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ST. LOUISE SCHOOL PARENT BULLETIN
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Nothing beats the first week of school! School is one of the few institutions where people are offered a clean slate every year. A fresh start is something we often don't get in life. Every child is an "A" student that first week of school, with no late assignments in the teacher's grade book and no bad behavior marks that justify a visit to the principal's office.
And the clean slate that school provides extends beyond the students. You parents get a fresh start each year, too! If last school year your child was procrastinating getting started on homework each night, and you found yourself losing your temper, this week is when you begin starting anew with new parenting techniques and/or stronger consequences. If you were known last year as the late arriver whose kids were always trying to beat the 8:30 late bell as they raced from your car to the classroom, this year can be the year when you commit to leave the house five minutes earlier each morning with the goal of finishing the school year with zero tardy marks in the attendance book.
Moreover, it's important to start the school year with a fundamental reminder of why you are sending your children to a Catholic school. The St. Louise Philosophy Statement is:
The primary purpose of St. Louise Parish School is to assist our families in the formation of their children as faith-filled people while providing a quality education. We value a diverse student body in terms of socio-economic background and ethnicity. We celebrate the whole child recognizing that each person has a unique role in building the Kingdom of God. We strive to form a community in which the presence of God is deeply experienced, and to promote serving others as modeled by Jesus.
Not to say you shouldn't be concerned if your child is doing poorly in reading class, or not to say you don't have a right to be concerned if your child isn't understanding the math homework, but I truly hope you remember our primary purpose. Your main concern (and the main concern of the teachers) should be if your children are becoming more committed to their faith, if your children's knowledge of and love for God is increasing, and if the Gospel values Jesus teaches us and that your household supports are just as strongly supported in your children's classrooms.
St. Louise Parish School works hard to do an excellent job with academics, but also to do an exceptional job with assisting you in your children's faith formation. My wish for this school year is that every parent (and teacher) never forgets what makes our school special - our emphasis on not simply impacting the minds of our students, but impacting their hearts as well.
Pax et bonum,
Mr. Fitz
p.s.
The Archdiocese of Seattle has provided some background information on Sexual Abuse Prevention, in light of the summer's horrific sexual abuse scandals. You may find the Archdiocese's statement here. In the near future, you will hear more about this topic from Father Gary to the parish-at-large via the Church Bulletins, and from me to our school community via this Parent Bulletin. In the meantime, please pray. Here is a prayer I found from Mundelein Seminary in Illinois that I would love for every school parent to recite:
"Loving God, turn your ear to the cries of your sons and daughters who seek healing for Your Church. We are heartbroken. We are bruised. We are hurting. In these days we again wrestle with understanding the heinous acts of abuse by some of those entrusted with shepherding Your flock. Ease our troubled hearts. Mend our broken spirits. Be ever present in our distress."
Merciful Lord, send Your Healing Spirit to our brothers and sisters who have endured pain and abuse physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Comfort their weary spirits. Soothe their pain. Grant them justice. May our eyes be opened to see Your image in these wounded members of Your Church.
Shepherd of Souls, make Your presence known to us that these wrongful acts will be addressed. Inspire our leaders of the Church to seek new and effective paths to keep safe the flock they shepherd. Give us all courage to act and speak up on behalf of the most vulnerable. Rush the winds of the Spirit to scatter the darkness of sin. Pour forth Your healing Spirit to renew our trust and hope in You, who are our refuge and our strength.
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen."
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Upcoming Calendar of Events
Today
- First day of Pre-K only for students with last names "A-M"
- Dismissal for grade K-1 students at 12:00 today
- Red Family Envelopes sent home with the youngest child in each family; please empty the contents at home and return the envelope to the homeroom on Friday (some Pre-K students will receive their red envelopes on Friday)
- Curriculum Meeting for all parents of grade 1-6 students at 6:30PM in the Parish Hall; "Student free dress day" coupons given out to 10 parents at random...if you arrive by 6:30 sharp in the Parish Hall!
Friday, September 7
- The red Family Envelope which was sent home on Thursday needs to be returned this morning by your child to his/her homeroom teacher
- First day of Pre-K only for students with last names "N-Z"
- Charger Cards re-opens its sales-window in the original school's for its every-Friday 8:15-9:00AM schedule of weekly sales
- Auction Office in the north wing open with coffee & donuts from 8:15-9:00AM
- Dismissal for grade K-1 students at 12:00 today
Saturday, September 8
- Fall Fix-Up Day from 8AM-12PM; arrive at the north wing of the original school with your weed digging tools (please bring a wheelbarrow and shovels/metal rakes if you can, as there is some bark to spread too)
Monday, September 10
- Daily milk and hot lunch service begin
- Volunteer Playground Supervisors - if you have signed up to volunteer to supervise lunch recesses (or you would like to sign up), please attend the mandatory training session either on the 10th at 6:30PM or on the 14th at 8:30AM; training is held in the Faculty Room; please contact Lisa McKenna for more information
Tuesday, September 11
- Curriculum meeting for all parents of kindergarteners (adults only); 6:30pm in the main lobby
Wednesday, September 12
- Band assembly for grades 5-6; sign-up for Band begins
Thursday, September 13
- Bake Sale; most items cost 50 cents or a dollar; proceeds benefit junior high activities
- Charger Gear will be selling fleece sweaters and Friday-wear hoodies and track jackets from 2:00-3:30 at their office in the central hallway of the original school
- School Commission and Parents' Club Executive Sessions; regular meetings of these two groups - open to all parents - begin in October
- Red Family Envelopes come home today and enclosed will be 2 keycards for each school family; these keycards will let school parents/guardians into the new silver-colored parent/visitor entry door during school hours; school parents will not need to "ring the doorbell" to be let into the silver-colored parent/visitor entry door, but parents still must stop at the office desk to fill out a nametag to wear when on campus
Friday, September 14
- Volunteer Playground Supervisors - if you have signed up to volunteer to supervise lunch recesses (or you would like to sign up), please attend the mandatory training session either on the 10th at 6:30PM or on the 14th at 8:30AM; training is held in the Faculty Room; please contact Lisa McKenna for more information
Saturday, September 15
- Safe Environment "Called to Protect" Class at 8AM in parish hall; all moms/dads/guardians new to St. Louise School must take a "Called to Protect" class by September; please register in advance and find a list of all the available classes by scrolling to the Seattle Archdiocese list HERE.
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Charger Cards Make Perfect Gifts
Buying gifts is an easy way to support our school every time you shop. Whether it is to make a purchase or give as a gift, gift cards are the perfect gift. From physical cards to E-cards (ScripNow), everyone loves receiving gift cards. Make any gift-giving celebration easy by picking up Charger Cards for that special occasion. We carry a wide variety of cards from well-known brands, fine dining restaurants and entertainment. Buy gift cards from these best-selling national retailers:
We also have a limited supply of these Fine Dining RESTAURANT Gift Cards that carry 20% Rebates:
Weekly Friday-Window-Sales Begin Tomorrow
The Charger Cards' sales-window will be
open on all school Fridays from 8:15-9:00AM. You'll find the Charger Cards office in the central hallway of the original school.
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Only a Few Weeks Remain to Complete your Background Check and Safe Environment Training
A required task for each school parent to complete is an online background check process. This process helps confirm the safety of our students when parents are helping at school, coaching a team, supervising an after-school program, or even driving on a fieldtrip. (By the way, all of our employees undergo this same background check process.) Background checks are run through the "VIRTUS" program as part of the Seattle Archdiocese's "Safe Environment" policy. If you haven't yet done so, to begin this background check process please click on the Volunteering link on our website.
NOTE: EACH NEW SCHOOL PARENT MUST REGISTER SEPARATELY WITH VIRTUS when initially enrolling in St. Louise School.
NOTE: EVERY 3 YEARS THEREAFTER, EACH VETERAN SCHOOL PARENT MUST RENEW IN VIRTUS his/her background check and complete a Safe Environment online training.
When completing the background check answering questions, both you and your spouse (if applicable) will also be asked to read Archdiocesan policies on safety, and then to each register for an initial 3-hour training session - called "Protecting God's Children for Adults." This live training session is only taken once, followed up with online training every three years. Please CLICK HERE to sign up for a training session at a Seattle Archdiocese parish that works with your schedule - but that takes place no later than September.
NOTE: There is a training session scheduled to take place right here at St. Louise on September 15, but if it fills up or if that morning doesn't work for your schedule, you can pick another location/date. For example on the next Saturday, September 22, you'll find a "Protecting God's Children for Adults" class at St. Anthony Parish in Renton, and this Sunday the 9th you could attend the class at St. Joseph Parish in Issaquah.
Thank you for keeping our school in compliance with this required process of everyone registering with VIRTUS and taking an initial 3-hour training session!
Please direct any questions to the Archdiocese's Safe Environment Office at (206) 274-3188 or to the St. Louise Parish office through SafeEnvironment@StLouise.org.
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| Mrs. Walker stamps the passports of three students visiting the art room on Passport Day. |
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Thanks for Starting Your Volunteering
Thank you in advance for the extraordinary help you'll be providing by volunteering throughout the school year! We couldn't be such a fantastic school without your wonderful assistance! If during the year you have questions about volunteering, please contact the Parents' Club's Volunteer Coordinator, Jennifer Sharp, at Volunteeradmin@stlouiseschool.org.
When you are ready to begin recording your hours as you begin volunteering for the new school year, you may do this at the "submit hours" link at http://web2.stlouiseschool.org/volunteer. Remember, you have to volunteer for at least 40 hours from now through next June. If you have questions about volunteering, please contact Jennifer.
If you want the most flexibility on your volunteer hours, please consider the "adopt-a-garden" program, whereas on your own time throughout the school year you can weed, prune, and rake a small, designated area on our grounds. Contact fellow school parent Eric Lund to choose your adopted area on our grounds.
Here are some other suggestions for early opportunities to start volunteering in September:
- Plant flowers, pull weeds, and spread bark this Saturday morning, September 8, at our first Fall Fix-Up of the year. From 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., our parish (volunteer) landscaper, Jeffrey Hummer, needs a crew of parents to help spruce up the grounds. (And junior high-age children may accompany.) Please let Jeffrey know how many in your family to expect.
- We need parents willing to give 30 minutes one day a week assisting with traffic directing. If you're already pulling in your car to pick up your child at the end of the day, why not take advantage of the opportunity to earn volunteer-hour time each week while doing so? You work with Mike Fuerte and one other parent helping to park cars from 2:50-3:20 one day a week (or 1:50-2:20 on Mondays). Please contact Mr. Fuerte to inquire about this vital volunteer job and let him know which day of the week may work for you.
- We need parents willing to give 60 minutes one day a week or one day every-other-week assisting with lunch recess supervision. You work with our instructional assistants in supervising the two half-hour recesses for grades K-8 - from 12:00-1:00 - choosing the day that works for you. Please contact our head instructional assistant, Lisa McKenna, to let her know which day of the week (or every-other-week) may work for you. Please note there is a mandatory training session for recess supervisors; you're asked to attend either on the 10th at 6:30PM or on the 14th at 8:30AM; training is held in the Faculty Room.
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Hello, St. Louise Families!
Here is the key information you need to know this week:
Item Donations Due September 17th
For you returning families who committed to donate an item last spring, please make sure that the tangible item or certificate is turned in to the Auction Office no later than 3pm on Monday, September 17th. Also, our new families will want to turn in on the 17th both the tangible item and the completed procurement form to accompany the item. The Auction Office is located in the north wing of the original school building next to the Pre K classrooms.
Welcome to the Fall Routine
For some of us, the return of our children to school is a wonderful time of re-establishing routines and getting our kiddos back out of the house - yet for some, this week marks the first time you will drop your beloveds off in a new place. If you are one of the new parents who is dropping off for the very first time, please know that you are supported by your new community! We have amazing priests, teachers and staff dedicated to the care and education of your children. The mentor families, CYO coaches, room parents, Parents' Club and School Commission are all here to guide you through your first year here. Just know that there are a lot of people you can reach out to, and who will reach out to you this year. Welcome to this
Wonderful Life at St. Louise !
Four Things
Here are the four things you need to know about
It's a Wonderful Life at St. Louise for this very first week of school:
- School Sponsors: Thank you to all of the wonderful families and businesses who joined the ranks of School Sponsors this year! Your generous support to this new program at St. Louise is so appreciated! Starting next week, you'll be able to see these wonderful donors listed in this weekly bulletin, as well as in many other places around campus. Let me know if you want to join this special group!
- Where to find more Auction Info: Keep an eye on the website next week for more information on when tickets to the BIG event will go on sale, what to wear, and how the night will unfold! Check out the Red Family Envelope flyer today to find out more about some special items that will be offered at the BIG event! And, as always, keep up with us on Instagram - @stlouiseauction.
- Thank You! Thank you to these great volunteers for their incredible work on Passport Day: Amy Wilken and Rich Barth, along with their Junior High volunteers, for taking all of the Passport Day photos! Cheryl Sutton, Gaby Gonzalez and Marinell Zevenbergen for working at the Auction table on Passport Day! You all are WONDERFUL!
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Grade 1-6 Parents Meeting in Parish Hall Tonight & Some Might Win Something
Grade 1-6 parents have their Curriculum Night tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the parish hall. This evening is for parents only; please find childcare for your kids. At least one parent from each grade 1-6 family is required to attend. In the hopes of getting this large crowd settled on time so we can stick to the night's schedule, ten parents who arrive on time in the parish hall will have a chance to win a "free dress coupon" for their children!
The Kindergarten Parents' have their unique Curriculum Night the second week of school - on Tuesday, September 11, at 6:30 p.m. and it will begin in the lobby of the main school building. This session is mandatory for all kindergarten parents (at least one parent) - both families new to St. Louise and "veteran" St. Louise families - and is for adults only. Sorry, we cannot accommodate toddlers or babies, so please arrange for childcare for them as well as for your kindergarten child.
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Meet Our Newest School Parents
We are excited to have 50 new school families join the St. Louise School community this fall! Each week we'll be showing your some of the new faces and names. Thank you, veteran St. Louisers, for making these newest parents feel welcome.
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| Johnson and Lavina Goveas, son in kindergarten |
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| Ana Gonzalez, daughters in kindergarten & 8th grade |
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| Erik and Lorena Denny, daughter in 7th grade |
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| Mauricio Cuevas and Adriana Alvarez, son in 4th grade |
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Next Thursday, Expect Your New Keycards
At Passport Day, you saw the new exterior entry door we've installed this summer - the silver door just to the left of the school's front doors. With this new door, at which parents, visitors, and strangers to the school will have to "buzz in" and be let in by the secretary or office volunteer after having been identified through a camera, we can now keep the other front doors to the school locked throughout the school day. (The far west and east exterior doors of the school have already been locked throughout the school day.)
Other than from 8:20-8:30 each morning when the front and west exterior doors will automatically open for mass student entry, all exterior doors of the main building will be locked prior to 8:20 and after 8:30. Students will need to enter the building at these times with a teacher letting them inside, such as when they return from recess.
As for you parents, you have just one way to enter the building at all times - through the silver-colored parent/visitor door. (The original student/staff front doors are red.)
When you approach the silver door, you'll see a doorbell. Ring it and the camera will broadcast your beautiful smile to Lola Bazan's and Mindy Morgan's desk, as well as to the desk of the office volunteer. Once they confirm you are a parent or a legitimate visitor, they will buzz-you-in, in which case the door unlocks and you enter directly into the school office.
Once in the school office, you must fill out a visitor nametag and wear it (unless you are simply dropping off or picking up something from the office, and will be immediately departing the campus.) Our staff and students are trained to report an adult they see on campus who isn't wearing either a yellow visitor's nametag or a green-lanyard/green-nametag that are assigned to St. Louise employees.
But Wait! There's More!
We are purchasing a pair of keycards for each school family, so mom and dad will each have their own, uniquely assigned (and catalogued) to belong to them. With this keycard, from 7:45AM-3:45PM each day school is in session, you will be able to present it to the black-colored keycard reader directly below the parent/visitor door's doorbell, and the door will automatically unlock for you to enter. This will eliminate the need for Lola and Mindy to spend too many of their hours letting our parents into the building. You'll still be expected to immediately put on a nametag upon letting yourself into the school office, and you'll note that your keycard will not activate any other doors on campus or at any other time other than this 8-hour window, Mondays through Fridays.
Your two keycards will be sent home in next Thursday's red-colored Family Envelope. Be looking for those cards on September 13
, and keep them secure in your wallet or car's glovebox. These first two are on-the-house. (f you lose one and need a replacement, it will cost.)
If you have questions about the new parent/visitor door and your keycards, please contact
Dan Kirby, our IT superstar, or
Lola & Mindy, our sensational secretaries. If you have any questions about school security, please contact
Joe Dickinson, the head of our volunteer Emergency Preparedness Committee, who is looking for more volunteers to join the committee.
Thank you for your support and cooperation, as we tighten up security in an effort to increase safety on campus.
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Prayer Aid for the Week
"If you experience dryness in prayer or a time when you come to Mass and feel like you didn't get anything out of it, then that's a good day... That's a day where you get to choose to love God for His sake and not for what He can do for you."
~Father Mike Schmitz
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See what's happening on our St. Louise Facebook page
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