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Parent Newsletter 11/20/17
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A Message from the Headmaster
Dear Families,
As we enter Thanksgiving week, we have much for which we ought to be grateful to God. Especially in a culture where so many feel and express a sense of entitlement to all they have, we must always thank God for the gifts He has given us - including sufficient food, clothing, and shelter. We thank God for our freedoms and our good health. We thank God for our specific gifts of intelligence and artistic or athletic talent - they come from Him, and we offer them back to Him!
The sincere gratitude of this community has struck me ever since I arrived. I routinely hear Thank You's out of the mouths of our students, which means that their parents are giving them a good example of gratitude. People express their gratitude by giving back in the form of voluntarism, by supporting our Annual Fund (e.g., through a recently very successful Aggie Give Day), and by thanking those who buy raffle tickets from them. People hold doors for each other on the way into the school, and they express their gratitude by paying it forward to the next person who arrives.
As we begin this Thanksgiving week, let me express our school's gratitude to you on behalf of our faculty and staff members. To current parents, we thank you for allowing us to partner with you in the raising of children in faith, reason, and virtue - your children are a gift to us that we are privileged to serve. To alumni and alumni parents, we thank you for your contributions to your (or your son's/daughter's) alma mater, both past and present - we stand on your shoulders as we continue to strive for excellence in all things. To grandparents, benefactors, and friends of the school (and for those who are all three), thank you for your generosity in support of this faith and school community - without your prayers and financial support, many of our students would not be able to attend Saint Agnes School.
God has smiled on this school for years and years, most certainly because of the prayers of Saint Agnes herself! May we always do our best to live up to the greatness of Saint Agnes herself and to be grateful for the gift of the school and parish that bear her name.
In gratitude for all He has done for me and my family through this Saint Agnes community,
Dr. Kevin Ferdinandt
Headmaster
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Car Raffle
We will officially kick off our all-school fundraiser on Tuesday, November 21st with the Grand Prize being a 2017 Ford Explorer ($35,250 value). The earlier your students turn in their raffle tickets AND money, the more potential for winning the incentives. In fact, ALL students who turn in their quota of $100 by Wednesday November 29th will be part of a Special Aggie Spirit Wear Giveaway! This fundraiser promises to be fun and rewarding!
Please contact Tawnee Nasseff for more information.
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Thanksgiving Holiday Office Hours
Wednesday 11/22/2017 - Hours 8:00AM - 2:00PM
Thursday 11/23/2017- Main Office Closed
Friday 11/24/2017 - Main Office Closed
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Aggie Reunion 11/22
A reminder that "Aggie Reunion" will be held on Wednesday, November 22nd beginning at 7PM at Bonfire on Grand Ave. This event is for alumni who are 21 and up, so parents of Aggies who graduated in 2014 and prior, please let them know about this fun event.
Thanksgiving is a great time to get together and celebrate the life-long friendships that were formed at Saint Agnes School. See and share the Facebook invite to help us get the word out!
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Planning Study Surveys
The planning study for the convent, parish and school projects ends in a few days, and we want to hear from you. Thank you to everyone who has participated. Your input is critical as we determine our next steps for our community. If you haven't completed a survey, please do so. If only takes a few minutes. You may complete the survey online. Click on
Church of Saint Agnes and Saint Agnes School and enter the password: Agnes.
Thank you again for participating in this important endeavor for the Church of Saint Agnes and Saint Agnes School.
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Thanksgiving Food Drive
The Junior High Student Council will be conducting a K-12 Food Drive for the Franciscan Brothers of Peace and the Saint Agnes Food Shelf from November 13th-21st. K-6 students can drop off items in their classrooms and 7-12 students can drop them off in Classroom 54 with Mr. Duresky. Items needed include canned broths and soups, canned vegetables, boxed stuffing, boxed potatoes, pumpkin pie filling, other Thanksgiving sides. Thank you for your support! Please contact Mr. Jeff Duresky with questions.
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Lunchroom Volunteers Needed
We are in need of daily lunch volunteers in the cafeteria from 10:30AM to 1:30PM. Work once per week, once per month or whenever it fits into your schedule! If you are available during the school day and would like to join our lively, hard working crew, please contact Annette Beaudry at 651-925-8826. All volunteers will need to be up-to-date with the Essential Three Requirements. Learn more about these requirements here.
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"Essential Three" Volunteer Requirements
The Archdiocese has mandated that all volunteers who have either regular or unsupervised interaction with minors or vulnerable adults complete the "Essential Three/E3" requirements prior to service. The E3 consists of VIRTUS Safe Environment Training, Background Check and Code of Conduct. These requirements must be renewed every three years. Please visit the parent volunteer page of the website for instructions on how to complete the re-credentialing process. Contact Annette Beaudry with any questions.
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Boys Youth Wrestling K-3
All boys in grades K-3 are invited to give wrestling a try for a short two-week mini season after Thanksgiving.
Practices are from 3:15 -4:15PM at St. Bernard's Monday, Wednesday, Friday beginning November 27th and concluding with a mini tournament at on Saturday December 9th at St. Alphonsus. A bus to St. Bernard's is provided. Boys will need to be picked up there after practice.
Cost is $25 to cover t-shirts and awards. Boys should wear gym shoes (wrestling shoes not required), shorts or sweats, and t-shirt.
Registration Link
(The mini-matmen link currently says K-2, but it is for K-3)
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From the Guidance Office
Parents of Seniors: Please encourage your seniors to take part of their Thanksgiving break to finish their college applications, if they have not already done so. Most colleges and universities have December and January application deadlines. We want all of our seniors to find right-fit colleges and universities, so please don't let them pass important deadlines by.
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Upcoming Retreats
Wednesday, November 29th - Freshman Retreat
The full-day Freshman Retreat will be held on campus and will focus on the theme of Love of Neighbor and Friendship. Students are to be in full uniform this day. As we will have some time for recreation, students are encouraged to bring a pair of tennis shoes as well. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Please
contact Mrs. Kemp with any questions or with any special dietary needs for our meals.
Tuesday, December 5th -
Sophomore NET Retreat
We will welcome NET Ministries to our school campus to lead this year's Sophomore Retreat. The retreat will run the entirety of the school day. Students are to be in full uniform this day. Lunch will be provided. Please
contact Mrs. Kemp with any questions or with any special dietary needs for our meals.
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Jason Evert Event (Grades 9-12)
After his cancellation last February, we are excited to welcome back Jason Evert to speak to our students in grades 9-12 this coming December 11th. Jason Evert is an internationally known Catholic speaker who specializes in talking with high school students about the virtue of chastity. He is the author of How to Find Your Soulmate without Losing Your Soul. Feel free to visit his website at
www.chastityproject.com
to learn more.
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Archbishop's Discernment Retreat
The Director of Vocations offers this annual retreat with talks by Archbishop Bernard Hebda. In addition to the talks given by the Archbishop, there will be times of prayer, an opportunity for the Rite of Reconciliation, times of recreation, and plenty of great food. The Archbishop's Discernment Retreat is for men who are seniors in high school to age 50 and are discerning priesthood. This retreat is a wonderful opportunity to gain clarity in your discernment process and to meet other men who desire to follow Christ and to know his will for their lives. Register online by December 13th at
www.10000vocations.org
.
Retreat begins 6:30PM Friday, December 29th; Concludes 1PM Sunday, December 31st at Christ the King Retreat Center, Buffalo MN.
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