The School Scoop - November 16, 2016

November 16, 2016

Dear Parent/Guardian & Faculty Member,

I'm back! Sorry about the technical difficulties last week that prevented us from getting The Scoop to you. Wow, one trimester gone and it's time for Thanksgiving! This is the time of year for giving thanks and reflection, especially about family, faith, and the future. At a short meeting and retreat yesterday with Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson, we discussed Catholicity, grace and sacraments. As you may recall from a previous Scoop entry, Dr. Nelson-Johnson will be coming to our school on December 9 to speak with our junior high students about anti-bullying, bystander behavior, and what it means to live as Catholics through God's grace and mediation by giving sacraments to others.

Grace is not just a blessing to be remembered at Thanksgiving. Grace is God's continuous love for us throughout our lifetimes. God's grace is exemplified in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. The father's love in response to his "lost but found" son when he returns home represents the kind of unconditional, forgiving love that God has for each and every one of us. This love is a wonderful example of God's grace.

The grace we show each other and our children becomes more apparent during times of sorrow, disappointment and mercy. Pope Francis speaks of this mercy as the church year of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy comes to a close. Recently, I found myself facing an opportunity to show a father's grace to his son. While I was disappointed, frustrated, and concerned about the situation at hand, I started our conversation with, "I love you, son, no matter what--you are a good person, even if a choice you made was not the best one." I could tell he was truly remorseful as we discussed how he was going to "right the wrong" by seeking mercy, forgiveness, and God's grace. So, as your child's report card comes home at the end of this week, be merciful and mediate God's love with your child, whether or not the grades are the best they could be. Let's all give thanks for the times we can convey God's grace to our children, family, and each other.

I look forward to seeing you at parent-teacher conferences next Tuesday. I hope you all signed up for your conferences. This day will be a half-day attendance for our students with no aftercare services. Students in grades 5-8 need to attend conferences with their parents. If you haven't signed up for conferences yet, you may still do so by using the link that was e-mailed to you last week. If a teacher's schedule is full, please e-mail the teacher directly to set up a separate conference. I also invite you to come to our Book Fair and attend the author visit this Sunday at 3:30 p.m.

I want to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! I am very thankful to our teachers, you, and your children for allowing me to be part of the St. Cletus Family and to mediate God's grace to you. May God bless the St. Cletus community and your families this Thanksgiving! Saint Cletus, watch over us, pray for us, and guide us in our mission of Faith, Family, and the Future.

May the Grace of God be with you always!

Mr. Thomas Chinske

Principal, St. Cletus School

Dates to Remember

November 20-22: Book Fair, Morrissey Hall; Author's Visit on Sunday,

November 20, at 3:30 p.m.

November 22: All-school Mass, 9:00 a.m., Church

November 22: Half Day of School, 11:30 a.m. Dismissal, NO Aftercare

Parent-Teacher Conferences, 12:30-8:00 p.m.

November 22: Uniform Exchange, Lost & Found, & Spirit Wear sales tables

will be available in Morrissey Hall, 12:30-7:00 p.m.

November 23-25: NO School: Thanksgiving Break

Visit the School Website to view the full calendar.

School News & Information

Wear Red on Friday, November 18

On November 18, we will recognize Designate Archbishop Cupich becoming our new Cardinal (on Saturday, the 19th), and we're asking our students to wear RED with their school uniforms in honor of him!

November 22: Uniform Exchange, Lost & Found, and Spirit Wear Tables

Our Uniform Exchange will be available in the Morrissey Hall lobby on Tuesday, November 22, from 12:30 until 7:00 p.m. Please "shop for free" and/or bring in clean, gently used items you no longer need. (You do not need to donate items in order to shop.)
Please check our Lost & Found tables, which will also be available on Tuesday.
Our Spirit Wear items will be available for purchase on Tuesday from 12:30 until 7:00 p.m. in the Morrissey Hall lobby. Go Cardinals!

Book Fair

"Open a book; find a treasure!" This year's Book Fair is coming Sunday, November 20 (3:00-5:00 p.m.); Monday, November 21 (8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.), and Tuesday, November 22 (8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.). Author Eileen Meyer will be here on Sunday, November 20, at 3:30 p.m. in Morrissey Hall.

We are in need of parent volunteers to help make this a successful Book Fair once again. Any help is appreciated. Go to Book Fair Volunteer Sign-up to secure your volunteer spot. Any questions, please contact Mary Ellen Staelgraeve at (708) 352-7693.

2016-17 Annual Fund

The St. Cletus Annual Fund Drive has officially begun for the 2016-17 school year. We are asking school families to please consider donating to this very important fund raiser--any size donation will be sincerely appreciated.

Checks should be made payable to "St. Cletus School" and sent to the school office (please mark "Annual Fund" on the check and/or envelope). You may also donate on-line at Support Our Annual Fund. Thank you for supporting our school.

Science Buddies

A marketing associate (Lily Arendt) at the non-profit organization, Science Buddies, wants to help students from all walks of life to build their literacy in science and technology so they can become productive and engaged citizens in the 21st century. Her current task is to speak with parents or grandparents of students in grades K-12 in order to determine which products and activities parents (and grandparents) are willing to pursue, purchase or support to further their child's education and future success (e.g. college or career). The interview would take place over the phone and only take about 15 minutes of your time. Information will be used to make better STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) resources for kids! For questions, please e-mail Ms. Arendt or call (920) 246-1258. Click HERE to go to the company's website.

Giving Tree

Tags are now available! Please visit the church narthex and pick up a tag for someone this Christmas season. PURPLE TAGS (gifts) are to be returned before/after Masses the weekend of December 10-11. RED TAGS (food baskets) are needed on Sunday, December 18, from 7:30-11:00 a.m. in Morrissey Hall.

Giving Tree Volunteer Opportunities

Please e-mail Kendall to sign up for opportunities listed below:

Saturday, December 10, & Sunday, December 11 (church): collecting and organizing Giving Tree gifts before and after all the weekend Masses.

Sunday, December 11, 2:00-6:30 p.m.: sorting gifts in church and moving to storage. Seventh and eighth graders may come with an adult as a working partner.

Sunday, December 18 (Morrissey Hall):

Seventh and eighth graders must come with an adult, or if in a group, one adult to every five students. Please Note--it is not necessary to work an entire morning/afternoon shift, but at least two-hour shifts, please.

6:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.: accepting and organizing food baskets and gifts
1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.: distribution of food baskets, gifts, and cleanup

St. Vincent de Paul Cookbooks

Thank you to all who contributed recipes for the St. Cletus St. Vincent de Paul Cookbook! We have three upcoming opportunities for you to purchase the books just in time for the holidays!

December 3-4: Before/after Masses (pre-sale orders only)
December 10: At the St. Cletus Holiday Boutique
December 17-18: Before/after Masses

Cookbooks will be sold for $15 each, and all proceeds will go directly to serving those in need in our community.

St. Cletus Holiday Boutique, December 10 Flyer Contact Coordinator

Come out for a fun evening of shopping and socializing with your friends at the St. Cletus Holiday Boutique on December 10 from 6:00 until 10:00 p.m. in Morrissey Hall. Admission is $5.00 per person and includes a raffle ticket or a glass of wine plus appetizers.

From 6:00 until 7:00 p.m., all ages are welcome to attend. From 7:00 until 10:00 p.m., absolutely no one under the age of 21 is allowed. See the flyer above for more information.

DirectorySpot School Family Directory is Now Available

We will not have a "Red Book" (hard copy) family directory this year. Click HERE to access our on-line 2016-17 directory.

School Office Hours

Monday through Friday, 7:15 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Aftercare Pickup

Please park in the angled parking spaces along 54th Street (behind the school building), walk up the sidewalk between the church and the school building, and go to door # 6. Ring the doorbell on the north outside wall at door # 6 to let the aftercare staff know you are here. A staff member will greet you at the door, bring you to Room 99 (aftercare pickup room), and call your child(ren) to the room for pickup. To contact the aftercare staff, call (708) 215-5408 after 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Attendance and Extended Care Notifications

Please notify the school office and teacher(s) for student attendance and/or extended care changes/requests:

School Office: attendance@stcletusparish.com or call (708) 352-4820

Teacher E-mail: [first initial last name @ stcletusparish.com]