Dear All Saints Families, 

We were truly blessed to have not received the feared weather and resulting damage from Hurricane Matthew.  For our new families to Florida, I know this was a very stressful time in planning for the storm.  It is almost anti-climactic when a storm then misses us.  However, please know that a small unpredicted turn in one direction can result in a devastating storm.  For us longtime residents of Florida, we get ready for every storm.  We have to protect our families and properties.  Unless Governor Scott tells us otherwise, we will have to make up those lost two days.  By Florida State Statutes and our accreditation requirements, we must be in school 180 days.  Early release days do count as full days.  We had 181 days scheduled in our 2016/2017 calendar which gave us one flex day.  Therefore, we will use that flex day and schedule another make up day.  Our Diocese has instructed us to use the November 11th teacher workday as a make-up day.  I will verify this by the end of the week. I also want to let families know that all lunches pre-ordered for Thursday and Friday last week will be given credits to the account. 

This week we are learning and practicing the virtue of Stewardship.  Stewardship is receiving the gifts God has given us, tending them responsibly, and sharing them with others so we can give them back in increased measure to the Lord.  Our middle school students approached me today to establish a fundraising effort for the collection of items needed for both the Bahamas and Haiti.  Stewardship is alive and well within our All Saints community. Starting tomorrow, All Saints Catholic School through student leadership, parental assistance, faculty support, and community help, we will begin by collecting items for the Bahamas.  Next week we will collect items for Haiti.  The items collected for both weeks will be the same. We are making our efforts count by connecting with individuals who are able to get the items directly to the people who need it.  The administration is very concerned about collecting items, only for them to be held in bureaucracy or redirected to other areas in the countries.  This week's items will be put on boats this weekend and taken directly to hardest hit areas for distribution.  Next week we are connecting with Haitian priests in the Diocese who know of local schools or locations that are in the greatest need and ways to get the collections there.  Please see the flyer at the top of this page for further details.  Give items for one or both islands.  However, we must keep the weeks separate.  It is so vital we teach our children that service and stewardship is a way of life.  We are so fortunate to live in a country and a city that is financially stable with relief funds for natural disasters.  We are called to help others who have so little.  Thank you for your support.