St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter
JANUARY 25, 2019
A Message from the Principal...
Dear St. Louis Families,

We are on the heels of Catholic Schools Week - our time to celebrate the gift of Catholic education! I am amazed daily by all that happens here... We are able to do and provide so much within our limited budget; we have high standards in academics and discipline; we have incredibly accomplished and qualified teachers who give 110% of themselves to their students; we have marvelous diversity in our student body; we embrace learning successes and support learning challenges; we have parents who give so much of their time and energy to support the school; and we do it all with Christ fully at the center! But really, I don't need to be amazed... St. Louis School is special because of God's grace.

We are looking forward to a week of activities, prayer and service, which will start with a special 8:45am Mass this Sunday morning, Jan. 27th. Students who attend in uniform will sit with their teacher/class, and will meet up with their families afterwards in McClunn Hall. We will be having special visitors from the superintendent’s office throughout this week, and we look forward to celebrating our community service, spiritual gatherings, academic events and fun experiences with them! While this week is a celebration, it is also an opportunity for me to thank the school families who share their children with us every day and believe in our mission of faith-filled learning and academic excellence. We know the sacrifice that you make to send your children here, and we are grateful for the time you give through the many ongoing volunteer tasks that happen during the school day and through PTO events. Sharon Moss and the entire PTO Board work tirelessly to help make St. Louis School what it is... Rooted in Faith and Growing in Christ.

Many blessings as we continue our work to #ChooseJesus!

Kathleen McNutt
Principal

This week, we mailed out re-registration letters for the 2019-2020 school year. Re-registration forms and fees are due by March 1st. Please be sure to check your mail, but you can also find a copy of our re-registration letter and form here. 

Many of our St. Louis families are government employees, and we know that some of you may not be working due to the government shut down. If you have been furloughed and need a date moved within the FACTS system, don’t hesitate to contact Mrs. Fiesel in the office and we will get that taken care of during this time. We are here to help in any way that we can!  
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: McGuire, Megee, Melidossian, Mercer, Merriam, Messick, Michaels and Mickney.
Catholic Schools Week January 27 - February 1
Please see the full schedule of Catholic Schools Week activities at St. Louis School here .

All students will receive an ice cream ticket on Wednesday, Jan. 30.
CSW Community Service Project Supporting the Mariah Center and UCM
Our collection drive this year is in support of mothers and young children in our area and is a wonderful connection to our celebration of life in this month of January. We will be collecting the following items through Monday, January 28th:
  • K, 1st, 2nd Grades - Diapers (newborn and up)
  • 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades - new baby clothing items or new children's puzzles, books
  • 6th, 7th, 8th Grades - baby food and formula

Please consider donating! We thank you for your support and participation!
SLIME TIME!
WHAT: St. Louis School's Student Council has placed jars in the cafeteria for money donations during all class lunch times. The highest money amount will determine which 4 Student Council members will get slimed on February 1st!

WHEN: Donation jars will be out January 22 - January 31.

WHO: The money donated will be split between "Prayers for Squares" and the St. Gabriel Project.

If we collect $2000, we will also slime Mrs. McNutt and Mrs. Dyke!
St. Louis School Open Houses - January 27 & 29
Help us spread the word!  St. Louis will be opening its doors to prospective families, on Sunday, Jan. 27 (10am-1pm) and Tuesday, Jan. 29 (9am-11am).

Prospective student applications for the 2019-20 school year can be downloaded from the school  website  and will be accepted for K-8th Grades at the Open Houses. Preschool registration will take place in February, by priority:
  • Feb. 4 - St. Louis Preschool families
  • Feb. 5 - St. Louis School families
  • Feb. 6 - St. Louis parisioners
  • Feb. 7 - Community at-large
Spelling Bee Representatives
Congratulations to the following students who will be representing their class for the School Spelling Bee on Jan. 28th at 10am. Alternates will be recognized at the beginning of the Spelling Bee. Great job everyone! 
  • 4-1: Jason D. (representative); Logan M. (alternate)
  • 4-3: Andrew M. (representative); Sarah R. (alternate)
  • 5-5: Abigail B. (representative); Allison S. (alternate)
  • 5-7: Ayden B. (representative); Nick M. (alternate)
  • 6-106: Stephen N. (representative); Jack B. (alternate) 
  • 6-107: Alexandra D. (Representative); Julie D. (alternate) 
  • 7-104: Josie M. (representative); Elena P. (alternate)
  • 7-105: Blake B. (representative); Eli C. (alternate)
  • 8-102: Bethie F. (representative); Anthony A. (alternate)
  • 8-103: Giselle G. (representative); Sophia R. (alternate) 
Geography Bee
Congratulations to our competitors for the 2019 St. Louis School Geography Bee!
  • 4-1: Cullen L. - representative; Summer D. – alternate
  • 4-3: Michael B. – representative; Niko S. – alternate
  • 5-5: Joseph M. - representative; Katie D. - alternate
  • 5-7: Daniel S. - representative; Ava G. - alternate
  • 6-106: Stephen N. – representative; Davis J. - alternate
  • 6-107: Caleb R. – representative; Julie D. - alternate
  • 7-104: Isabella R. – representative; Stephen M. – alternate
  • 7-105: Aidan K. – representative; Samuel K. – alternate
  • 8-102: Cooper H. – representative; Walker W. – alternate
  • 8-103: Brendan O. – representative; Charlie K. – alternate
 
Students competed on January 22, 2019 in a school-wide bee. Michael B. was our third place finalist, Isabella R. was our second place finalist, and Brendan O. was our first place winner. He will take an online test to try and qualify for the Virginia state bee. Congratulations to all of our student participants!
8th Grade Baby Pictures for Yearbook
Attention all 8th grade families:  It’s time to submit your 8th grade student’s baby picture for this year’s school yearbook. It must be uploaded to the Pictavo website no later than March 22, 2019 (one photo per student).

No prints will be accepted this year – all photos must be uploaded by 8th grade students/parents/guardians. Participation for submitting baby pictures of current St. Louis School 8th graders in this yearbook activity is optional.

To upload photos:
  • Visit Pictavo Community at commpe.pictavo.com (use Google Chrome for best results)
  • Find your school, St. Louis School, Alexandria, ID#80012
  • Enter information and “Create Account’
  • Verify e-mail (this may take several minutes)
  • Click or tap “Upload Photos”
  • Select the image(s) for upload
  • Choose an album (8th grade baby pictures)
  • Click or tap ‘Upload Photos’
First Reconciliation & Communion Meeting for 2nd Grade Parents
Tuesday, Feb. 5th, 7pm
Parents of 2nd graders who will be receiving the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion are required to attend a meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 5th at 7pm in St. Louis Church. Please see the attached letter that went home in Friday folders.
PTO
Spirit Dinner at Moe's - Feb. 6
Our February Spirit Dinner will be held at Moe's Southwest Grill in the Mt Vernon Plaza! Come for some great Tex-Mex. It will be on Wednesday February 6 from 5-9PM.  Please present printed or attached flyer so St Louis will get credit. They are pretty strict about this. We will get 20% donated to the PTO. Come get some warmth and heat from the spicy food and help out the PTO.
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

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 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 .

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
Upcoming Events at Saint John Paul the Great
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  
Pioneer Spring 2019 Baseball Registration is Now Open
Pioneer is a fully chartered league with Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth Baseball. We are the premier youth baseball alternative to Little League Baseball for children 4 – 15. For more information about who we are, check us out at pbsl.org and REGISTER today!
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 - February 2019
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
Wednesday, Feb. 6 - Spirit Dinner at Moe's
Thursday, Feb. 7 - 7th & 8th Grade Science Fair
Friday, Feb. 15 - 11:30 Dismissal; PM EDC open
Monday, Feb.18 - No School, President's Day
Saturday, Feb. 23 - Silent Auction
Monday, Feb. 25 - Winter Band & Chorus Concert