
Parent Education
Would you like to know who your children's teachers REALLY are???
This is a MUST read. 
Catholic Schools Week - January 28-February 3
Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration of Catholic education. The focus of this special week is on the value Catholic education provides to our students and its contributions to the Church and our communities. 
The theme for this years celebration is: 
          Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed
 
Catholic Schools Week starts this Sunday, January 28.  To promote Catholic schools in our community, we ask that every student wear their school uniform (middle school wear dress uniform) to the church that you attend. If you don't have a church home, you are always welcome at Saint Benedict. For Saint Benedict parishioners, if at all possible, we would like to have everyone attend the 11:00am Mass.  Please arrive by 10:45. Students will process in at the beginning of Mass and will sit with their classes during Mass. We usually recommend that JK students remain with their family in the pews. Students who wear their uniform to church this weekend will receive a free Tag Day on February 7.

To promote and enjoy school spirit students may participate in the following schedule for the week:   
Monday, January 29 - Students may dress as their favorite BOOK CHARACTER
Tuesday, January 30 - School Mass - dress uniforms for Middle School
Wednesday, January 31 - Students may dress up as a CAREER they might consider
Thursday, February 1 - Students may dress as their favorite SUPER HERO
Friday, February 2 - BLUE & GOLD DAY - There will be a Pep Rally at 10:30am in Saint Anselm Hall. 
Saint Benedict School Open House
National Catholic Schools Week is NEXT WEEK and we are opening our school doors to celebrate. PLEASE invite your family and friends to visit us to explore what Saint Benedict Catholic School offers.  We are proud to represent the best in Catholic education and would like to share that with our community, your friends and family. Our Open House is scheduled for this coming Sunday, January 28th from 12:30-2:30pm. Visitors will hear from our principal, parents, students, and graduates and will enjoy light refreshments and a school tour. For information and questions or to RSVP, please contact Lisa Yost, Director of Admissions, lyost@saintbenedictschool.org
IMPORTANT Date For FACTS - March 1
All families should have their application submitted in FACTS by March 1, 2018, even if you are applying in Round 2 and your tax information will be uploaded later. While aid is distributed in all rounds, the total amount of Parish Sharing aid the school receives from the Diocese is determined based on the total need of applications in FACTS  on March 1. Therefore, even if you are participating in Round 2, please have your application submitted by March 1.

More on Tuition Assistance:

All families seeking tuition assistance must complete an on-line application through FACTS and upload the required tax documents. There are two main rounds of tuition assistance. Returning families without business income are only eligible for Round 1 assistance.  All other families are eligible for Round 1 or 2.

Deadlines as follows: 
Round 1 - March 1: Families will be notified in mid-April (2017 W2s and 2016 Tax Return)
Round 2 - June 1: Families will be notified in late June (2017 W2s and 2017 Tax Return)
Please note, The Diocese of Richmond requires that each student apply for aid at only ONE Diocesan School.

Tuition Assistance Policy Updates for the 2018-19 school year:

PreK Students are no longer eligible for Diocesan aid (Parish Sharing, McMahon Pareter, EISTC) but will still be considered for school based aid. The tuition of the PreK student will continue to be taken into consideration when determining Diocesan and school awards for other students in the family.

Who applies?

For Student's Parents/Guardians married, separated, or living together:
Both parents apply. If living apart, they submit separate applications.

Student's Parents/Guardians not married and live apart:
The custodial parent the child spends the most time with applies
(This is the same guideline used for the college Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSFA)). In addition, the spouse of the applicant also applies. Other adults living in the household but not on the same tax return with the applicant need not apply, and since their income is excluded, their expenses are also excluded.
Comet Campaign
Parents, help your child’s class earn an Ice Cream Social by making your Comet Campaign donation TODAY! Each class that reaches 100% participation will have an ice cream social with all the fixings. We have ice cream thermometers outside each classroom celebrating our progress. Our goal is to have 100% participation from our Saint Benedict families. Gifts of any size are appreciated!

When we ask foundations and businesses across Richmond to support Saint Benedict School, it is important to be able to say 100% of our families support the school above and beyond their tuition.
Once you’ve made your donation, have your child/children stop by the reception desk to get a marker and proudly sign your family name as a Comet supporter! If you have already made your contribution - THANK YOU. If you still need to make a donation or a pledge, you can make it online: http://www.saintbenedictschool.org/giving/donate-now.cfm  or print the  PLEDGE FORM send it to school with your child, see attached form.
A Reminder about Morning Drop-Off
Students who travel to school by car may be dropped off at the gate of the playground by coming down the Alley from Cleveland toward Belmont. Families using the car line MUST come down Hanover Avenue, turn right on Cleveland, and turn left into the St. Benedict Alley. You MAY NOT turn onto Cleveland from Grove Avenue and take a right into the alley. The police have reminded us that we are only allowed to have the car line go one direction on Cleveland.

Students may only enter through the front doors of the school after 8:00am. If pulling up in the loading zone on Grove Avenue, cars must depart immediately so that traffic will not be congested. If you need to get out of your vehicle and come into the school building before 8:15am, please do not park in this area. All cars using this route must pull in completely out of the traffic lane on Grove Avenue, especially making sure not to block the intersection of Grove and Belmont at the crossing walk.  Please remember that the crosswalk should always be used for crossing the street and that u-turns are not advisable.  

Thanks for helping to keep all of our students safe!!
Middle School Girls Lacrosse
Saint Gertrude High School offers athletic teams for middle school girls from Richmond Catholic, independent and public middle schools. This Middies program is a great opportunity for girls to learn and grow in their sport and meet girls from different schools.
We welcome all 5th-8th grade girls!
PTO News
We are in need of a parent volunteer to run the Comet Shop. The Comet Shop is a place where our students can purchase school supplies and spirit items. If you think you might enjoy helping in this area, please contact Jennifer Eschbach by email at:  jmeschbach0314@comcast.net .

The Uniform Swap will take place this Thursday, January 25 at 4:30pm in the cafeteria. Come by and enjoy the selection and savings on very gently used uniforms.   

Our monthly PTO meeting is Thursday, January 25, at 6pm in the school cafeteria.  Please come and invite other SBS parents to join you. We really do look forward to meeting and working with the parents in our school community whose time and talents make our school so special. 

We STILL need a few parent volunteers to make our School Open House a success! 
The Open House is THIS Sunday, January 28.  Please sign up here:  Open House  
Upcoming Dates
Jan. 25 - Used Uniform Swap at 4:30pm, Cafeteria
Jan. 25 - PTO Meeting, 6pm, Cafeteria
Jan. 28 - Open House, 12:30-2:30pm, SAH
Jan. 30 - School Mass, 8:30am (dress uniform for Middle School)
Feb. 2 - Early Dismissal, 1:30pm