PARENT BULLETIN
February 2, 2017
DAN'S BLOG

Sorry, no time to write much today...
  • Too busy preparing for tonight's Open House.
  • Too busy sending out re-enrollment instructions to all you current school parents in today's red Family Envelope.
  • Too busy emailing you current school parents the log-in information for part of the re-enrollment process that you must complete electronically.
  • Too busy instructing new, prospective school families how to apply for the early-admissions period which begins today.
  • Too busy popping Excedrin.
  • Hope to see you tonight from 6:30-7:30 at our Open House.
  • Hope you get started ASAP on completing the re-enrollment process so you don't miss the deadline and have to pay the higher fee.
  • Hope I can make it to Friday afternoon without collapsing.
     

Thanks for reading,

Mr. Fitz


p.s.
If after receiving your re-enrollment paperwork in today's Family Envelope - and after getting an email today that gives you the log-in information for the electronic-part of the enrollment process - you have questions about enrollment for 2017-18, please contact Mindy and Lola in the school office. Remember to get this enrollment process completed by February 17! The re-enrollment fee is only $75 if completed by then. It increases dramatically - to $200 - if you wait until after the 17th!  

School Calendar
        Please subscribe to the school calendar. You may also subscribe to receiving updates from a teacher's individual webpage by choosing your teacher here, and then clicking on the +Subscribe link.

 TODAY

Thursday, February 2
  • OPEN HOUSE from 6:30-7:30; ALL school families are invited; please encourage a neighbor, co-worker, friend to join you and check out our school!
  • The "early re-enrollment period" for 2017-18 admissions begins this day; this day also begins the day for students who will be new to St. Louise School next year to apply; information will be coming home in the February 2nd red Family Envelopes

COMING UP NEXT WEEK
 
Tuesday, February 7
  • Grade 3-4 "Of Cedar and Salmon" potlatch, 6:30PM in the parish hall
Friday, February 10
  • Kindergarten's "Donuts with Dad", 8:35AM
  • Grade 6-8 "Crowd Social", 7-9PM in the parish hall
Saturday, February 11
  • Speech Team at Archbishop Murphy HS Tournament
Bring a Prospective New School Family Tonight
          Our Open House is TONIGHT from 6:30-7:30PM - and this evening is a time for families (both prospective and current school families) to tour the school and greet the teachers - who will be waiting in individual classrooms. There will be refreshments for the kids and a raffle that costs nothing to enter.
 
 
          Remember, if a new family enrolls in school and we confirm you were the one whose referral got them to look at and choose St. Louise, we'll reward you with one month's free tuition next year! Inviting and accompanying a prospective family to our Open House is a great way to improve the chances they'll want to enroll here. If you have questions about the Open House, or about how the "new family referral reward" program works please contact Cindy Wagner or Laura Leach in our development office.

Go, Chargers!

CYO Basketball Playoff Schedules are out..... and we have 4 St. Louise teams in the playoffs this year: 6th Grade Varsity Boys, 7th Grade AA Varsity Girls, 7th Grade AAA
8th grader Amara goes up for 2
Varsity Boys and 8th Grade AA Varsity Girls.
 
If you can get to quarterfinal or semifinal games to cheer on the Chargers, note this schedule for our St. Louise teams:

6th Grade Boys
  • TONIGHT, 6PM @ St. Louise (Yes, this is during our Open House - so we'll have a full parking lot tonight for both our Open House and this playoff game. Come for both!)
  • If they win tonight, the 6th graders would need to win Saturday at Holy Rosary West Seattle, and then Sunday at St. John, before then heading to the championship game the following Sunday at Blanchet. 
     
7th Grade Boys
  • This Saturday, Feb. 4, 3:15PM @ Holy Rosary West Seattle
  • If they win Saturday, the 7th grade boys play Sunday at Our Lady of the Lake and then in the championship the following Sunday at Blanchet.
 
7th Grade Girls
  • This Saturday, Feb. 5, 9:00AM @ St. Louise
  • If they win Saturday, the 7th grade girls play Sunday at Assumption and then in the championship the following Sunday at Blanchet.
 
8th Grade Girls
  • This Saturday, Feb. 5, 2:00PM @ St. Louise
  • If they win Saturday, the 8th graders play Sunday at St. Francis of Assisi and then in the championship the following Sunday at Blanchet

The complete schedules for all  the CYO 6th-8th grade playoffs may be found at this link:
 
Opportunities to Volunteer in the Coming School Year

There are a few committee/programs who will have outgoing chairs/leaders this spring and will need fellow parents to step up and take over. Please consider being a chair/leader or co-chair/co-leader for one of the following in 2017-18.

NOTE: Thanks to Shawna Shaules for last week responding to our call for a new Hospitality chairperson for next year!
  • The CHARGER CARDS' current co-chairs, Darlene Kraft and Kathy Hueffed, are ready to train their replacements to run the program in 2017-18. Charger Cards requires a commitment of a few hours for one day a week to lead an established committee of volunteers in filling orders and distributing cards. Much work may be done on your own time and from your own computer at home. Contact Darlene and Kathy to learn more, including to hear about how partial tuition-stipends come along with the job!
  • The ST. NICHOLAS BREAKFAST was run this year by Karen and Ryan Reed, who have a well-documented plan to hand over to new co-chairs for the December, 2017 event. What a fun way to earn volunteer hours! Contact Karen if you have an interest. Additionally, the sub-committee chair for the BAZAAR-portion of the event is Regina Aiello, and with 2017 being her last bazaar, she is looking for co-chair to join her next year to learn the ropes as the overseer of the craft tables. Please email Regina if interested.  
  • The PARENTS' CLUB BOARD is losing three parents who finish up their 3-year terms of office this May. The Board will be looking for a Treasurer, President-Elect, and Committee Liaison to be trained in these positions by this coming summer. There are no more than a half-dozen evening meetings expected of Board members during the school year, along with work to be done on your own time. Serving on the Board is a great way to meet more parents while helping the school raise revenue and generate school spirit. To find out more about each position, please contact Mari Sullivan (for Treasurer), Jen Sharp (for President-Elect), and Joni Hoffman (for Committee Liaison).
Baseball Registration Has Begun  
          Registration for the 2017 St. Louise baseball season is now open for all 5th-6th grade boys HERE.  The deadline to register is February 19. CYO baseball practices start in late February, and games run from mid-March to June. Specific game dates and additional information may be found at the CYO website. If you have any questions, please contact Dan Kirchner.
Looking for Volunteer Hours?
          School nurse Jane Reynolds need 14 volunteers to help her with the annual vision and hearing screenings on Tuesday, March 7, from 9am-3pm (with a break for lunch). This is a great opportunity to earn volunteer hours, and no experience is needed.  Contact Jane if interested. 
Sign Up Now for the Annual Father/Daughter Dance
          This year's Father/Daughter Dance is Saturday, February 25, and the theme will be "Dancing through the Decades." So get your Flapper Dress, Poodle Skirt, Go-Go Boots, Tie-Dye Jumpsuits, or Parachute Pants ready, as you dads and your girls will come dressed in your favorite dancing attire from the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, or 90's!  Our DJ will be spinning all the top hits from the past & present as we dance our way through the decades! Prizes will be awarded for the Best Dressed & Best Dance Style from each decade! Food will be provided by J&J BBQ Company.  The dance is from 6:30-9:00 p.m. in the Parish Hall, and you may register online HERE. The cost is $65 per family if you register by February 16.  Late registrations will be accepted but will include a late fee of $10.   You'll find more information in today's red Family Envelope.  If you have any questions or are interested in helping with the planning for this fun event, please contact Teresa Brosche or Rebecca Ort.
 
  
Kids' Club to Expand Size Next Year
          We're excited to announce we are expanding our roster size for afterschool Kids' Club in 2017-18. Starting in September, we will be able to accommodate 70 students in our grade K-8 afternoon program (up from the current cap of 50). This roster increase will be possible as we'll expand our "homework club" time from 60 minutes to 90, for the upper grade students to be supervised by a teacher, thus having a manageable roster size for our Kids' Club staff to supervise the remaining lower grade students. Go HERE for more information on applying to 2017-18 Kids' Club. Contact Kids' Club director, Maria Zambrano, if you have any questions about the program, and contact bookkeeper, Amy Thielman, if you have questions about the registration process.
  February is 'Reload' Month
          To Reload a card, purchase a plastic gift card from the Charger Card office. You can add funds to that same card and reuse it over and over each month. Reload any Charger Card during the month of February and be entered for a chance to win a $25 card of your choice! Will your prize be $25 at Nordstrom? $25 at Safeway? $25 on Amazon? Each Reload is a chance to win! Enter as many times as you like! Once you set it up, you'll see how easy it is to reload!


Charger Cards for Valentine's Day
Let Charger Cards make your Valentine's Day shopping super easy this year! We are carrying cards for that special someone in your life.

Great Gift card suggestions for Mom include:
  • Amazon.com - $25 or $100
  • Crate and Barrel - $25 or $100
  • Gene Juarez - $25, $50 or $100
  • Jo Ann Fabrics or Michaels - $25
  • Macy's - $25 or $100
  • Nordstrom - $25 or $100
  • Pottery Barn - $25 or $100
  • See's Candies - $25
  • Ulta - $25
  • Starbucks - $10 or $25

Create a Valentine Package:
  • From Dad and the Kids to Mom ($50): $25 Gene Juarez & $25 See's Candies
  • The Mom's Day Out package ($60): $25 Gene Juarez, $25 Macy's, $10 Starbucks.
  • The Spoil Mom ($100): $100 Gene Juarez.
  • The Couples package ($200): $100 Gene Juarez, $100 Daniel's Broiler.
  • Dinner and a movie at Crossroads or Factoria ($45): $25 Regal or AMC, $20 Chipolte
  • Dinner and a movie at Lincoln Square ($75): $25 Lincoln Cinema, $50 Maggiano's
  • Evening of Coffee and Books ($35): $10 Starbucks, $25 Barnes and Noble
  • Or get creative and make your own, we'd be happy to customize any package! Nothing says "I love you" more than buying a gift that also helps your kids' school!  Take that extra step to show them you care!
Charger Cards also offers gift wrap to make your life even easier! Charger Cards has lots of cards in stock! Special order cards ordered by Monday, February 6, at 9am will be sent home the afternoon of February 10.


Use Charger Cards for Last Minute Purchases
          Remember, you can purchase online for unplanned purchases and restaurants! Register online and be ready to purchase and print vouchers same day or use your smart phone to redeem within minutes (with NO printing needed!) If you have not already signed up for online access, use the online registration directions form found on our website: www.stlouiseschool.org/chargercards.


Remodel Your Home Using Charger Cards
          Did you know you can complete remodel projects with Charger Cards? A fellow St. Louise family requested their contractor pay for all purchases with Charger Cards! They funneled $20,000 through Home Depot cards using ScripNow. This earned $800 for their family and St. Louise! Simply order online, print the certificates, and give to your contractor for supply purchases!
          Home Depot and Lowe's are available for online purchase 24/7. They can even be purchased on your phone with no printing required! Just show the code to the cashier!

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.
                    +For questions or more information on Charger Cards, please email      
                      chargercards@stlouiseschool.org or visit the school website.



Thank you, St. Louise parents, for not only supporting our school but also supporting our nation!
 
 
 
 
 
 
If you have a photo of your kids in a school or community event and/or at a CYO game, send it 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.
St. Louise Students "Expected" to Be Active Christians

Student Learning Expectations - SLEs - are expectations that our students should know, understand, value, and be able to do by the time they graduate from St. Louise School. Each month, one or two different SLEs are focused on school-wide. Mr. Fitzpatrick announces to all the students the "SLE(s) of the Month" on a Monday intercom announcement at the beginning of each month. The students and their teachers then discuss the meaning of the SLE and come up with examples of how this expectation could be practiced, observed, and realized. They then work all month on improving their knowledge and understanding of this learning expectation, and some grade levels are even able to achieve it later that month or later in the year. Other grade levels will need more years of practice before they can confidently confirm they can satisfy this objective.

At the end of the month, each class informs Mr. Fitz what their class did that demonstrated the SLE(s) was accomplished, or is being initially worked on and hopefully will be achieved in the future. We focused in January on two Student Learning Expectations around the importance of students being COMMUNITY MEMBERS:
  •  #4.1 - "A St. Louise student honors the gifts of others and values the dignity of each person."
  • #1.3 - "A St. Louise student accepts leadership roles and collaborates with others."
     
A few of these classrooms' reports to Mr. Fitz are highlighted below.

In the art room, 1st graders learned about drawing facial features and practiced a new painting technique using tissue paper and water.  Before completing the art, Mrs. Walker had the student discuss the significance of the expectation that they are each "a community member who honors the gifts of others and values the dignity of each person." Then the students wrote on strips of paper positive adjectives to describe their fellow classmate.  Each student used those descriptive words written by their classmates to decorate the outside border of their colorful and fun self-portraits.  One example is shown here, but check out the 1st grade wing to see their selfies in person!

In Mr. Gallant's 8th grade language arts classes, the students are reading The Taming of the Shrew. As part of the discussion of this play, students have participated in a "Socratic Seminar" where student-to-student dialogue ranged from women's rights to societal norms in the Shakespearean age. This allowed the students to value the dignity of each person and what he/she can bring to the table in both the classroom and in society today, rather than allowing prejudice or disdain to develop as in Shakespeare's day.

Mrs. Herridge's 7th grade religion classes are taking part in a "Missionary Discipleship" faith and outreach program all year, which provides a framework for students to encounter the lives of their neighbors on the margins, and then to discern, develop, and execute a missionary service response. This program was developed in partnership with the Seattle Archdiocese's Missions Office and Office for Catholic Schools, as well as the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, and the Poverty Education Center at Seattle University. There is an "immersion experience" of this program, and the 7th graders experienced this in January when they took a field trip to St. James Cathedral, participating in activities to learn how to serve our neighbors, especially the poor or homeless. Our students, who remained into the early evening to help serve dinner for the Cathedral Kitchen meal program, exhibited how they value the dignity of each person.

Turning to the first part of SLE 4.3 - that a St. Louise student accepts leadership roles - in Mrs. McIntosh's 6th grade library classes, books were introduced to the students that focused on civil rights and in particular, Rev. Martin Luther King. After showing the 6th graders the various  books on these topics from our school library collection, Mrs. McIntosh discussed the traits that Rev. King had that made him a strong leader during the time of segregation. Students then had to list ways that they themselves have been good leaders.

The second part of SLE 4.3 - that a St. Louise student collaborates with others - was evident in Mr. Evans' P.E. classes. In January, students paired up and collaborated on putting together a "cool down" routine that was shared with the entire class on a fitness day. In addition, to promote leadership, Mr. Evans' daily end-of-class prayer he leads in the gym was instead led by students last month. Mr. Evans says the collaborative-routine and the leader-led-prayer were so well received by the students, and the quality of leadership during prayer and cool down was so impressive, that he decided to continue this plan for the remainder of the school year.

Even our preschoolers work on Student Learning Expectations. In January, Mrs. Salmon's Pre-K students worked in table groups to design and create parts for their "Recycle-Bot."  Each small group shared recycled materials, ideas, and tools to put together their part of the project, which was then assembled into one amazing robot who collects all of the Pre-K classroom recyclables. What a great demonstration of St. Louise students collaborating with others!

For February, the entire student body will turn their attention to a different Student Learning Expectation: SLE #2.1 - "A St. Louise student is a life-long learner who demonstrates a solid academic foundation while using problem solving techniques, technology, critical thinking, and study skills."


The 3rd graders collaborated as partners in computer class  to create colorful ads about St. Louise.. Mrs. Cole taught them how to access the school website and copy and paste photos from the internet into a project. One of the 3rd grade partners created this ad above.