St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter
JANUARY 11, 2019
A Message from the Principal...
Dear St. Louis Families,
 
Ahhh the talk of snow is everywhere - - all my student snow predictors are excited at the possibility! Please remember to watch the news/twitter feed for FCPS closures or delays in case inclement weather, and the school will send out an email as well. The children never like to hear it from me, but I hope for gentle weather since the instructional week ahead is a short one (11:30 dismissal on Wed., Jan 16 and no school on Thurs-Fri., Jan. 17-18)! Our teachers have professional development time on Wednesday afternoon through Thursday, as we head to West Virginia for our annual staff retreat. Please pray for us as we work to serve all of the St. Louis families and parish community. 
 
Friday, Jan. 18th is the annual March for Life in our nation’s capital! I have sent home a letter with options for transportation by the local parishes. We hope that you have the opportunity to be a visible sign and voice for the protection of the unborn, and we ask everyone to pray for the protection and respect of all life – which begins at conception and goes until death at God’s appointed time.
 
I hope to see many of you at the PTO meeting next Tuesday night, Jan. 15th at 7pm. We will have general business and then speakers from Bishop Ireton talking about the diocesan high school math program and math progression. It will be a great chance for you to look ahead, no matter what your child’s age! Mrs. Denise Tobin and Mrs. Lonnell Battle, the principal and vice principal will both be here.
 
Our virtue for this month is Gratitude – seeing everything as a gift and being thankful. I am very thankful for all of you as you share your children with us, and I look forward to our continued work as we #Choose Jesus!
 
Peace,
 
Kathleen McNutt
Principal
School Announcements
Weekly Prayer Intentions
Each day our school community prays for the intentions of our families. This week the following families were included in our prayers: Lopez, Lorenzo Y Losada, Lowe, Luoma, Lyons, Maly, Martineau, Martinez (4th, 7th, 8th), Martinez (8th), Matheis, Mathes and Mayne.
March for Life, January 18th
On Friday, January 18, 2019, our parish will be joining thousands on the National Mall in the March for Life, as we speak for the unborn and bear witness to a respect for human life. There is no school that day, so it is a perfect opportunity for families to March together! See the attached flyer for details on transportation to the March or go to www.kofc5998.org for more information and to reserve your bus space(s). Our eighth graders have been invited to join the teens of St. Louis Parish and the St. Louis Youth Ministers for a separate bus which will depart directly from the St. Louis parking lot. If your eighth grader has not signed up, go to https://saintlouisparish.org/march-for-life-2019 for information. For those of you who can’t join us for the March, we ask that you keep the marchers, the lawmakers, and most importantly, the unborn and expectant mothers in your prayers.
January 17 & 18 Baroody Camp at St. Louis School
St. Louis School has an 11:30 dismissal on Wednesday, January 16th (there WILL be after school EDC that day); and there will be no school on Thursday, January 17th and Friday January 18th. Our teachers will be having diocesan professional development days with a full overnight staff retreat in West Virginia and then the March for Life in Washington, DC. This is followed by no school on Monday, January 21st, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Because we understand that working families may need some assistance on those unusual days off, there is a Baroody Camp option to be held in McClunn Hall on January 17th and 18th (see attachment for sign-up details).
Order February Hot Lunch Today!
Deadline: Sunday, January 20th

Lunch orders are now being accepted for February! All orders must be placed online.

Please follow this  link   to go directly to the online order form, or visit the school website at  www.stlouisschool.org   and scroll under Parent Community to Hot Lunch.

You will receive an email confirmation after successfully submitting an order online. If you do not receive an email confirmation of your order that means it has  not   gone through. Please try again or contact the school office for assistance.

Questions regarding your lunch order? Contact Mrs.Thomas   jthomas@stlouisschool.org
Technical questions related to the order form? Contact Mrs. Matheis   development@stlouisschool.org
PTO
PTO Meeting - Tuesday, Jan. 15th
Come to the PTO meeting on January 15, 2019 and hear from Bishop Ireton’s Principal about high school math progression. There will also be door prizes, giveaways, and updated information on the Silent Auction. Please see the flyer for more information.

Babysitting will be provided by the 8th grade class. You can drop your child off in the Music Room at 6:45 p.m. All children must be potty trained. Please see the flyer for more information.
Silent Auction Class Baskets
Please turn all Class Basket donations into your room parents NO LATER Tuesday 1/15/19. Baskets will be assembled on Monday 1/21/19. All of the Class Basket Sign Up Genius Links can be found in the Volunteer Opportunities section below.

On Monday, January 21st at 9:30 am the Auction Committee will gather at the Knights of Columbus Hall to assemble all of the class baskets. We are looking for about 25 people to help us assemble the baskets. Please see the Sign Up Genius in the Volunteer Opportunities section below.
Silent Auction Raffle Tickets
Students have an opportunity to compete for a $250 visa gift card while also giving back to the school by selling the “Spectacular NYC Getaway” raffle tickets! Can’t attend the auction? No problem. You can get in on the action by buying a raffle ticket and a chance at winning a NYC getaway! You do not need to be present at the Auction to win. The raffle is also a great way for coworkers, friends and family to help support your student and St. Louis School. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
Volunteer Opportunities
Don't forget!
 Individual families are required to track their volunteer hours throughout the school year and to submit them to the PTO Volunteer Coordinators for credit.

VIRTUS REQUIRED
Volunteers must have completed the VIRTUS training seminar AND have a background check clearance to participate in these volunteer opportunities.

CSW Service Day
Jan. 30, 8-9:30am
Contact Mrs. Ledbetter, jledbetter@stlouisschool.org
NON-VIRTUS

PTO Meeting Attendance = 1 hour
Jan. 15, 7pm

CSW Service Day Donations
Items due by Jan. 28th
1 item = 1 hour
Please see list of requested items above and in Friday Folders

Silent Auction Class Baskets
Items due by Jan. 15th
1 item = 1 hour
View Sign Up Genius here .

Silent Auction Class Basket Assembly
Jan. 21, 10am-12pm
View Sign Up Genius  here .

Silent Auction Committee Needs:
  • Seamstress
  • AV Movie Maker
Contact Meredith Jors & Kieran Mitchell, hawktion.chair@gmail.com

Winter Bake Sale Volunteers
Jan. 26-27
View Sign Up Genius  here .

Winter Bake Sale Bakers
Jan. 26-27
View Sign Up Genius  here .

Silent Auction Set-up
Feb. 22, 3-10pm
View Sign Up Genius  here .

Silent Auction Day/Evening Of
Feb. 23
View Sign Up Genius  here
Questions regarding volunteering? Contact Vanessa Milewski ( vanessamilewski@yahoo.com ) and Elizabeth Moncher ( efdmoncher@gmail.com )
Extracurricular Activities & CYO
Baroody After School Offerings at St. Louis - Chess Club & Ceramics
St. Louis School is excited to partner with Baroody Camps for some new after-school opportunities for our elementary students. Baroody Camps is a state licensed program in Northern Virginia, providing enrichment classes at schools throughout the area. This is a new venture for us, so we are looking forward to seeing the response from our families. If the response is good, we may add more! We are offering one program to all elementary students, and we are offering one program for only students signed up for EDC on Mondays (as an extra option for those families).

Chess Club  – Open to ALL students in grades K-6
9-week session on Wednesdays from Jan. 30 - March 27, 3:30-4:30pm, $165
Online registration:  bc-alx-stlouis.jumbula.com  (choose the “For All” tab). See  flyer  for more information.

Ceramics  – Open to students in grades K-6 who are signed up for EDC on Mondays (families must make sure that their child is signed up on the EDC system for the Mondays that they are participating in the Ceramics Club)
8-week session on Mondays from Jan. 28 - April 1, 3:00-4:00pm, $180
Online registration:  bc-alx-stlouis.jumbula.com  (choose the “EDC” tab) See  flyer  for more information.
Parish & Community
Bishop Ireton Basketball Game
Bishop Ireton High School invites all 7th and 8th grade students to their boys varsity basketball game on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 4:30 (ice cream social at 4:00pm). The Cardinals will be playing the Lions of Archbishop Carroll. There will be an ice cream social before the game and a free throw competition during half time.
The following St. Louis students are in the Guys and Dolls cast: Isabella Spooner, Nora Hixson, and Ian Hixson. For more information on show dates and tickets, please visit:
Upcoming Events at Saint John Paul the Great
January 12th: "How To High School"
A Readiness Skills Workshop for 7th and 8th Graders, hosted by the Faculty of Saint John Paul the Great, on Saturday, January 12th from Noon - 4pm! Workshop sessions include "How to Ace the Test," "How to Make the Team," "How to Manage Money," "How to Explore Your Brain," and more! This event includes lunch and is free of charge. For more information contact us at howtohighschool@jpthegreat.org . You can RSVP your child here: tiny.cc/howtohighschool .

January 12th: "The Jeweler's Shop
An all Senior Cast at Saint John Paul the Great presents "The Jeweler's Shop," a play written by Pope John Paul II on the values of marriage and family. Tickets are $5 and the show starts at 7:00pm on January 12th, 2019. More info at: jpthegreatdrama.org
 
January 29th - March 5th: Bioethics Seminars for Adults, "The Human Person - A Philosophical Perspective"
Sister Terese Auer, O.P., is the chair of the Bioethics Department at John Paul. Sister Terese has been a Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (also known as the “Nashville Dominicans”) for more than 30 years. She earned a Ph.D. from St. Thomas University in Houston, TX and is the author of John Paul's four year Bioethics Curriculum. All sessions will be held at John Paul in St. Thomas Aquinas Hall from 7 - 8:30 pm. Course topics and dates: January 29 - Human Happiness; February 5 - The Moral Law; February 12 - Conscience and Truth; February 9 - The Human Act; February 26 - The Moral Act; March 5 - Virtue.
Upcoming Events at Bishop O'Connell
Youth Day for Basketball - We will be hosting Youth Day for any students K-8th grade. Students are invited to attend a Boys’ and Girls’ basketball game On January 25 and 31. Students who register in advance will receive a bag, water bottle, and free ticket to the game. You can register for the event here:  http://www.bishopoconnell.org/admissions/how-when-to-visit  
Flag Star Football
Registration for Spring 2019 Flag Football (K-10th Grade) is happening now. And closes on January 29th. The season is run by  Flag Star Football , a Sunday-only league with two goals: Get Better and Have Fun.  No screaming coaches, no midweek practices -- just fun, teamwork and some fresh air on a Sunday afternoon. It’s organized, it’s active and it’s run by a super positive set of coaches and referees.
 
This is a league for everyone – boys and girls, athletes and bookworms – and is committed to full-inclusion (financial aid available). You can  register for the league here , find out  more about times/locations here , check out summer camp info/dates here , or e-mail Nikki Blankenhorn (Director of Operations) at nikki@flagstarfootball.com with any other questions.
 
Registration closes on January 29th   -- and the league really is something cool -- so act now or forever hold your cleats! Click here to get on our email distribution list to stay in the loop with Flag Star events/promo days.”
Upcoming Calendar Events
January 2019
Tuesday, Jan. 15 - PTO Meeting, 7pm
Wednesday, Jan. 16 - 11:30 Dismissal (PM EDC open)
Thursday, Jan. 17 - No School, Professional Development
Friday, Jan. 18 - No School, March for Life
Monday, Jan. 21 - No School, MLK Day
Wednesday, Jan. 23 - Coffee with the Principal, 8:15am

Jan. 27 - Feb. 2. - Catholic Schools Week
  • Sunday, Jan. 27 - CSW Mass, 8:45am, St. Louis Church
  • Sunday, Jan. 27 - Open House for Prospective Families, 10am-1pm
  • Sunday, Jan. 27 - PTO Bake Sale after all Masses
  • Tuesday, Jan. 29 - Open House for Prospective Families, 9-11am