September Cougar Chronicle
Welcome Back!
Dear Parents,

Welcome Back to School! The faculty and I are looking forward to a productive school year where your children will be enriched academically and spiritually.
Each month I will present to you a prayer and its significance to our faith.

The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows falls right in the middle of the month, on September 15. How was that date chosen? Because the day before, September 14, is the  Feast of the Triumph of the Cross .

Like many of the lesser-known Marian feasts, the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows is tied to an event in the life of her Son. On September 14, we celebrate the instrument of Christ's victory over death; and the next day, we remember the suffering of Mary as she stood at the foot of the Cross and witnessed the torture and death of her Son. We are also reminded of Simeon's words to Mary (Luke 2:34-35) at the  Presentation of the Lord —that a sword would pierce her soul.

Through these prayers for September, we can unite ourselves to Mary in her sorrow, in the hope that we will one day also share her joy in the triumph of her Son. We ask Mary to pray for us, so that we may look forward to the joy that comes from remaining faithful witnesses to Christ.

We Pray:
O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the martyrdom, the crucifixion, and death of your divine Son, look upon me with eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that being disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object.
Honor, glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother of God.
Amen.

Peace,
Mrs. Sarpu
October 4, 2018 grades Pre-K - 8 field trip to Foster Farm in South Windsor 9-11 a.m.
Rain date Friday, October 5th 
We will be celebrating
Grandparents and Special Persons Day 2018
Thursday, September 27th
 Please watch your email for the invitation this week!

This year we will be composing a slideshow of students with their Grandparents and/or Special People. If you would like to submit up to 3 photos of your child with their grandparents or special person please email them to [email protected] .
Pictures must be received electronically by September 15th to be added to the slideshow. Late submissions will not be included. 
Annual HOPES Awards
Each year at the Annual HOPES (Help Our Parish Elementary Schools) Awards Dinner, the Archdiocese of Hartford honors the extraordinary volunteers who support our students, teachers, and faculty in making Catholic schools such exceptional institutions of learning. We are delighted to share that the 2018 St. John Neumann Award Winners from Corpus Christi School are Kristin Cardany, Liz DeVito, and Peggy Diaz Discenza. Please join us in congratulating these wonderful women and in thanking them for their outstanding service to our school. We are truly blessed to have them as members of our community!
CALLING ALL PARENTS
Are you interested in being a room parent for your child's class this year? At Back to School Night, on Thursday, September 6th, each teacher will be asking for volunteers to be the Class Room Parent. Please see the description below to learn more about this important role. We appreciate your interest in lending a hand!!

Fuel Up to Play 60
Corpus Christi has received grant funding from the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, which is a collaboration between the National Dairy Council and NFL to encourage healthy eating and physical activity in schools. With this funding, we will be enhancing our breakfast and lunch serving area with a breakfast cart; and adding new equipment for physical education classes including volleyball for older students and a parachute for younger classes. Stay tuned for information on when our new breakfast cart will be introduced and our kick off event will take place! 
  DILLON SECURITY & INVESTIGATIONS LLC

SCHOOL SECURITY PLANNING

Dear Parents,

As we look to the start of a new school year, the school administration and I would like to advise you of a few new policies and procedures. These policy or procedures changes have been made with the safety and security of your students in mind. The safety and security of our students and staff is of the utmost importance to all of use her at Corpus Christi School. As many of you are well aware, since December 2017, I along with members of Corpus Christi School staff have diligently been addressing your schools safety and security needs. The process began with a security/vulnerability assessment of the school and the Pre-K Annex. A complete review of your current emergency plan was completed and we identified numerous areas of concern and have made great strides towards improving the schools safety & security. The school at this time is now in line with all other schools in Wethersfield and follows the state mandated All Hazard School Safety & Security Plan.

As part of the new safety & security protocols it is crucial that we address issues concerning daily drop off, pick-up and parent access of the school building. All recent security protocols call for limiting parent access to the interior school during drop off and pick up times. Limiting access to the interior of the school building is one of the main security issues. We not only limit parent access to the school but access to the school is limited to everyone. Unfortunately, having an open door policy with school access has been replaced with more restrictive policies. That over the last five years, the rise in reported school violence has forced school districts to enact stricter security policies involving school sccess. As with any of these new restrictive policies we ask for your understanding and patience. It is the main concern of this school administration that we provide a safe and secure learning environment for your students and our staff.

In regards to morning drop off, the new policies are;
·        Between September 4-7 , if you feel the need, you will still be allowed to walk your student into the buildings gymnasium to meet with his/her class.
·        Beginning Monday, September 10, 2018 , front door drop off will be outside at the main entrance stairway. Parents will no longer be allowed to walk their students into the school.
·        All arrivals or visits after 8:00 am, must go through the main entrance, which is located at #581 Silas Deane Highway.
·        Entrance will still be allowed through the rear entrance (Cottwell St) for morning drop off and pick up at 3:00 pm for after school activities. Again, beginning Monday, September 10, 2018 parents will no longer be allowed to walk their students into the school.
·        Increased effort will also be made in properly identifying all individuals that require entrance into the school. This will include requiring the requesting of proper identification from parents also.

We also want to alert you to the presence of the Wethersfield Police Dept. during the first week or so of school. You will see an increased presence of a Wethersfield Police Officer during morning drop off times, during this first week. We are asking the Wethersfield Police to monitor our traffic patterns with the hope that suggestions can be made and implemented that further improve the level of safety & security of your students.

Again, we ask for your patience, understanding and consideration as we go through this process of making Corpus Christi School a more safe and secure learning environment for your students and our staff. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email me at [email protected].


Thomas Dillon
Corpus Christi Security Consultant
Home and School Association News

Welcome Back Corpus Christi School Families!
On behalf of the Home School Association (HSA) Board Members, I would like to welcome all of our new and returning families back to school. We are really excited about the 2018-2019 school year and have some great events already planned.    The purpose of the HSA is to encourage a sense of community among the Corpus Christi School families, while also raising funds to help with school improvements and to minimize tuition increases.  The HSA meetings are scheduled to be held on:

Wednesday, October 10, 2018 @ 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018 @ 8:00 a.m. (Coffee & HSA)
Tuesday, February 5, 2019 @ 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019 @ 8:00 a.m. (Coffee & HSA)
Thursday, May 23, 2019 @ 7:00 p.m.

Each and every one of you is a member of the HSA, your assistance and input is greatly appreciated.   There is no registration required to attend the meetings and feel free to join us at any time throughout the school year.    We understand how busy life can be, and regardless of what your schedule is, if you would like to be involved, there is something available for you.  
The Home School Association Board Members for the 2018-2019 school year include:
President:                                       Lisa Torneo 
Vice President:                                Kristen Archibald 
Treasurer:                                        Peter Piazza 
Room Parent Coordinator:          Rosanna Rodriguez         

Please feel free to email me with any questions and we look forward to seeing you at Back to School Night on September 6 th. 
Fondly,
Lisa Torneo