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ST. LOUISE SCHOOL PARENT BULLETIN
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Dan's Blog
Two weeks ago in my blog I left you hanging when I wrote:
"We will not be asking you to raise your bid card for The Father Phil Tuition Assistance Endowment Fund at this year's Auction. This November, the auctioneer will have only one Fund-A-Need, and it won't be for the Endowment. So what WILL BE your chance to raise your bid card in the one and only group-style-bid during the live auction on November 11th in the ballroom of the Bellevue Marriott?...."
Thanks for hanging in there and waiting for me to announce today what will be our one and only Fund-A-Need this year. I'm hoping that when you're at the Auction that you will be able to give generously to the following when you realize you still have money left on your credit card because you were outbid for those Seahawk tickets and you weren't the top bidder for the Principal-for-the-Day item.
St. Louise Parish and School just took out a $430,000 mortgage loan to pay for this summer's construction of the four new classrooms on the 2nd floor. This construction project put the finishing touches on what was begun in 2009 when we built the majority of our 35,000-square foot school and faith formation building. We want to pay down this loan as soon as possible to save us money in the long term and to speed up the date in which the parish can begin the next phase of the master building plan. The master plan includes removing the original school for increased parking, adding a larger and more formal church entrance, and constructing new parish offices, as the current parish offices (the original convent where our school's first teachers lived in 1961) are clinging to their last years of life. As soon as St. Louise is debt-free, we can begin the next phase of the master plan.
Thus, our 2017 Fund-A-Need is to raise funds to pay down our new construction mortgage.
Captivating? Perhaps not.
Necessary? Absolutely!
Did you know that when studies are done on generosity and giving, the results consistently show that people who are not religious give less than one percent of their income to charitable causes; however, people who identify themselves as devout - be it devoted Catholics, Protestants, etc. - give a much higher percentage? At first, you might simply chalk this up to assuming religious people are just more caring to the needs of others, and thus, they dig deeper and donate more. However, there is a bigger reason that this.
People who are more religious have more faith in God and view Him as a loving Father who provides for his children. Because of this, they feel freer to give generously of their resources and reserves without fearing what the future might bring. Hardness of heart - such as acting like Ebenezer Scrooge - is not the greatest barrier to generosity. Rather, the greatest barrier to generosity is fear of the future. And since the opposite of fear is faith, we circle back to talking about those devoted to their faith - those with the most religious faith are less fearful, and are more giving.
At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to God as our Father and exhorts his listeners to trust in God's fatherly providence:
"If God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you. O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well."
(Matthew 6:30-33)
The lesson we devoted and generous Christians have learned is to trust in God's fatherly care and seek his will, rather than our own. Only then, will we become free of anxiety and fear of the future. I believe this is why when we had our first major construction in 2009, and built a $12 million school building, we paid off that project through donations and loan payments by 2016. You and other St. Louise parents and parishioners generously gave, believing in the importance of the project and having faith that your donations might drain the family bank account temporarily, but that account would get refilled in time.
As I mentioned, the parish and school budgets have now taken on a $430,000 mortgage, so we are looking to you - our bighearted donors - to bring that number lower through the Auction's Fund-A-Need. But don't worry...I don't expect you to raise your bid cards on November 11th and bring us $430K in one evening. I may have trust in God's providence, but I'm also a realist. :-)
What our goal is during the Auction's Fund-a-Need is to have $50,000 raised through attendees raising their bid cards. What makes this year's Fund-A-Need TWICE-AS-EXCITING is that, if that $50K figure is raised on Auction night, a small group of anonymous, fellow St. Louise parents have already confirmed to Father Gary and me that they will match that amount! Thus, instantly another $50K will be raised! So, we will have $100,000 of the $430,000 cut from the mortgage in just one evening if we can have a successful Fund-a-Need bidding in the Marriott ballroom on November 11!
You know...I love Catholic education. I started my schooling at that other Bellevue Catholic elementary school (Sacred Heart), I went to Bishop Blanchet High School, and I got my two college degrees at Seattle University. My wife attended St. Michael in Olympia, and we met at Seattle U. We sent our kids to St. Brendan School, Blanchet, and Gonzaga University. I've taught at Eastside Catholic High School and Assumption School in Seattle. If you add up all those Catholic schools ...heck! ...if you add up all those Catholic schools, I've paid a lot of tuition!
Seriously, I love Catholic education because no other mode of education addresses the development of the whole person as well. Catholic schools form children academically and spiritually based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In today's morality-blurred society, our children need morally-strong role models, and Catholic teachers provide that. Catholic school teachers not only touch the minds of their students, they touch their hearts too.
You don't have to have a teaching degree to touch the minds and hearts of children in a Catholic school. As donors to St. Louise, you can join in this ministry of Catholic education.
+ Some can be Catholic school teachers.
+ Some can be Catholic school principals.
+ Some can be Catholic school benefactors.
AND THUS, ALL OF US can be considered to be in ministry.
Thank you in advance for joining in the ministry of Catholic education by becoming a benefactor and donating to the Fund-A-Need at the November 11th Auction. Again - just think - if you can be a part of the $50K raised that night, you will actually be a part of $100K raised!
But you can't be a benefactor at the Auction if you don't buy an Auction ticket, so go here if you have yet to RSVP to attend. And if you find yourself unable to attend the Auction and joining in the excitement of raising your bid card in the Marriott ballroom when the auctioneer shouts out the different giving levels ($10,000/$5,000/$2,500/$1,000/$500/$250/$100), please contact Cindy Wagner in our development office. Cindy can work with you in receiving your donation now to help further reduce our construction mortgage. (If you want, I'll even shout out the giving levels over the phone at you.)
Thanks for reading,
p.s.
When it comes right down to it, on Saturday, November 11, we really ought to see 100% of our parent population at the Bellevue Marriott on Auction night. Because if you're not the type of parent who feels you want to buy a dinner ticket, dress to the nines, and be bidding to help raise money, you can be the type who will be volunteering behind the scenes at the Marriott. Both types of parents are vital to the success of the Auction - attendees and volunteers!
If you'd like to be involved in the latter way, we need up to 10 parents to help Auction night with truck-loading/unloading. If you can join this labor team (which besides helping on Auction night, also puts in 2 hours Friday night and Saturday morning), please contact Sue Richards.
Many other opportunities to volunteer the night of the Auction don't involve a truck, but involve you working around the ballroom on Saturday night the 11th, so you'll be asked to dress more nicely :-) . Sue can fill you in the various job openings we have for Auction-night-workers, so please email her for the details and choose the volunteer position that fits your skill-set or interest.
Finally, if you'd like to say you were a part of the Auction, but are unavailable either Friday or Saturday, the 10th or 11th, please consider selling Raffle Tickets after the Parish Masses the weekend of November 4 & 5. Please contact
Sue.
Thank you in advance for either volunteering to work the Auction or for attending the Auction! Either way, you are helping your kids' school! Let's get 100% parent involvement! Go, Chargers!
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Upcoming Calendar of Events
Tomorrow
- Earthquake Drill rescheduled to this morning at 10:35
- Walk-A-Thon Rewards Assembly at 1:05 in parish hall; questions? contact the W-A-T chairperson at walkathon@stlouiseschool.org
- StL Hat Day - the black "StL" hat may be worn indoors today
Tuesday, October 31
- Halloween Costumes may be worn to school; please follow the guidelines as outlined in previous Parent Bulletins (no weapons; no violent-themes)
Wednesday, November 1
- All Saints Day Mass, 9:00 AM; parents are asked to meet their children outside the classrooms at 8:45; read about how this is a Holy Day of Obligation
Thursday, November 2
- RSVP deadline for Auction reservations
- Charger Cards sales window open this morning from 8:15-8:45AM instead of Friday (due to no-school on Friday)
- School Commission meeting, 6:30PM in the faculty room; all parents are invited to attend
Friday, November 3
- NO SCHOOL - end of the 1st trimester
- Kids' Club closed
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Going...Going...
(Time Is Almost) Gone
to Register Your 4th-8th Grader for Basketball
It is basketball sign-up time for grade 4-8 students for St. Louise's 2017-18 CYO Basketball season!
All registration is done online HERE.
Regular registration closed last Friday, but late registration (with a $15 late fee) is open for a few more weeks.
All regular season CYO basketball games are held on weekends, either Saturday or Sunday, with the first games beginning the weekend of November 18-19, and the regular season ending the weekend of January 27-28. (FYI: There are no regular season games scheduled over Thanksgiving and Christmas weekends.) Teams typically play 7 or 8 regular season games.
If you have any questions, please contact St. Louise Basketball Coordinator, Rodney Thomas.
Go, Chargers!
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Auction News
Mrs. Bazan Thinks This Live Auction Item ROCKS!!
We can't wait to share all the items that you will have a chance to bid on in the Live Auction when catalogs are sent home in the
November 9th red Family Envelopes! To give you a sneak peek, we asked a few members of our St. Louise Staff to look over our exciting live auction lineup and tell us which one they think ROCKS and can't wait to bid on come auction night.
This week Mrs. Bazan picked:
Australian Labradoodle Puppy
The winning bidder will
be the proud and smitten owner of a male Australian Labradoodle puppy from Aladdin Australian Labradoodle in Blaine, Washington. These puppies are allergy friendly, low to no-shedding, smart and affectionate to all two and four-legged folk. Puppy will be available in the spring of 2018. Visit
http://aladdinlabradoodles.com/
for additional information.
Registration for the Auction Closes Next Thursday
Please be sure to RSVP to attend the Auction before next Thursday's deadline.
If you're not able to attend the auction, you may either give a straight donation to the auction here, or you bid on Live Auction Items through "proxy bidding." Email auction director Sue Richards for details about proxy bidding.
And did you know you can sponsor a teacher's registration by paying for a teacher's auction dinner? You'll find the "Sponsor a Teacher's Auction Ticket" option here.
Sign-Up Opportunities Online NOW
There's something fun for everyone in our sign-up opportunities! Treat your kids to Kidd Valley Hot Lunch delivered to school; a week of free dress; and/or a fun event with one of their favorite teachers! Better yet, treat yourself to one of a kind events with other St. Louise Parents - such as brunch and mimosas on Lake Sammamish, a group cooking class, or a Dance Party! All these and many more are available to
purchase
online now
! Don't wait - many events sell out before the Auction!
What IS Bid-O-Gram, Anyway, and How Does It Work?!
Bid-O-Gram is a fun and easy way to bid on items at the auction. Bid-O-Gram items are so hot, they just missed being placed in the live auction. This year we have 23 Bid-O-Gram items. A few of them are shown below. So how does it work?
* Bid-O-Gram screens will be set up in the ballroom at dinner - you'll see them from the comfort of your dinner chair!
* Screens will list all Bid-O-Gram items, their value, and their current highest bid in real time.
* If you'd like to bid, here's how it's done:
- Bid-O-Gram bid sheets will be on your dinner table;
- Fill in your bid amount next to the item on which you'd like to bid;
- Raise your completed bid sheet in the air;
- One of our Bid-O-Gram runners will run to your table and deliver it to be input on the screen;
- Watch your bid number and bid amount show up instantly on the Bid-O-Gram screen - IF you're the leading bidder! If anyone in the room out bids you, their bid number and bid amount will show up on the screen.
- Have fun watching your bids from the comfort of your dinner table - and get in a bidding war with other bidders in the room. Give our Bid-O-Gram runners a workout by bidding often!
Purchase Your Live Opportunity Ticket Now - Before They Sell Out
We have already sold many of our Live Opportunity Tickets - only 100 tickets will be sold, so be sure to purchase yours ahead of time online here. One ticket will be drawn just before the live auction begins, and that lucky winner will get to choose any item* from the Live Auction to take home that night for the price of their $100 Live Opportunity Ticket! For just $100, you have a 1 in 100 chance of winning one of our amazing Live Auction Items! (*Please note the Punta Mita, Mexico trip is excluded.)
Thank You to Our Volunteers!
Huge thanks goes out to St. Louise Alumni Moms Maureen Moreton, Mindy Morgan, Mitzi Fant, Lori VanderZanden, Linda Bowers and Katy Blair, who have all been helping in the auction office! ....Once a St. Louise mom...always a St. Louise mom!
Thank you also to Anneliese Kertson and Steve Greene for collecting wine donations at carpool last week!
Megan Kirk
has been a super volunteer, and we want to acknowledge her tremendous help in the auction office this fall!
We are still looking for volunteers! If you'd like to be involved in the exciting auction preparations - it's a great way to earn volunteer hours and get to know other St. Louise families. Please email Sue Richards for more information about how YOU can help!
Following are two of the ways you can help, but there are many other volunteer opportunities besides these:
1) We need 8-10 volunteers to help with transporting items to/from the Marriott a couple of hours on Friday night, November 10, and then again on Saturday morning, November 11, and Saturday night from 9pm to midnight. You'll be helping to load and unload the truck with auction projects and supplies.
2. We are looking for volunteers to sell Raffle Tickets outside of church after all the Masses the weekend of November 4 and 5.
Please contact Sue if you're able to help. Thank you in advance - we couldn't do it without YOU!
We Have a Winner ...Make That Two Winners!
Congratulations to the 8A parents who brought in the most bottles of wine for the Premium Wine Contest, and barely beat out the 2A parents in a very close race for first place. With this win, the students in Mrs. Herridge's homeroom will be treated tomorrow to a donut party. But because the 2A parents put in such a fantastic effort as well, Miss Casey's students will also receive donuts tomorrow! Thanks to the parents in both classes for their achievement, and thanks to all the school parents who donated wine to the Auction. These bottles will be used on Auction night for both the Mystery Wine Pull and the Premium Wine Table. Be looking for these at the Marriott!
Please contact me if you have questions or want to know how you can help.
Thank you for all your support! Our School House ROCKS!
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Welcome, New St. Louisers
All year in the Parent Bulletins, we've been showing photos of our new St. Louise School parents, and here are two more. Thanks for saying hello and introducing yourselves when you see the newest St. Louisers on campus!
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John & Thuy Yuen
(new 6th & 8th graders) |
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| Mark & Marian Zappala (new kindergartener) |
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Adopt-a-Garden & Earn Volunteer Hours on Your Own Time
If you would like do yard work to earn volunteer hours, you can come on your own time - weekends or evenings. It's a great way to volunteer on your own schedule! We call this our
Adopt-A-Garden program, and if you email
Megan Kirk, she'll help you find an area on the parish and school grounds to "adopt" as your own. Then throughout the year, you can come and weed it, rake it, prune it, and keep it looking nice - all the while earning yourself volunteer hours.
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Thanksgiving Baskets Service Project Calls on Kids & Parents
On Friday, November 17, the entire school will be donating food items and other goods for our annual
Thanksgiving Baskets service project. We will be partnering with the parish and the St. Vincent de Paul Society to create 25 bountiful, traditional Thanksgiving feasts to deliver to families in need within our community. Here's how your family can help.
Your child will soon be discussing in his/her homeroom what he/she agrees to bring to school to add to the classroom basket. It could be food (e.g. flour, canned pumpkin, sweet potatoes), or it could be items (the basket itself - we carry these donations in new,
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| Leonard, Connor, and David donating food at last year's Thanksgiving Baskets service project |
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plastic laundry baskets we gift to the families). We suggest you then allow your child to select the designated item from your pantry or help you shop at the store. This assures your child will feel a connection to the service project. Please have your child bring the food or item to the classroom the morning of Friday, November 17 (November 16 for Pre-K). If you have any questions, please ask your homeroom teacher.
If parents want to help besides with the donation, it takes many hands to sort your generous donations and create these bountiful baskets to hand out to the families. Volunteers are needed for assembling our offerings during the service project day on the 17th. Please contact
Cindy Wagner if you can volunteer for a few hours beginning at 8:30AM that morning.
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Special Holiday Offers Are Coming for Charger Cards
We're stocking up on special bonus rebate offers and special holiday season cards to help you get ready for holiday celebrations. Special offerings of $5, $10, and $15 cards will be available in the coming weeks for a variety of popular stores and restaurants, so please stop by the Charger Card window or visit www.shopwithscrip.com to learn more.
These cards can come in especially handy as we all start putting together Thanksgiving baskets to share with those in need next month.
Special Window Sales Day
Due to the NO SCHOOL DAY next Friday, our Charger Card sales window will be open next week on THURSDAY, November 2, from 8:15-8:45 am. Orders received by 9:30 am on Monday, October 30, will be filled and sent home in student backpacks on Thursday November 2. You may always purchases 24/7 at
www.shopwithscrip.com.
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Take a Parenting Class for Free
Many of you have heard of the non-profit organization, Kindering, which has a campus in Bellevue and one in Bothell, and works with over 4,000 children and families annually. They are known for serving children with developmental delays or disabilities caused by autism, chromosomal abnormalities, cerebral palsy, vision impairment, etc., by providing early intervention and family support services. But Kindering also provides parent education to parents of children of all abilities. Beginning in mid-November, Kindering in Bellevue will be offering FREE parenting classes. The classes will meet each Monday evening for ten weeks, and are aimed at parents of typically developing children from ages 2 to 12. Topics covered include building self esteem in your kids, effective parent-child communication, managing anger (both your child's and yours), and behavior management. The series of classes are taught by Lois Ralph, a parent-educator specialist at Kindering for 27 years. Register here for the series of free classes, with the first one beginning on November 20.
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Cheers for Our Soccer Coaches
We want to thank the parents who made the CYO soccer season possible - the soccer program co-coordinators, Christie Allemand & Maria Kelly-Doggett, and the coaches:
JC Fawcett, Peter Zevenbergen, John Jung, Kelly & Patrick D'Ambrosio, Cesar Flores, Juan Posada, Sherri Brouwer, Tor Kraft, Elliot Kirk, Brian Tribolet, Brendan Mervin, Paul Krawczyk, Tim Russell, Doug Lower, Jon Sharp, Jurg Bonnofsky, Matt Aitken, Carolyn McHugh, Tom Lester, and Chris Pierce.
Our St. Louise CYO Athletic Board is currently seeking two apprentice soccer program co-coordinators for the fall of 2018 soccer season to train with Christie and Maria. Please contact them at
soccer@stlouise.org
if you are interested. Much of the work is done on your own time at home.
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| Miss Casey attended a recent 2nd grade CYO game to cheer on some of her favorite Chargers. |
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Purchase your full-color, hardback St. Louise School Yearbook from TreeRing in October and you'll save 10% off the cost. You'll have plenty of time to add your own memories from throughout the year if you choose to customize with personal photos. Every student has the option of getting a one-of-a-kind copy containing two free pages to customize with personal photos. Your two free custom pages will be in your book only and are optional. (If you choose not to personalize you'll receive the same book, without the two extra pages.) Yearbooks will be distributed on the last day of the school year.
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See what's happening on our St. Louise Facebook page
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