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ST. LOUISE SCHOOL PARENT BULLETIN
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In today's red Family Envelope your child is bringing home, please note these important items:
- A one-sheet calendar summary - noting the key dates for the 2018-19 school year. (For a listing of ALL the dates on next year's school calendar, you should be subscribed to our events list here, where you can print out each month if you'd like.)
- An end-of-year tasks-check-off sheet - helping you confirm that you have fulfilled all your school commitments, from earning your Charger Card rebates to logging your volunteer hours.
- A draft sheet of the 2018-19 family roster - so that you can inform the school office if your contact information has changed or will be changing over the summer, before we send out a new roster in August.
- Recommended and required Summer Work for your children entering grades K-8 in the fall - you'll find recommended math work to beat the "summer slump" that develops if kids don't keep their brains engaged; you'll also be getting recommended reading for the primary and intermediate grade students and REQUIRED summer reading assignments for current grade 5-7 students. (For a soft copy of Summer Work, go here.)
Getting back to item #1 above - the 2018-19 school calendar... the #1 reason I give this out months prior to the start of the new school year is so you will do your best to avoid taking family trips at times other than scheduled school vacation times. It's important, as responsible parents, that you try your best to coincide family vacations during the school year with the actual days school will not be in session. When your children miss school for vacations, this has two negative effects. First, even if they are given work to do while on vacation, your children still miss valuable in-class instruction, unique partner and small-group hands-on activities, and teacher-guided practice of the material covered in class while they were absent. Most likely, your children will return and realize they are behind the class in learning and will need to work extra hard for a number of days or weeks to catch up. And unfortunately, some never catch up.
A second negative effect of missing school for a family vacation is it sends a mixed message to your kids: "If school is so important, why are my parents allowing me to 'skip' it?" A child's number one job while this age is to be a student. School should take priority over trips, sports, and other rewarding, yet not as obligatory, activities.
Of course, I realize there are extenuating circumstances when missing school for a trip is necessary. An out-of-town funeral or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to the Holy Land with a parish-pilgrimage are all worthwhile ventures that even the strictest teacher would understand if a school family needed to miss some school days. But for the most part, the teachers and I would appreciate families planning vacations around the school calendar, and making school the number one priority in your children's schedules.
I am currently working with the teachers on a more intricate policy for 2018-19 should a student be pulled out from school for three or more straight days for a family trip. It will most likely involve needing the principal's signature of approval, less the student will not receive credit for making up the missed school work. Students who are already behind in their school work or students who have a history of missing many school days already will most likely be those who do not receive the principal's approval. This new policy is meant to do two things - to lessen the load on teachers to have to spend time on a student's return in creating, reteaching, and grading the missed work, and to teach the natural consequence that when you choose to miss school, it will most likely result in lowered grades for that trimester. When we get this revised absence policy finalized, I'll share it with you.
Thank you for taking time now to look over our 2018-19 school calendar and figuring out if you can make your family trips coincide with our school vacation weeks and with the 3-day and 4-day weekends we have scattered throughout the year. It will make life so much simpler for your child-student and for our teachers.
Oh! ...I almost forgot! ...One more qualification we might add to our new absence policy... I'd pushing for an amendment that has the principal automatically approving, with no lowered-grade concerns, any family vacation that takes place when school is in session and pulls children away from school IF the trip is to Hawaii and the principal's airfare is paid for by the family as the onsite-traveling-tutor for the trip.
Thanks for reading,
p.s.
It was inspiring and comforting to see so many students and parents in church last Thursday after school for our Family Rosary Afternoon. We gathered to lift up the Chu, Blank, and Halling families in prayer, as school parents Daryl and Brian, and past parent Sheri have serious illnesses. I want to thank Amy Wilken for organizing the Rosary service, and I'm proud of the students who helped lead it.
I know there are always St. Louise School family members battling disease besides these three, so please know you may send me a prayer request to put in this Parent Bulletin at any time. I realize some families are more private and keep things to themselves, and that's understandable.
One St. Louise person to remember in your prayers is our librarian and computer teacher, Mrs. McIntosh. Cherie battled breast cancer four years ago, and she just received news her cancer has returned. She will appreciate you adding her to your list of people to pray for, as she soon begins her treatment plan.
Lord Jesus,
who went about doing good and healing all,
we ask you to bless our friends who are sick.
Give them strength in body, courage in spirit, and patience with pain.
Let them recover their health,
so that, restored to the Christian community,
they may joyfully praise your name,
for you live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
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Upcoming Calendar of Events
Tomorrow
- Mass with Grandparents, 9AM; followed by reception at school (we expect a large crowd, so the soccer field will be opened for parking)
- Last day for the Book Fair; library opened for sales before school, during the Grandparents' Mass reception, and after school
- Spring Spruce-Up #2, 8AM-12PM; meet outside the north wing of the original school with your yard gloves, wheelbarrows, rakes, weed-digging tools, etc.
Monday through Thursday, May 14-17
Tuesday, May 15
- Principals for the Day...The Estradas! Modesto, Eliana, and Apolo Estrada will take over for Mr. Fitz today, running the school (as this privilege was purchased at the Auction)
- PACCAR Truck visits school in a big "show & tell" - look for it parked in the faculty parking lot
Saturday, May 19
- Auction Deck Party, 6-8PM; RSVP here
- Bake Sale outside of church after Saturday night's and Sunday morning's Masses to support our junior high activities
Wednesday, May 23
- Try-Outs for the 2019 School Musical, 3-5PM (for more information, contact Mrs. LB)
Thursday, May 24
- StL Hats allowed to be worn indoors today
SAVE THE DATE
St. Louise Mother Son Event ~ Sunday, June 10th, starting at 12PM ~ Moms & Sons, get ready to team up with your fellow moms & sons as you navigate a series of challenging problems that will stretch your intellect and physical being! See details in today's Family Envelope.
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Yearbook Cover Winners Are Announced
Thank you to our intermediate and upper grade level students who entered their designs in our Yearbook Cover Design Contest. This year's contest had the theme of "St. Louise Students Are Well-Balanced Individuals." The school faculty chose the winning designs, and it was so difficult due to the dozens of amazing entries! The following students are the winners:
- Yearbook Front Cover 1st Place Winner - Emily D'Costa (shown above);
- Yearbook Back Cover 2nd Place Winner - Sydney Newton (shown below);
- Yearbook Honorable Mention Finalists (in alphabetical order) - Melissa D'Costa, Katie Goett, Raizel Lagunero, Kate Leach, Nicholas Scrimshaw, Justin Shaw, Justine Utz, Sophie Yuen.
Emily and Sydney each win a free Yearbook for coming in 1st and 2nd place. All 10 top designs are posted in the school office windows, so stop by and see our amazing artists' work.
We want to thank Mrs. Walker for helping all the students get their designs initiated in art class, and also thank Victoria Bermel and Catherine Saffel, our two Yearbook co-editors.
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You will hear in the media and on social media in the month of May about "Teacher Appreciation Week." Please realize that at St. Louise,
we leave this event to the public schools, where it originated as a public teachers' union affair.
We have already showed much appreciation to our teachers during
Catholic Schools' Week in January, and at Christmas and the teacher's birthday. And of course, many St. Louise parents will be doing end-of-year appreciation-actions in June to their children's teachers. The St. Louise teachers are so grateful for being presented with cards and gifts in December, January, June, and on their birthdays.
There is no need to do the same in May. Thanks for everyone following the same protocol.
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The End-of-the-School-Year Approaches
The end-of-the-school-year is full of excitement
(summer trips!), sadness (saying farewell to departing families and faculty, such as Mrs. Salmon, at right, and Mrs. Talevich, below), and hecticness (keep reading!).
Following are the various commitments school parents must make sure are fulfilled and the tasks parents must verify are completed before the school year ends in mid-June and summer vacation begins. This handy checklist of tasks and deadlines will help you assess if you are all set to wrap-up the year in a few weeks, or if you have to finish up assignments.
___ By May 31, turn in to the school office your Auction procurement form - minimum $225 donation. (Please note that the minimum requirement increases to $275 after May 31.) You may also complete your procurement
online.
___ Go above-and-beyond with the Auction by procuring $350 or more and earning Free Dress for your kids and/or by purchasing Tuition Raffle Tickets and perhaps winning the half-off-tuition prize. Find out more
here.
___ By June 15, if you haven't done so yet,
log in your final Volunteer Hours completed for this 2017-18 school year until you reach the 40 hour minimum. By the way, i
f you will be unable to complete your family's 40 hour volunteer commitment, you may pay for the hours at rate of $18.50 per hour online here. If you wish to pay by check you may drop off your payment to the office.
___ By June 15, inform
Lola or Mindy in the school office if there is an error on your family information draft page for our 2018-19 family roster. (You're receiving this draft page in today's red Family Envelope.)
___ By June 15, have your minimum amount of Charger Card profits/contributions completed. You may find more information on Charger Cards
here.
___ By June 15, have at least your initial pledge to the Annual School Gift Campaign (ASGC) sent in to school. You may send in a check or choose to give online
here. After logging in, click on the "Give a New Gift" link and then choose "ASGC."
___ By June 18, sign-up for your volunteer job(s) you're interested in for the upcoming 2018-19 school year. You'll be able to sign-up online in soon when our 2018-19 jobs are posted
here. Check back shortly.
Thanks for getting these items checked-off ASAP!
In addition, please note that your final monthly tuition payment for this current school year will be paid automatically through EFT on June 20, and new automatic bank payments for the new school year will begin on July 20. Contact
Amy Thielman if you have tuition questions.
If you have questions on any other of the above tasks and deadlines, please click below to take you to the email address of the person in charge of the various programs/commitments:
Thanks for all the time, talent, and treasure you give to St. Louise School in order to help us operate!
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| Congratulations to 4th grader, Kylie, who was baptized at St. Louise by Fr. Fabian last weekend. Kylie also received her First Communion at the same Mass. |
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Hello, St. Louise Families!
Deck Party Exciting News
Yes, you get discounted auction tickets when you come to the Deck Party. Yes, you get a discount on your hotel room. Yes, you get to purchase some of our most popular parties as well. Yes, your kiddos get free dress on Monday, 5/21 if you attend the Deck Party.
We're happy to announce even more great additions to the Deck Party this year: First, we welcome the highly in-demand, Kendra Scott Pop Up Shop - with 20% of your purchases coming back to St. Louise! Thank you Kendra Scott! Click here and tell me what items you want to make sure they have here for you to buy!
And, back by popular demand, the St. Louise glassybaby. Introducing "Charger Blessings", the gray ("Beluga" by glassybaby name) cross-etched votive will be on sale starting at the Deck Party. Only 100 will be made. These will sell out, so get yours soon! Just $85 provides you with this beautiful glassbyaby, and St. Louise receives a donation on a portion of each sale.
RSVP here by tomorrow, May 11th. Childcare is full at this time. We can place your children on the waitlist should space become available.
Thank You!
I wanted to send a BIG Wonderful Life Thank You to these dedicated volunteers! Cheryl Sutton for raffle ticket sales, Megan Kirk and Shannon Stevens for logging all of the fabulous donations, and Amy Manne for her incredible work and creativity with Parties this year! You are appreciated!
I also wanted to take a moment and thank the many of you who have already turned in your Procurement/Donations! Your generosity is such a gift to our community! So many of you are exceeding the $225 and building on that with matching from your companies and workplaces! You are AMAZING!
4 Things You Need To Know about It's a Wonderful Life at St. Louise for Next Week
1. Next week's Procurement Contest? Charger Cards - see the Wish List here. Your children will receive a candy surprise on Friday, 5/18, with your Charger Card donation made by that morning! It's not too late to donate Premium Wine! Bring it by the Auction office tomorrow!
2. Sponsorships! Read the email you received this week and take advantage of our new School Sponsorship program!
3. Underwrite Live and Raffle items by making your donation via check or by clicking here.
4. Tuition Raffle tickets are available, but going fast! Purchase them at $50 each or 3 for $125. Only 200 will be sold, so this is a great opportunity to have a chance to win half tuition for the 2018 - 2019 school year! Sales take place every Friday outside the Charger Card office! Drawing will take place on 6/15.
In today's Red Envelope, you will receive a few flyers about the Auction. Please read through them. They will cover the Deck Party, Sponsorships, Procurement Contests, etc.
Thank you so much to our Platinum Sponsor, Dev9. We are grateful for your support, and the support of all of our sponsors!
Julianne Read
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| One of the four groups of children who received First Communion last weekend at St. Louise at four different Masses |
Second Graders Receive our Blessed Lord
Congratulations to our 2nd graders who received their First Holy Communion at St. Louise Parish last weekend:
Christopher Antezana-Garvizu, Lexi Blank, Mika Cam, Claire Charles, Kate Cone, Matthew Craddock, Rex DeBord, Apolo Estrada, Emily Gregorios, Matthew Hueffed, Shiloh Kirchner, Kylie Ledesma, Davis Lund, Leila Miller, Noa Newton, Samantha Nightingale, Vasonia Nguyen, Emilio Posada, Benjamin Reed, Breanna Schmidt, Matilda Suttles, Leo Sweeney, Nathan Victor, Maya Wong, Juan Diego Zayas Collazo.
Receiving this Sacrament is such a special time for these children! As Saint Mother Teresa once said: "Jesus has made Himself the Bread of Life to give us life. Night and day, He is there. If you really want to grow in love, come back to the Eucharist."
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Volunteer to Have Fun
Our end-of-the-school-year festivities are right around the corner, and one of the fun traditions of St. Louise Parish School is the annual Field Day! This year, Field Day will be held on Tuesday, June 12, and grades K-5 will be participating. The 7th grade students lead Field Day, under Mr. Evans direction, and they are now hard at work preparing for the event.
...but they need your help.
Parents of all grade levels and any high schoolers, college students, or even our soon-to-be graduates, who by the time June 12th rolls around will be called "high schoolers," are welcome to volunteer to help make this Field Day fun and safe.
Volunteers may choose to help at the morning session and supervise the grade K-2 students (9:15-11:45), at the afternoon session and supervise the grade 3-5 students (12:00-2:45), or for the entire day (9:15-2:45 with a lunch time break).
Field Day volunteering is a great opportunity to gain hours, serve the community, spend time with your terrific kids and their friends, and of course, to have fun yourself. Who knows? You might even get in a squirt-gun fight! If you are interested or have a high schooler or college student who would be able to volunteer, please contact Chris Evans.
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This Saturday Is Perfect Time to Earn Volunteer Hours
Our final Saturday Spruce-Up where a group of school parents and parishioners beautify the grounds by weeding, pruning, digging, and spreading is this Saturday, May 12. Please email
Jeffrey Hummer if you can be there, so as our volunteer-foreman, he has an idea of his work-crew size. We'll feed you with a hearty lunch at noon when the yard work is completed. Gather with your yard tools at 8AM outside the north wing of the original school.
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Her former kindergarten teacher, Lauren Samson (right), came to cheer on now 8th grader Katie (left) at the Cascade Ice Classic - a US Figure Skating/Compete USA competition. It was hosted by the Cascade Ice Club in Renton earlier this month. Katie represented the Kingsgate Skating Club out of Kirkland. Katie will be competing in Seattle on June 2nd at another US Figure Skating competition. We're proud of you, Katie!
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Cheer on Our Charger Sprinters, Runners, Jumpers, & Throwers
Our St. Louise Track & Field Team continues competition this weekend, and has meets into June. Here is the CYO schedule:
- Relay Meet: THIS SATURDAY, May 12th, 2018 - 3:00pm @ Renton Stadium (405 Logan Ave. N., Renton)
- 8th Grade Pentathlon: THIS SUNDAY, May 13th, 2018 - 12:30pm @ West Seattle Stadium
- Qualifying Meet: Saturday, May 19th, 2018 - 10:00am @ Highline Stadium (251 S. 152nd St., Burien)
- Championship Meet: Saturday, June 2, 2018 - All-Comers at 10:00am & Championship at 12:00pm @ Highline Stadium (251 S. 152nd St., Burien)
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See what's happening on our St. Louise Facebook page
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