PARENT BULLETIN
March 23, 2017
DAN'S BLOG  
 
Last Saturday, I went out in my yard and started pruning many of my family's deciduous trees and shrubs. I was preparing for the spring season ahead, hoping I'd be able to thin out the landscaping now when I had a clear view of the branches, and thus set me up for a leaner, cleaner spring and summer landscape. As I was pruning, I thought about an old homily I heard a priest give ...or was that a homily I heard an old priest give? ...well, whatever ...I just remember that he said you could always connect pruning branches in winter to the Lenten season. He said something about Lent being the season set apart for the purpose of cutting off all that is dead, cold, lifeless, and decaying.
 
So as I continued last Saturday pruning my leafless dogwood, my decaying blueberry bushes, and my cold Hydrangea, I started comparing the botanical and gardening lessons of winter pruning with similar faith formation and spiritual lessons that can be gained, and came up with the following steps of "pruning" at this time of year.

1) Have a clear purpose in mind when you prune.
* In tree-pruning, think about what you want to do to the tree or shrub you're pruning. For example, deciduous pruning should promote a natural style.
* In Lent-pruning, think about what part of your faith formation needs building this season or what part of your personal growth needs most attention this year. You don't have to attack everything all in one season. Is this year going to be the time you focus on reading more Scripture to draw you closer to God? Or is your purpose this year to improve your personal relationships within your family?

2) Remove undesirable branches.
* In tree-pruning, you remove all dead or diseased wood, and then remove all suckers and water sprouts.
* In Lent-pruning, your goal is to try to remove from you those things that are doing you no good, such as habits that are bad or tempers that flare. That's why it's a perfect season to stop eating sweets, to stop smoking, to exercise more, to quit the cursing, and to refrain from fighting with your spouse.

3) Work slowly, taking plenty of breaks to step back and look.
* In tree-pruning, you want to make sure the tree is balanced. Does it look symmetrical? Know when to stop swinging the pruning shears. You can always go back and take more off, but you can't put it back on.
* In Lent-pruning, you want to make sure your life is balanced. Is your family and your Lord at the center of your life, or is your golf game and your social media habits fighting for prime space? You can never get back those missed experiences with your kids once they grow up. Similarly, decades from now you will never be able to explain a good reason to Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates why you didn't get your family to Mass more often on Sundays.

4) Disinfect your tools once they get too stained.
* In tree-pruning, cleaning tools with a 10 percent solution of rubbing alcohol and water helps prevent the spread of disease as you prune from one tree to another.
* In Lent-pruning, St. Louise Parish has a Penance Service on April 5 for you and/or the entire family (at 10AM) and individual Confessions every Saturday from 3:00-4:30.

5) Know your limits.
* In tree-pruning, be careful, as tree work can be dangerous. If you need to prune large trees or use a chainsaw, you may wish to seek professional help from a certified arborist.
* In Lent-pruning, if you have a heavy burden on your heart or are undergoing a big personal struggle, there are professionals who can help. St. Louise Parish has a part time counselor , and Catholic Community Services is also a good place to look for assistance .

My home pruning was done LAST Saturday, but coming up THIS Saturday is our first "Spring Spruce-Up" of the year. These Spruce-Ups are a time when school parents and parishioners get together to help do yardwork around the school and parish grounds to help beautify the St. Louise landscape. We are directed by our volunteer expert, Jeffrey Hummer. Jeffrey is a parent of St. Louise alumni who has been overseeing much of the work on our grounds for many years, and we're so grateful for his service!

What's great about working with Jeffrey on these Spruce-Up Saturdays is you can ask him for suggestions about your own home landscaping projects as you volunteer alongside him. For example, you could ask about the proper depth to plan that new azalea, or ask why your new roses keep dying. For this free consultation service, Jeffrey simply asks this of you:
 
1. RSVP to Jeffrey , so he has an idea of how many volunteers to expect and thus the scope of how much work we can expect to accomplish.
2. Bring your gardening gloves and any gardening tools you're able to - from rakes and weeding tools, to wheelbarrows and shovels.
3. We recommend children only come if they are middle-school aged or older and willing to work for 4 hours.
4. Gather outside the north wing to the original school building at 8:00AM.
5. Lunch will be served at 12:00PM for any who are able to stay for the entire 4-hour work session.
 
Thanks for considering volunteering at this Saturday's Spruce-Up, and if you can attend, for RSVPing today. If both spouses can attend, that's 8 volunteer hours you'll pick up! (Note that we'll have another Spruce-Up Saturday on April 22.)
 
And if Saturday mornings don't work for you, a similar way to earn volunteer hours - but with more flexibility for your schedule - is to "adopt a garden." The Adopt-a-Garden program is a way for school families to be assigned a small section of the parish/school grounds to oversee year-round as theirs to weed and upkeep on their own time - weekends or evenings - just as long as it remains looking good throughout the year. It's a convenient way to earn volunteer hours while helping out St. Louise. If you'd like to "adopt a garden," please contact the coordinator of that program, Megan Kirk .
 
Thanks for reading,
 
Mr. FITZ

p.s.
Below you'll find an article describing the differences of the #1-4 grading marks on the report cards that are coming home tomorrow, be it the marks in the behavior-related categories or the academic-related categories. Note that as Mike Fuerte and I proofread all the teachers' report cards before they are finalized and printed, it is not uncommon for us to read through all the cards from one homeroom and not see one "4" earned. Sometimes, parents are disappointed their child doesn't have "4"s but instead only received "3" marks on the report card. But a "3" is actually a wonderful achievement - exactly what teachers are hoping their students can achieve. Similarly, sometimes parents are extremely upset to see "2" marks, but for some students a "2" shows good progress. A "2" means the student is accomplishing some expectations but just needs a little more help or needs to show a little more improvement. Now, similarly to Mr. Fuerte and I seldomly seeing "4"s on cards, we seldom see "1"s. If there is a "1" mark on your child's card, I assume you and your child's teacher have been in communication, as this is indeed serious. Thanks for partnering with your child's teacher as we continue in this final trimester in helping your child grow in their academics and social and study skills.
 
School Calendar
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TOMORROW & THIS WEEKEND
 
Friday, March 24
  • Grade K-8 Report Cards Sent Home
Saturday, March 25
  • Spring Spruce-Up, 8AM-12PM; earn volunteer hours while helping to weed, rake, prune, and spruce up the school grounds
  • CYO Coaches' Dinner, 6:30PM in parish hall
     
     
NEXT WEEK
 
Thursday, March 30
  • Grade 6-8 Reconciliation Service and Individual Confessions, 10:30AM
Friday, March 31
  • Opera performance in parish hall for grade K-6 at 1:05; paid for by Parents' Club enrichment grant; parents welcome to attend
SAVE THE DATE
 
April 3-7
  • School Closed for Spring Break; Kids' Club Closed
Monday, April 10
  • School resumes; Holy Week begins; grade PK-8 religion classes begin weeklong focus on the theme of "Death & Resurrection" (age appropriate), culminating in Good Friday's participation in Stations of the Cross and celebration of Easter

 

 

Have You Been Logging in Your Volunteer Hours?

         With just one trimester remaining in this school year, school families who have yet to volunteer the required minimum 40 volunteer hours have about 11 weeks remaining to volunteer around the school/parish and log in those hours HERE. Our volunteer coordinator, Marinell Zevenbergen, is available to help school parents who need help understanding the logging-in process or finding jobs to do.
          If you know you are not going to be able to make your 40 hour commitment before the end of June, you may pay an $18.00 per hour fee in lieu of the volunteering. Please send in the check payable to "St. Louise School Volunteer Hours" to the attention of Dan Fitzpatrick. If there is a health-related and/or financial hardship affecting your ability to complete your commitment or pay a fee this school year, please discuss this directly with Dan.

          The students and staff greatly appreciate the time and talent all St. Louise parents give through your awesome volunteering! It's a hallmark of our school!

 

 
School Musical Tickets On Sale Now

          Our school musical - Seussical, Jr. - stars many of our 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, who have been working on it since November. They will be performing at the Bellevue High School Theater on May 3 and 4. Ticket order forms are available at the school office, and with no tickets sold at the door, and the best seats in the house filled on a first come-first served basis, you'll want to get in your ticket order now! For more information, contact the show's producer/director, Terry LaRussa Banton.


Report Cards Coming Home Today
          All grade K-8 students will be bringing home their 2nd trimester report cards today. The cards are for parents to keep. We ask that you sign the back of the manila envelope to signify you received the card, and then return the unsealed card to the teacher Monday so we may reuse the envelope in June.
          Note below the explanation of how to read the 1-4 scale marks used on report cards. Please contact the specialist or homeroom teacher directly should you have a question on a mark your child earned for the just-completed trimester. The new trimester ends on June 7 (and earlier for 8th graders).

 
ACADEMIC MARKS
BEHAVIOR MARKS
FOUR    4
Exceeding Grade Level Expectations
for this grading period
  • Exhibits exceptional quality work consistently
  • Shows high level of knowledge and understanding
  • Shows creative and new ways of thinking
  • Applies learning to other subject areas and life situations
Exceeding Grade Level Expectations
  • Always follows school rules
  • Listens attentively at all times
  • Never disturbs others when working
  • Consistently demonstrates a respectful and helpful attitude toward teachers, classmates, and school environment
 
THREE 3
Meeting Grade Level Expectations
for this grading period
  • Meets requirements for quality work
  • Shows knowledge and understanding
  • Demonstrates sound thinking
  • Applies learning to other subject areas
Meeting Grade Level Expectations
  • Follows school rules
  • Listens attentively
  • Works with minimal disturbance of others
  • Demonstrates a respectful attitude toward teachers, classmates, and school environment
TWO  2
Progressing Toward Grade Level Expectations for this grading period
  • Meets some requirements for quality work
  • Demonstrates some knowledge and understanding
  • Requires extra time, instruction, assistance, and/or practice
Progressing Toward Grade Level Expectations
  • Has difficulty following school rules
  • Needs improvement in listening attentively
  • Occasionally disturbs others when working
  • Demonstrates some respect toward teachers, classmates, and the school environment
ONE
1
Not Meeting Grade Level Expectations
for this grading period
  • Seldom meets requirements for quality work
  • Demonstrates little knowledge and understanding
  • Requires an extended amount of time, instruction, assistance, and/or practice
Not Meeting Grade Level Expectations
  • Rarely follows school rules
  • Is inattentive when should be listening
  • Constantly disturbs others when working
  • Demonstrates little respect toward teachers, classmates, and the school environment
 

 

Join the CYO Track & Field Team
          Registration is open for the  4th through 8th grade St. Louise Track & Field team here: CYO Track Registration . Practices will be Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 5:00 to 6:30 at Odle Middle School, starting April 25.  Track meets will be held on Saturdays in May, and on June 3.
           The Seattle University Track & Field team is once again offering a free day of Track & Field coaching on the SU campus. This fun event on April 2, from 1:30 to 4:30 pm, is an opportunity for St Louise athletes to receive training for track & field.  To sign up for this free event, email CYO coordinator  Joe Hueffed for further details.   
Send In Your Nominations
             Every year St. Louise Parish School honors an alumnus or alumna with the Distinguished Graduate Award. This award, co-sponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association, goes to St. Louise School graduate who has made a positive contribution to American life and/or the Catholic church. Past recipients include: Sharon Betzler Huber, Janet Behrenhoff, Ken Cline, Maureen Heflin Still, Maureen Kelley Duckworth, Luisa Nava Orejana, Jane Bott Reynolds, Curtis Betzler, Sgt. Amy Winn, Erin Wagner, Millie Dorris Judge, Doug Glaze, Donna MacKenzie, and Commander William Dorris. If you know of a St. Louise graduate you would like to recommend be considered for this award, please contact Laura Leach in the School Development office. Please note that candidate must have graduated from St. Louise in 2007 or earlier.

March Madness Ends Next Friday the 31st

If you use your credit or debit card for purchases through next Friday, there is no 'fee' for transactions in excess of $100. How many of your purchases can you make this month using Charger Cards? Buy your gas, groceries and all other spending through Charger Cards first and pay with your credit card. Get your frequent flier points AND support St. Louise at the same time!

Congratulations to the Condit family for winning the February Reload Raffle! Thank you to all families who participated by Reloading Charger Cards last month.


Charger Cards Can Help Reduce Identity Theft

Charger Cards can help with concerns about online purchasing and identity theft. Did you know gift cards are a safe way to make purchases both in store and online, reducing the amount of personal information you share with a store? A gift card can be treated the same as cash for in-store purchases or can be used like a prepaid credit card online. A great example of this is, if you only used gift cards at Target or Home Depot (rather than a credit or debit card), your personal information would not be at risk at these stores. Buy Charger Cards online without using personal information. Did you know you can purchase Charger Cards online with check or cash payment? Select "send check payment to school coordinator" option at online checkout. If you prefer to pay online, PrestoPay is the online payment option you may set up and use.
  • Directions for PrestoPay set up are included on the "Online Registration Directions" page.
  • All forms and information are available online on the Charger Card home page: www.stlouiseschool.org/chargercards
  • Use the "Online Registration Directions" form to register to order cards online.

Attention Standing Order Families

Please note the payment and delivery date for April Standing orders. Due to Spring Break, Standing orders will be sent home on March 31. 


 

Charger Card Office hours:
  • Fridays from 8:15-8:45am - Last day for March Madness is Friday, March 31, at 9am.
  • School and Charger Card office will be closed Friday, April 7, for Spring Break.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you our talented 5th and 6th graders singing in the winter concert, under the direction of Mrs. Terry LaRussa Banton!
 
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.