PARENT BULLETIN
September 29, 2016
DAN'S BLOG  
            We have been working since last fall on a self-study to analyze, evaluate, and create a six-year plan for our school, with one anticipated outcome being the awarding of another six-year term of being an accredited school. Being accredited implies that a school subscribes to a process of voluntary self-regulation that is a constructive experience designated to improve the quality of the school. An accredited school is not required by the state for elementary schools, but it is required by the Archdiocese for Catholic schools - all 71 high schools and elementary schools. When our accrediting body - the Western Catholic Educational Association (WCEA; http://www.westwcea.org/ ) - accredits us every six years, they are certifying that we annually meet the prescribed quantitative and qualitative standards and have undergone a self-study with validation by a visiting team of educators. Accreditation is just one way of assuring our school parents, parishioners, and other supporters/donors that St. Louise not only meets the minimum standards, but has a valid school improvement plan, and is engaged in an ongoing self-study and on-site peer-evaluation process.
In 1994, I raised my hand when the Archdiocese began their association with the WCEA and asked which schools would be willing to be the first to engage in the accreditation process. That year, St. Louise Parish School became one of the first three Catholic elementary schools in the entire Seattle Archdiocese to undertake a self-study process and become accredited. At that time, no other Catholic elementary schools in Western Washington undertook this accreditation process. Years later, this self-study/accreditation process became mandatory for all schools. Our school will now be completing this process four times over the past 22 years, assuring our school's stakeholders (parents, parishioners, etc.) that our school has constantly been achieving effectively and helping develop plans for ongoing improvement.
            Since August of 2015, the St. Louise Parish School community has worked diligently on our fourth self-study, led by a Leadership Team of faculty, a parent, and myself.  I want to thank this Leadership Team who had to put in a lot of time leading committees, researching, and writing reports: Mike Fuerte, Karen Alleman, Anne Etter, Paula Patterson, and Colleen Nowak. Furthermore, these parents served on self-study subcommittees last year, and I appreciate the time and guidance they gave: Ingrid Flaat, Alice Shaw, Anais Fawcett, Evelyn Oen, Tom Brennan, Chris Read, Kevin Blair, Jim Cunneely, Jim Darragh, and John Craddock.
            Finally, all of you who were school parents in 2015-16 helped in the process by answering some surveys we sent out last year whose results we used to help write some of our self-study report.  You may recall some of the survey areas in which you gave feedback was on how well the school follows our Philosophy, lives up to our Mission Statement, and accomplishes our Student Learning Expectations (SLEs). As I mentioned last spring after the survey results came in, the overwhelming majority of you find the guiding principles in our Philosophy and Mission Statement are both well worded and well followed. We used your input and that of our teachers to consolidate and reword many of our SLEs, so we now have moved from a lengthy list of 21 expectations to a more manageable, measurable, and memorable 12.
           I mentioned above that accreditation includes an on-site peer-evaluation process. This is usually described as a "visiting team of educators" who have expertise in teaching and administration and are familiar with Catholic schools. The visiting team that is assigned to evaluate St. Louise will consist of five educators from the Seattle Archdiocese and the assistant superintendent of the Portland Diocese. They will visit us from November 1-3, observing classes, interviewing students, meeting with parents, questioning teachers, and reading through all our reports that we have been writing since last spring. The visiting team then will decide if our school deserves re-accreditation - another six-year term - and they will also recommend any improvements we should make.
            Prior to their three-day official visit, the visiting team of educators does a half-day pre-visit to the school they'll be evaluating. That half-day pre-visit for our accreditation process is TOMORROW, Friday, September 30, starting at noon. Tomorrow's agenda is a time for the visiting team to tour the school, meet our faculty and students, and receive our initial document. They then begin a month-long assignment of independently evaluating our document before they return as a team November 1-3 to do a group evaluation which includes the observations, interviews, and meetings I mentioned above.
            So if you wonder why my shoes tomorrow appear to have a newly polished shine on them, why there will be fresh flowers on the office counter tomorrow...it's totally a coincidence.   
            If you have any questions about our self-study or accreditation, you may ask any of the Leadership Team members I named above. Some of our parents in parent "leadership" roles - i.e. the School Commission, the Parents' Club Board, the Finance Committee - will be attending private meetings with the visiting team of educators during the 3-day November visit to provide clarification and give affirmation that what we said on our written self-study report matches the reality of what is found here at St. Louise. I want to thank these parents in advance for making time on their calendars and for representing the parent community in sharing with the visiting team our school's strengths and areas needing improvement.
            Once that visit is completed, the visiting team makes a recommendation to the WCEA regarding if St. Louise should or shouldn't receive a six-year term of re-accreditation (no worries), and then we hear back from the WCEA in the spring with their confirmation. We'll be coming out in November with a document that includes our self-study report, and you'll be invited at that time to check it out. In the meantime, smile at the six "strangers" you see on campus tomorrow afternoon, and from November 1-3, cut down on the swearing in the parking lot and wash your cars, will ya please?


Our 2016-17 Student Ambassadors

Thanks for reading,
Mr. Fitz
  
p.s.
When our Visiting Team arrives tomorrow for their pre-visit, they'll want to be given a tour of the school. Instead of Mr. Fuerte or me giving the tour, we will utilize our school's best quality - our students! Our 8th grade "Student Ambassadors" will lead a tour for our visitors. These students applied for this position through essays they recently submitted, and then a dozen 8th graders were chosen as Ambassadors by the faculty - not only based on their essays, but based on how well they display leadership qualities, how hard and responsibly they work in completing school work (since they'll miss class-time), and how well they project an outgoing personality. Actually, those descriptors fit a majority of our 8th graders! So, yes, it was difficult to narrow the list down to 12! Our Student Ambassadors who will not just tour the visiting team tomorrow, but will give tours to prospective school parents during our December through February admissions season, are: Anne Marie Blank, Olivia Manning, Lily Buysse, Natalie Nowak, Julio Canimo, Grace Rausch, Grace Courter, Taneesha Sinha, Ella Gratzer, Kate Wilken, Clara Halling, Bella Wiswall.  

School Calendar
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TODAY, TOMORROW, and THIS WEEKEND
  
Thursday, September 29
  • All-School Earthquake Drill takes place during school today; parents should explain to their children tonight what to do in the event of an earthquake when at home.
Friday, September 30
  • Tonight's Eastside Catholic High Schools' "Future Crusader Night Football Event" for middle school aged children and their parents has been cancelled and will be rescheduled to later in October. Please contact Eastside for more information.
Saturday, October 1
  • Fall Fix-Up Day #2; help beautify the parish and school grounds by bringing your work gloves and yard tools from 8AM-12PM; for more information or to RSVP, email Jeffrey Hummer 

LOOKING AHEAD TO NEXT WEEK...
  
Wednesday, October 5
  • PHOTO DAY: all students must wear a complete uniform today, consisting of a red sweater or red fleece; for information on pre-ordering individual and/or class photos, see the article below.
Thursday, October 7
  • MASS AND ROSARY: all K-8 classes will be attending 9:00 Mass, and parents are invited (meet your child's class outside their homeroom by 8:45); Mass will begin with the congregation praying a decade of the Rosary, so if you are able, please allow your child to bring the family's rosary beads to school today.
  • If you are the parent of a St. Louise School alumni, or an alum yourself, or if you know an alum (21 years old or older), please note that we are holding our annual ALUMNI WINE EVENT - AKA "Vintage St. Louise" - tonight from 6:30 - 7:30 pm in the school lobby; wines and light appetizers will be served by our School Commission and Marketing Committee volunteers, as St. Louise alumni from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s return to reconnect and celebrate St. Louise memories; every member of the class with the most people in attendance will take home a special gift - one of our stemless wine glasses etched with the St. Louise logo; please RSVP or send any questions to: alumni@stlouiseschool.org.
Friday, October 8
  • NO SCHOOL: school is closed today and there is no Kids' Club; the entire teaching faculty may attend the Archdiocesan "Teacher Excellence Day" inservice at Blanchet High School; this day includes Mass with Bishop Eusebio Elizondo and workshops for teachers to learn more instructional strategies and curriculum ideas
     

SAVE THE DATE...
 
Monday, October 10
  • NO SCHOOL: school is closed today and there is no Kids' Club; the entire teaching faculty is working the first half of the day on our self-study and preparing for the 3-day visit of the accreditation team; the second half of the day is open to optional parent-teacher conferences; if you child's teacher needs to conference with you, he/she will contact you shortly; otherwise, all parents conference with teachers at our mandatory conferences on November 21 or 22.
Tomorrow Is the Deadline to Donate to the Walk-A-Thon
          Thanks for every school family's efforts this month at fund raising! Magazin Sale orders were due last Friday, and Walk-A-Thon donations are to be completed by tomorrow, Friday the 30th.
          Remember, you may combine any Magazine Sale profits (calculated at 40% of total magazine sales) with your Walk-A-Thon donations to reach your family's required fund raising goal:
  • $85 for 1-child families;
  • $170 for 2-children families;
  • $200 for 3+ children families.
          If you have questions about the Magazine Sale, please contact Rebecca Nightingale. 
If you have questions about Walk-A-Thon, please contact Laura Dark, Erika Mervin, Jolla Sumido, and Michele Baker
          Depending on if we reach our $75,000 Walk-A-Thon fund raising goal by tomorrow, we'll soon know if the students will be treated to a reward day next month. We're still short of this goal, so tomorrow's last day donations will be crucial!.
Thanks to Students & Parents' Effort on the Walk-A-Thon!
          
We're assuming your kids came home last Friday to talk about how fun (and tiring) it was to participate in the Walk-A-Thon! The students went through over 1,200 cups of water!  (And that's not counting the gallons of water drunk by those who brought their own water bottles.) There was one student who ran the entire time and covered 13 miles - that equals a half marathon!
 


Go to our Facebook  page to take a look at some of the cute photos taken at the Walk-A-Thon.

As of Monday, donations surpassed $40K. That's over half our goal. We know a majority of donations come in near the end of the Walk-A-Thon, and that date is TOMORROW! Friday, September 30, is the deadline to donate! The best way to donate is to go online.

We would like to thank Blazin' Bagels for donating the bagel bites for our walkers, and Defensive Driving School for providing the school with the t-shirts.
Of course, we also want to thank the four parents who are this year's Walk-A-Thon chairpersons, and have been organizing this event since last spring: Michele Baker, Laura Dark, Erika Mervin, and Jolla Sumido!
 
In addition, these parents assisted prior to and/or at Friday's event:
Erin Aitken, Elizabeth Armenta, Victor Balderas, Wendy Blank, Michelle & Matt Bomberger, Sherri Brouwer, Kristy Charles, Abigail Eala, Theresa Estrada, Loreen & Jeff Fontanilla, Rocio Garcia, Annabelle Gegus, Susie Goett, Kate Gratzer, Laure Heland, Maria Juarez Veloz, Reine Kehdy, Trinette Kuester, Amy Lau, Deena & Jayson Lizardo, Anna Luong, Nicole Maloney, Amy Manne, Andrea Matt, Carolyn McHugh, Rebecca Nightingale, Rebecca Ort, Alison Peters, Tiziana Pibiri-Bergamaschi, Sarah Pierce, Juan Posada, Rachael Rivera-Wong, Andres Saa, Cristina Sandino, Maureen Schoen, Diane Sloss, Suzanne & Mark Sollars, Greg Stewart, Cheryl Sutton, Angela Thompson, Joy & Peter Tran, Brian Tribolet, Sharon Victor, Anu Vincent, Allison Weber, Amy Wilken, Verene Woelfl, Carolyn Yepez, Marinell Zevenbergen.

Recognition of which students were the top fund-raisers and top lap-completers will be announced on October 14, at the Walk-A-Thon Assembly. If you have any questions about the Walk-A-Thon or donating, please contact Michele, Laura, Erika, and Jolla.

Earn 4+ Volunteer Hours This Saturday
          Our last Fall Fix-Up of the season is this Saturday, October 1, starting at 8:00 and ending at noon. We will be spreading bark, so please bring a wheelbarrow and/or shovel if you have them. There will also be time for weeding and removing of dead plants, so other yard tools will come in handy too.  Please meet  in the parking lot near the north wing of the original school, and RSVP our head volunteer landscaper, Jeffrey Hummer, so he knows how many volunteers to expect. This opportunity to earn volunteer hours is open to anyone in the family as young as middle school. Thanks for helping us beautify the campus!

Get the App

Our Sunday Visitor, known simply as "OSV" is the company St. Louise Parish and School use for "Online Giving" - that is, for virtual donations and to allow for payments of many programs and fees.
 
 
It is so simple to use the OSV app on your phone to make payments and donations to St. Louise! 
 
Follow these easy steps:

1) Go to the app store to find the Online Giving/Our Sunday Visitor app. It will look similar to the pic on the left for IPhone/IPad users who shop for the free app at:
Google/Android Device users should go here to find the app:


2) "GET" the app - it's free to download onto your phone.

 
3) The picture below on the right shows you the starting page of the OSV app once you have it loaded on your phone. The log-in for the app (username & password) is the same as the log-in for the desktop version of Online Giving/OSV, which many of you have already been using.
 
       
 
 
 
 
You also may use the app to review your payment history. Under "Giving History" check if you paid your auction grade project fee, milk fee, or any other school-related fee you pay online.
 
For more information on using the OSV app, contact our school bookkeeper Amy Thielman.

 
Pre-Order School Photos Prior to Wednesday
 
Student photos are scheduled for this coming Wednesday, October 5th. Throughout the day, every grade PK-8 student will have his/her individual photo taken in a complete school uniform, along with a class photo. Regardless if your child will be purchasing an individual photo, the photos need to be taken for the School Yearbook.
 
The preferred method to pre-order school photos is to go online to www.mylifetouch.com and use our school code: LS116972Q0. Print out the confirmation sheet after you complete your online order - which will contain a bar code that corresponds to your order - and have your child bring this sheet to school on Photo Day.  A second option for ordering photos is to complete and return a paper-form which came home in last week's Family Envelope. You must submit a check if you don't pay online.
 
All grade PK-8 students are to come to school this Wednesday in their complete uniforms, wearing the traditional red sweaters or red fleece. If you have any questions concerning school photos, please contact Cindy Wagner.
The Parish Photo Directory Has Its Last Call
          Last year at this time, many school families had their family portraits taken for the Parish Photo Directory. The Directory was delayed in getting published, which is both good and bad news. It's bad we're still waiting for these Directories - which will eventually be given free to everyone who had a photo taken - but the delay is good in that recently arrived St. Louise Parishioners have a chance to get into the Directory.
          Lifetouch - the publisher of the Directory - will be at St. Louise on September 30, October 1, October 2, October 15, and October 16, to take portraits of any St. Louise families who missed the chance last year. There is no cost involved. (Please note, these upcoming photo sessions are only for people who did not get their photos taken last summer - either families who procrastinated last year, or newly arriving families who weren't here last year. If you took a family portrait last year, you need to do nothing at this time but to wait for the directory to be distributed in early 2017.)
         We need you to make our parish family album complete, so if you did not get your family's photo taken last year, please make your online appointment for one of the available dates at   www.stlouise.org/264 . Each family will receive a complimentary 8x10 portrait and a complimentary directory for participating!
 

 

If you have a photo of your kids participating in school, parish, or community events, send them to Dan Fitzpatrick for possible publishing in an upcoming Parent Bulletin and/or to Catherine Saffel for possible inclusion in the end-of-year School Yearbook.
 
 
 
Seventh grader Alice (front row, second from right)  joined her father Vimal (back row, far right) this summer in volunteering at the Pike Place Food Bank along with her dad's colleagues from his work. Alice and the group helped with the grocery distribution by gathering donations from vendors, helping to prepare the distribution line, assisting clients with food, and organizing the warehouse. What a great act of service, Alice!
 
Only 6 Weeks!
We have just 6 short weeks until the biggest event of the year - Up & Away - A Red and Black Soiree ! Our largest fundraiser will be held November 12,  at the Marriott in downtown Bellevue,  and we are so happy to have you all involved as volunteers and contributors!
Here is a quick overview of some important dates to remember:
  • Invitations Arrive home in the Red Envelope             October 6
  •  8th Grade Spotlight artwork due                                October 7
  •  Black & White photo request due                              October 10
  • Premium Wine Contest - wine due                            October 14
  • Final date to RSVP                                                     November 1
  • Up & Away - A Red and Black Soiree                         November 12
 
New Families!
If you are new to St. Louise this year, we sent you a special Auction 101 message this week. We want to make sure you are up to speed with all of the details, plus, we wanted to extend a special offer to you! Be sure you take some time to read through the email. If you didn't receive it, please let us know by sending a note to auction@stlouiseschool.org
 
Invitations Arriving Next Week!
Next week's Red Envelope will contain your ticket to FUN! It is your invitation to attend the event you've been hearing about for months! Be sure to RSVP early - we expect that since we sold 74 tickets this past spring, we may sell out this year, so please don't wait until the last minute!
 
Premium Wine Contest
What do wine and ice cream have in common? This year's Premium Wine Contest! The class who turns in the most premium wine by October 14th will receive an Ice Cream Social! The list of wines we are hoping you'll donate was in last week's Red Envelope and we'll send it home again in the 10/6 Red Envelope! You may drop the wine off in the Main Office. Thank you!
 
Charger Spirit glassybabys are going FAST!
Don't miss out on this special edition glassybaby, Charger Spirit! We are having 100 made and already 36 have sold! Visit https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/1369  and select Charger Spirit glassybaby. Please note, Charger Spirit is available for $80 each. If you'd like to purchase in person, we will be outside of the Charger Card office this Friday at drop off, and can accept cash, check or credit card. These will be delivered prior to Auction night!
 
Black & White Photos
Please turn in your Black & White Photo request to the Main Office, or better yet, email Rebecca Ort at rebeccaort@hotmail.com  to request your professional quality, 11x14 photo. These photos are $100 each. Requests must be received by 10/10.
 
Classroom Art Projects
Your children are getting started on creating beautiful works of art under the creative genius of Mika Walker, our art teacher! These masterpieces will be available for purchase during the Auction. We've changed the way this has been done in past years, so the designs, coordination and creation of the projects are being completed during upcoming Art classes (with the exception of Pre-K). For those who have already volunteered, Mika and Esther will be in touch with you soon when your class will need volunteers or in-class photographers. If you haven't already volunteered to help, but would like to, please email us at  auction@stlouiseschool.org .
 
Last Call - 8th Grade Spotlight!
Commemorate your 8th graders final year here at St. Louise by recognizing their success in the Up & Away catalog! Please submit your form and check no later than October 1st. Artwork is due in jpeg format by October 7th!
 
What to Wear
Our theme this year is Up & Away - A Red and Black Soiree, and we are encouraging everyone to arrive dressed in red, black or red AND black! Cocktail and evening attire are recommended!
 
Considering Chairing the Auction?
Let's face it, if you have dutifully read this ENTIRE auction announcement, you are just the kind of person we are looking for to chair next year's big event! The benefits? You get a tuition stipend which covers one student for the year. AND, you get the hotel rewards points from the venue! Plus, there's knowing that you benefitted all of the students, teachers and staff of our beautiful St. Louise community! Let us know if you're interested and we can share our experience with you.

Thanks so much for all you do!
 Julianne & Esther
Get to Know the Newest "St. Louisers"
          This year we are welcoming over two dozen families brand new to St. Louise School - with their children entering various grade levels from Pre-K to 7th grade! As a way to help learn their names, we'll post photos of a small handful of moms and dads in the next few Bulletins until we get around to naming them all. If you are a "veteran" St. Louiser and your children are in the same grade, please make an effort to introduce yourself at the next CYO soccer game, school Mass, or St. Louise event.
 
        This week we highlight these new school families...

Sheldon Sequeira & Janicia Monteiro (Jaden in KB)
  
Nat Maney & Gabriela Gonzalez (Andrea in 5B; Angelina in 7B) 

J.W. & Trina Sullivan (Johnny in 1B)  

  

Andres Saa & Diana Oviedo (Andres in KA)

 


Have You Considered a Standing Order?
Sign up now, and your standing order can begin in October! Place an order for basic stores you use monthly, like grocery and gas. Send postdated checks with your order, and your cards will be delivered during the first week of each month. This is the best way to set a budget, determine your needs, and meet your Charger Card requirement!  Find the Standing Order Form on our webpage: www.stlouiseschool.org/chargercards

Last chance for FREE Starbucks! Bonus for September only : Place a Standing Order BY TONIGHT and include at least one "Groceries or Gas" category store and receive a $5 Starbucks gift card with your first order.
 
 
Charger Card Class Lunch Contest! Order Online in October!
During the month of October, place an order online and help your child's class win free lunch!
Contest Details:
  • Online Order must be placed October 1-31. Contest ends 11:59pm, October 31st.
  • One online order counts to each class for all children in your family.
  • Any size order qualifies. (Place an order as small as one $5 Charger Card!)
  • Pay for your order online (via Presto Pay) OR pay by check. (Online payment is NOT required.)
  • Winning class will be determined by highest percentage of participating student families.
  • Date of free lunch TBD by winning class Teacher
Please use the "Online Registration Directions" form to get started!
 
 
Charger Cards for Everyday purchases
  • In charge of treats for the soccer game this weekend? We have Walmart, Costco, QFC/Fred Meyer and Target!
  • Thinking of an easy dinner idea Friday night? We have Papa Murphy's and Little Caesars (just down the street)!
  • Birthday parties or other gifts? We have Barnes and Noble, Target Toys R Us, Claire's, iTunes, Regal Theatres, Jamba Juice, Starbucks and Sports Authority!
 
St. Louise Family Charger Card Tips
  • Use a Charger Card white envelope to hold your unused cards
  • Buy a gift card organizer from the Charger Card Office! Only $3 and perfect for a purse!
  • Use a keychain sharpie pen to write the remaining balance on used cards
  • Buy and use Reloadable cards whenever possible! Use a sharpie to label them reloadable!
  
Ask Charger Cards for Help
Charger Cards would like to help you with plans to reach your minimum rebate and/or earn rebates to reduce next year's tuition! Email us at  chargercards@stlouiseschool.org or stop by during office hours to make an appointment to help you understand the program and the many options to purchase. We will be happy to help you make a "plan" for your family based on your current shopping habits and budgeting!
  
Office Hours
Charger Card office hours are from 8:15-8:45 on every Friday school morning.
Available for online purchases 24/7 at www.shopwithscrip.com
  
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