In This Issue:
ST. PHILIP PAGES AND BLOGS
Principal Notes

Dear Parents,

Welcome back.  I hope that your Christmas and New Year celebrations were both enjoyable and relaxing. Christmas breaks seems to hit at the perfect time giving all of us a chance to renew before we start a new year.  

This month we will have our first visit from our WASC team.  They'll be coming to meet the teachers and tour the school.  On March 7 they will arrive to spend three days here observing and evaluating our program.  Our accreditation is through WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) and WCEA (Western Catholic Education Association.)  We look forward to meeting with the accreditation team and sharing our wonderful school and our plans for the future with them.  

Next Monday we begin our third STAR testing window.  Teachers will let you know when students will be testing.  We will send these results home to you on Monday, February 6.  

I hope that you have a wonderful week and enjoy the rain.

Sincerely,
Jennifer
DATES TO REMEMBER
JAN 10, TUESDAY 
School Mass sponsored by Family 16
JAN 11, WEDNESDAY 
Sibling Applications Due
JAN 13, FRIDAY 
Bingo Bowl for 8th D.C. Trip
JAN 16, MONDAY 
No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
JAN 20, FRIDAY 
Toy Drive ends; Gift Gathering Party
JAN 24, TUESDAY 
School Mass sponsored by Family 18

TO DOWNLOAD ALL THE FORMS AND FLYERS TOGETHER, PLEASE   CLICK HERE.

PARENT-STUDENT HANDBOOK REMINDERS
Tardiness - (Page 6)  
School begins at 8:00 a.m. A student who reports to class after the 8:00 a.m. bell has rung is tardy . Most tardiness is chronic, usually only a matter of two or three minutes, but most disruptive to the entire class once the class has begun. California Education code ยง 48260, subd. (a) states: A truant is "any pupil subject to compulsory full-time education . . . who is absent from school without valid excuse three full days in one school year or tardy or absent for more than any 30-minute period during the school day without a valid excuse on three occasions in one school year, or any combination thereof . . ." Parents must realize the importance of consistent attendance at school, especially in regard to punctuality each day. Students who are absent or tardy are held responsible for any work they have missed. It is the responsibility of the parent that all students are at school on time.
Parents will be charged $5.00 per tardy after the fifth unexcused occurrence. No warning will be given.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS
HOT LUNCH
Ordering for February opens tomorrow, January 10. To set up a new account, go to www.orderlunches.com and use the school password falcon174.

B BASKETBALL STARTING
B Basketball (5th and 6th grade) will start next week.

Tuesday 1/17 - Boys' B 3:30 - 5:00
Wednesday 1/18 - Girls' B 3:30 - 5:00
Thursday 1/19 - Boys B 3:30 - 5:00

Please bring your signed permission form (found on the school website and portals).
If you have any questions please contact Coach Cowie!
Thank you.


MRS. SIMONE'S DANCE CLASS
Want to learn to dance to some of the best new songs?

Mrs. Simone's Hip-Hop/Jazz Class will be held Thursday afternoons from 3:15-4:15 for students in the third grade and up, starting January 19th until March 23rd. There will be a performance in Holy Angel Hall at 3:45 on the 23rd. All classes will be in Mrs. Simone's classroom. The fee is $100. Please return this form ASAP to register.  

REMINDERS
PHOTOS ON FIELD TRIPS
Parents who are chaperoning may not take photos of students on field trips and post the photos on any personal media. Parents on field trips are school chaperones and are acting in an official capacity to help keep our kids safe.  As official representatives of the school they do not have permission to post a photo of any child to social media.  Thank you.

SIBLING APPLICATIONS
Now is the time to apply for siblings for the 2017-18 school year! Our online application can be accessed through our school website under the admissions tab. Any questions, contact Karen Conley kcconley@stphiliptheapostle.org . DUE DATE IS JANUARY 11, 2017!

FIRST ANNUAL BINGO BOWL
Date:  January 13, 2017
Time:  7-10:30 pm
Location:  Holy Angel Hall at  St. Philip the Apostle
Good food fun & games. 
Babysitting available.

Read the flyer here!

POPSICLE SALES
Popsicles are sold every Friday after school! $1 each! Help 8th grade go to D.C.!

ROSARY PRAYER TIMES
Please join us in praying the rosary for the private intentions of our school community that are in the prayer jar at the front office.  There are two opportunities each week:  Mondays at 2:10 pm with your children or Thursdays at 8:05 am with school parents.   Hope to see you there! For more information, please contact:  Julie Schneiders, Mimi Stolpe or Tracy Luiso.

"Our Lady is always close to Her children and ready to help when we pray to her, when we ask for her protection... let us remember she is always ready to serve and never keeps anyone waiting".   ~  Pope Francis



PTO NEWS
GIFT GATHERING PARTY

SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE BOOK FAIR!
We would like to offer thanks to all the Muggles who helped make our Harry Potter Book Fair a success:

Karen Fojas:Flyers
Sara Flores:Mural and decorations
Lisa Brunchey:Teacher Wish Table & Tickets
Anna Shephard:Teacher Wish Table and Tickets-   
Denise Therieau:Organizing Bakers
Virginia Kennedy:Re-ordering & all around helpfulness
Elina Venckus:Re-ordering & all around helpfulness
Vanessa Favala:Posters and tardy slips/wish lists
Lara Servanti:Whomping Willow
Angelea Velandia:Donuts & all around helpfulness
Kathy Andric:Helping with all of our requests

Special thanks to:
  • Virginia Napierala and Claire DeRouhlac for their above & beyond help whenever needed, and counting money at the end of the day!
  • Kathy Andric for helping with all of the Committee's requests!
  • Cindy McCarthy for your support throughout the whole process!

And of course a round of applause to the Heads of our Hogwarts Houses: Diane McCullough & Susan Harden for their exceptional leadership with the Book Fair!  

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
If you do some cleaning over break, remember that the PTO's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle's has on-campus recycling of these items:

Items that are recycled all year - bring to office anytime:
  • plastic markers
  • toner cartridges
  • batteries
  • old uniforms (even sweatshirts with names embroidered)
  • books (starting in February)
  • eyeglasses
Hold these items for later:
  • Gently used stuffed animals (more details in January)
  • Old shoes (any kind, any condition) Soles 4 Soles in May

Questions? contact Tina Udrys LTUdrys@gmail.com


SCRIP SCOOP
 SCRIP SCOOP 
January 9, 2017


AMAZON SMILE: 
When shopping on Amazon, please use "AMAZON SMILE" (same as Amazon) and click, "St. Philip The Apostle School.
( MANDATORY IF YOU SHOP AMAZON)  

SERVICE HOUR OPPORTUNITIES
TB AND VIRTUS EXPIRE EVERY 4 YEARS - BE SURE TO RENEW ON TIME SO YOU CAN STAY ON THE TUITION PLANS A OR C. NOT SURE? KATHY ANDRIC CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION: kandric@stphiliptheapostle.org
SCHOOL SERVICE HOURS
DO YOU WORK OR LIVE CLOSE BY? YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AT THESE LUNCH TIME SERVICE HOURS THAT MAY FIT YOUR SCHEDULE:

KEEPING LUNCH YARD SAFE - LUNCH TIME SUPERVISION NEEDED!
We want to add a few parents to assist with the extra eyes and ears to keep everyone safe during lunch periods each day. There are several openings still available.
Please contact Kathy Andric if you would like to see if this is something you can do for service hours!   kandric@stphiliptheapostle.org 

HOT LUNCH HELP NEEDED YEAR ROUND
Our Hot Lunch Program needs at least two parents each day to help keep the lunch lines run smoothly and quickly. There are a few openings to fill still this year.

Please contact Sandra Altovar at sandra@altovar.net or 510-579-3766 (texts ok) for more information. Thank you!

PARISH SERVICE HOURS
SEAMSTRESSES NEEDED
Seamstress needed for fairly easy project. Please contact David Landa dlanda@stphiliptheapostle.org in the parish office for more details.

PARISH OFFICE HELP
Here is a great way to get all of your parish hours done in one easy morning!  Sign up soon because we are booked through 2016 and have begun taking sign ups for January, 2017!  Talk about low impact; simply answer phones, give out room keys, and greet people.  You will be briefly trained on the morning you volunteer. This is a recurring opportunity every Sunday. Contact David Landa at the parish to sign up for a Sunday that works with your schedule!

PARISH NEWS & EVENTS
PARISH WOMEN'S RETREAT AT MATER DOLOROSA PASSIONIST RETREAT CENTER
A deep well of quiet is rare, but can be found. It requires a retreat from all the clanging demands that surround you. It allows God's voice to enter. It is refreshment for the soul.  Come to a place of quiet and refreshment: come to the mountain at Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre. With the women of St. Philip Parish, experience the voice of God's love, February 3-5, 2017. Please contact Marlene Biseda ( mbiseda@earthlink.net or 626-298-3893 ) or Cathleen Hainley (626-355-7188 ) to reserve your spot. www.passionist.org/materdolorosa
Questions? Feel free to contact school parents;
Sheryl Valdez ( Savaldez@sbcglobal.net and 626-792-0220 ),
Virginia Napierala vnap@yahoo.com or Mimi Stolpe at mimi_collins@yahoo.com

COMMUNITY EVENTS
REFLECTION OF THE WEEK
 
"A bad habit never disappears miraculously. 
It's an undo-it-yourself project."
~Abigail Van Buren (1918-2013)