Parent Bulletin
March 18, 2021
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We start the season of Lent receiving ashes, with a common command the priest says when imposing ashes being, "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." Additionally, for the first Sunday of Lent each year, the Gospel reading includes these initial words from Jesus as he began his public ministry, "Repent and believe in the Gospel!"
Christ wants us to know there is mercy when we have sinned, but that we need to repent of our sins. “Repentance” is one of the most frequently used words in all of Sacred Scripture, which makes sense since there wasn't a more important lesson Christ gave the Apostles than to preach the need for repentance.
Later on in his ministry, Jesus would give His Apostles a power that could be passed on to their successors (the future bishops and priests) - the power to forgive sins in His name. Jesus told them, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:21–23).
To help us repent and to assure us our sins are forgiven, God has given us the great gift of His mercy in the Sacrament of Penance. Whether we’ve committed a venial or a mortal sin, we made the chose to break God’s law. As a result, depending on the severity of or number of sins, we’ve either put a strain on or completely severed our relationship with God. But God, in His infinite Mercy, is always ready to welcome us back. We merely need to repent by expressing remorse for choosing to do something we knew was wrong, we need to promise to do our best to not commit that sin again, and we need to be absolved from our sins in the Sacrament of Confession.
Unfortunately, the majority of Catholics today no longer practice receiving Sacramental Confession as generations ago did. This huge drop in individual Confessions could be because too many Catholics today think they can write their own version of Catholicism and in regard to this realm, they can forego the Sacrament, can simply tell Jesus in private prayer that they feel repentant, and that's enough. Of course, one must definitely have this private conversation with God and say "I'm sorry!" But the Catholic Church reminds us that after we do this, we also must state our sins to a priest in the confessional, pray an Act of Contrition, and perform the penance we are given. Confession allows us to experience the mercy and forgiveness of God’s love.
We confess our sins to the priest knowing he himself doesn't have the power to forgive, but because he acts in the very Person of Jesus Christ; he forgives sins in His name. We confess our sins to the priest because Christ intended it to be done this way. (See John 20:21-23 again, as well as Matthew 16:18-19 and Matthew 18:18.) We confess our sins to the priest because it helps us grow in humility, which is conveniently avoided if we only talk to God in private. We confess our sins to the priest so that we can be assured that our sins are indeed forgiven; we don't rely on a subjective feeling, but definitively hear the priest say, "...I absolve you from your sins..." And let me throw in one more reason why we confess our sins to a priest - so that during our Confession we might also receive sound and objective advice in analyzing why we are sinning and how to avoid this same sin(s) in the future.
One other reason many Catholics may no longer be receiving this Sacrament could be chalked up simply to ignorance of the necessity of sacramental Confession for the forgiveness of mortal sins. The Church's minimum requirement is that each Catholic is to go to confession a minimum of once a year. Take it from me, more frequent trips to the confessional than once a year are very beneficial! Going every 4-8 weeks bestows me with spiritual strength the minute I leave the confessional after confessing to a priest. This feeling is a very powerful antidote for my daily struggles against sin.
Here are some other benefits people give for why they frequently go to Confession:
- Self-knowledge is increased so one’s virtues can advance and one’s vices can be tempered;
- Humility grows;
- Bad habits can eventually be overcome;
- One’s spiritual fervor grows stronger;
- The will is strengthened to help one more frequently choose good over evil;
- One is more likely to want to “do better’ in all aspects of daily life.
Some of your own children (grades 5-8) have gone to Confession this Lenten season during school hours. As parents, we don't want to be hypocrites to our children by not showing them that we, too, believe in the Sacrament and go to Confession. For our Catholic parents who haven't received this Sacrament for years or decades, or for our non-Catholic parents who don't know much about the Sacrament of Penance, here is a great education piece.
During this season of Lent, many churches offer added times for Reconciliation. Check each parish's website/bulletin, as some ask you to sign-up online first during this time of COVID-protocols:
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At St. Louise, there is an evening opportunity to go to Confession in the church this Wednesday the 24th at 7PM, and our priests are hearing Confessions weekly every Saturday from 3:00-4:30, in the St. Louise Room of the original school building.
- At Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Sammamish, Fridays in Lent from 4:30-5:30 have been set aside to offer the Sacrament.
- St. Jude Parish in Redmond is holding Confessions this Lenten season every Wednesday from 6-8PM and every Saturday from 3:30-4:30.
- You can find other parishes' Confession times on their websites. Furthermore, please know that a priest will allow you to make an appointment with him if you are looking for a different time than the public times that are posted.
By participating in the Sacrament of Penance, we are provided with so many graces. It's a wonderful opportunity to experience God’s love in this amazing Sacrament, so don't pass up the chance! Let our Almighty, Ever-Loving God welcome you back into His loving arms, just like this dad did.
Blessings on your day!
MR. FITZ
p.s.
Another precept of the Church, besides the minimum requirement of once-a-year confession, is a Catholic is expected to receive the Eucharist (Holy Communion) at least once a year - and at least during the Easter time season. Easter time this year is April 3 through May 23. If you haven't been to Mass for a while, the steps to take are to first receive the Sacrament of Penance, and then receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist - receiving the Body of Christ at Mass. I pray for a strong return to Mass by our Catholic families, as I know so many moms and dads have stayed away since the pandemic began and haven't been back. Your kids sure have been back (attending Mass and receiving Communion during school hours)! It would be great to make it a weekly family practice, starting this Lent or no later than this Easter!
p.p.s.
Read the important article below regarding the school Auction! It's only 4 weeks away and we are going to provide an IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE! It will be just like you've been able to do by dining indoors in restaurants....only way more fun!
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CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
Tomorrow
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Mass on the Feast of St. Joseph; grades 3-8 attending 9AM Mass; grades K-2 viewing livestream; sorry - but no spaces remain in church for parents to attend, unless you RSVP'ed earlier this week
Tuesday, March 23
Wednesday, March 24
- Confession opportunities for parents/families at St. Louise Parish (7PM) and St. Jude Parish (6PM)
Thursday, March 25
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Parents' Club Meeting - 7PM on Teams; email Karen Reed for a link to the meeting
- 5th and 6th graders go to the Sacrament of Confession
- Free Dress day ONLY for those who participated in the window-sticker/re-enroll contest; see names below
- Report Cards sent home with all gr. K-8 students
Friday, March 26
- Principal-for-the-Day is 3rd grader Elena Catorcini
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Please return report card envelopes to teachers
Saturday, March 27
- Saturday Spruce-Up, 8-11AM
Thursday, April 1
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Holy Thursday Prayer Service, 9AM; attended by grades PK-3; others may watch streaming liturgy here
Friday, April 2 - NOON DISMISSAL
- All classes dismiss at 12:00; no afterschool Kids' Club
- Good Friday - all classes will be walking the outdoor Stations of the Cross in the morning; parents who want to walk with their children should see their children's teachers' messages as to when they will be walking
Sunday, April 4 - ALLELUIA!
- Easter Sunday
- Easter vacation runs through April 11
Monday, April 12
- School resumes in-person
- Auction preview week
Saturday, April 17
CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE SCHOOL CALENDAR HERE
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Walk-a-Thon Will Take Place on Campus the 1st Week in May
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We are holding our Walk-a-Thon the first week of May, and this, too, will be in-person this year! Immediately after Easter vacation, you and your kids will be receiving information on how the Walk-a-Thon will work this spring. We will be calling on each school family to procure minimum donations in the amounts of:
- $95 for 1-student families;
- $190 for 2-or-more-students families.
There will be Walk-a-Thon prizes given for both individual students and grade levels who bring in the most donations as well as run the most laps on the day of the event – which will be Friday, May 7. Earlier that week will be Walk-a-Thon-Spirit Week, with fun activities and free dress days, as we all get hyped for the big day! If you would like to help Jim and Cari O’Loughlin-Britt with some of the organizational and clerical needs of preparing info-packets and helping with prizes, please email Jim.
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Let's Get this Party Started! Mark Your Calendar for
Saturday, April 17
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It is with great excitement that we announce this spring's* auction will be held via livestream AND IN-PERSON here at St. Louise School! Please mark your calendar for Saturday, April 17th to join in on the fun!
There are just 4 short weeks until the BIG event, so hang on! There's a lot coming your way this week! Here are the highlights:
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Register now to get in on the fun. There are several different registration packages this year, please be sure you choose the one that fits the experience you want to have (ie: in-person or at home, etc.)! Click here for details! Also, we expect the in-person event to sell out, so do not wait to register. We are limited in number of people we can have at school for this event. Also, for those that purchased tickets last spring, check your email from Tuesday to confirm the details of your reservation!
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Charger Hope glassybabys are on sale now! The Dove design represents hope for the coming year, and was created by our very own, Mika Walker, using a line draw technique. Pre-order yours now to own the third in our St. Louise series. Missed out on the first 2? Charger Spirit and Charger Blessings are also available in limited quantities! Click here to find out more!
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Black & White photos, a St. Louise tradition, can be requested now. These beautiful 11 x 14 professional photographs commemorate your children's time here at St. Louise year after year! Please see today's Red Envelope for more info on requesting a photo!
- The Premium Wine contest is on NOW! See today's Red Envelope for more details on this fun class contest (a Root Beer Float party is at stake!) and donate a bottle of wine valued at $30 or more in support of our wine packages, by March 26th!
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Are you an amazing baker or candy creator? Or is there a bakery you know and love? The Dessert Dash team is looking for you! Please reach out to Angela King, if you want to donate a dessert for our delicious Dessert Dash!
For any auction-related questions, please reach out to the auction team. Or visit the SKYBALL page on our website!
We are always so grateful for the support of our generous and awesome families - we look forward to celebrating with you on April 17th!
*For new families, please know we usually only have one auction and it's in November. Our one and only 2021-22 school year auction will be this coming November.
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We Will Have Spring Sports!
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The St. Louise Parish Athletic Board is pleased to announce opportunities for CYO Spring Sports. These sports will all take place in the coming weeks and months:
- Soccer for grades K-4
- Track for grades 4-8
- Kickball for grades 4-8
Our Athletic Board will need parent volunteers for coaching as well as to act as social-distancing coordinators. CYO has put social-distancing requirements in place and asks for masks to be worn at all times by participants and spectators.
In addition, another requirement is that one parent for each child will be required to take a virtual workshop - "Parent Like a Champion." If a parent has already completed the "Play Like a Champion" workshop for coaches, then it will not be necessary to complete the parent workshop. Registration for this workshop is done here: https://www.stlouise.org/cyo-sports
Soccer for Grades K-3
- $85 per student and will include new shirt that student will keep; registration deadline is April 2.
- Practices will be at the discretion of the coaches and field availability.
- Games will begin April 17, and will run every Saturday through June 5th (excluding Memorial Day weekend).
Kickball for Grades 4-8
- $25 per student; registration deadline is April 9.
- Practices will be at the discretion of the coaches and field availability.
- League Games will be April 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23.
- Divisions will be:
- 4th-6th Grade – National League
- 7th/8th Grade – American League
Track for Grades 4-8
- $55 per student and will include new shirt that student will keep; registration deadline is May 6.
- Track practices will begin on April 29th, and will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00-6:30pm at Highland Middle School in Bellevue through June 3.
- The CYO track season is virtual this year, so there will be no large track meets with other schools; instead, we will be having our own St. Louise track meet on Thursdays during our practice time.
- All races will be timed and field events will be measured and turned into CYO, who will post results from all schools on Athletic.net.
- The exception is the 8th Grade Pentathlon, which will be held in-person at West Seattle Stadium on Sunday, May 23rd
- St. Louise track meets at Highland Middle School will be:
- Qualifying Meet 1: Thursday, May 6th.
- Qualifying Meet 2: Thursday, May 13th.
- Qualifying Meet 3: Thursday, May 20th.
- Championship Meet: Thursday, June 3rd
We will need coaches for the soccer and kickball teams, and we will need many volunteers to help with track practices and meets! To sign up you child for a sport or two, and to offer your volunteer help, please visit: https://www.stlouise.org/cyo-sports.
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Is Your Name on the List?
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Thank you to all who participated in our Car Decal Day, and also re-enrolled by the early deadline! Your kiddos are eligible for the Free Dress Day! It will be held on Thursday, March 25th! Please mark your calendars!
(If you have a grade 6-8 child who is not here on Thursdays, they will be able to use Wednesday, March 24th as their Free Dress day. Thanks for your flexibility on this!)
The families who have qualified are listed below. Please note they are listed by student last name. If you have any questions, please contact Julianne Read.
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Acosta Gutierrez
Aitken
Akers
Ameen
Andrade
Antezana Garvizu
Avalos
Banic
Barros
Black
Blank
Brennan
Brown (Mia &
Maggie)
Bumatay
Cam
Caso
Castillo
Cermak
Chan
Charles
Chason
Chu
Colby
Condit
Coronado Barbeyto
Cotillo
Craig
Cuevas
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D'Ambrosio
Dautricourt
D'Costa
DeBord
Delgado
Dickinson
Dogra
Doran
Doria-La
Eala
Ellestad
Ellis
Engel
Enke
Estrada
Flaat
Flores
Foot
Giltus
Goett
Gonzalez
Gonzalez-Diaz
Green
Hairston
Hale
Harris
Herber
Hewett
Hsi
Isaksen
Ivannikov
Jaster
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Kehdy
Kenn
Kierlin
Kirsch
Kujath
Lacouture
Lagunero
Lau (Robin)
Lau (Germaine,
Serene, Renee)
Ledesma
Lewis
Lizotte
Lozada
Magnotti
Magnusen
Maloney
McCulloch
Mendes
Michael
Miller
Miller
Minotte
Mora
Muller
Munar
Nesbit
Neuman
Newton
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Nguyen
Nieuwenhuis
Nightingale
Nowak
Ogilvy
O'Loughlin-Britt
O'Rourke
Osorio
Pacheco
Perez
Perreault
Podaca
Pokorny
Ponte
Rabon
Read
Reed (Benjamin)
Reed (Beckett &
Griffin)
Rivera
Roberts
Roets
Russell (Blake &
Lauren)
Russell (Vivian)
Sackmann
Salmon
Sequeira
Sharp
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Shaw
Solares
Soto
St. Pierre
Sturgill
Sulaiman
Sullivan
Sweeney
Taasan
Tano
Towse
VanNoy
Veloz
Victor
Vimal
Walker
Wang (Winnie)
Wang (May)
Weber
Widodo
Wilhelm
Wilken
Wilkins
Wiseman-Scott
Wong
Wu
Zayas Collazo
Zevenbergen
Zope
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Spring Is Arriving; Time for a Spring Spruce-Up
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On Saturday, March 27, Saturday Spruce-Ups return to our campus! We will be gathering with volunteers at 8:00AM to work on raking, weeding, and pruning the grounds of the school and parish. If you can give us 3 hours of labor, we'd really appreciate it! Hard-working kids are welcome to come with their parents. Please bring your own work gloves, weeding tools, and a rake. If you have a wheelbarrow, please bring it too.
We gather outside the north wing of the original school at 8, and we'll cleanup by 11. Thanks in advance for those who can volunteer in this gardening ministry!
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Picture Re-Take Day is Tuesday, March 23rd
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Yuen Lui offers free retake images to all students, of any picture-day package purchased previously – your retake image will be replaced free of charge. Please return the original picture day packages to our staff.
If your child did not attend the original picture day and would like photos, have them attend retake day. You will order your picture package HERE
Images from original picture day are online now and are password protected. Yuen Lui has sent an email with a direct link to your photos, if you do not have one, please email us at customerservice@yuenluischools.com
Find all your school information with Yuen Lui Photography: HERE
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Students Silly-String the Administrators Thanks to Parents' Donations to the Annual Fund!
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100% of St . Louise families donated to the Annual Fund by March 15th, so students were rewarded with a "Silly String Mr. Fitz and Mr. Fuerte" event!
Colorful silly string sprayed through the air as students giggled and laughed throughout the morning this past Tuesday. Mr. Fitz and Mr. Fuerte were great sports and had fun too! Thanks to our awesome volunteers: Kelly D'Ambrosio, Joanna Towse, Leslie Banic, Elaina Herber, Amy Wilken, and Annie Nesbit!
Thank you so much for your support of the Annual Fund! To learn more about how your contribution makes a difference, please click here.
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Please Read This if You Are Traveling during Easter Vacation
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St. Louise School does not have a requirement about self-quarantining for precautionary measures for students or school staff who travel and return to school.
In all instances, there is no requirement for self-quarantine when returning to either Washington State (from another state) or returning to the U.S. (from another country). Any type of self-quarantine or COVID-testing once people have returned from travel are voluntary actions as part of guidance/recommendations, and not mandated actions. Thus, if St. Louise students and/or staff members travel out of state or out of country this spring, including during Easter Vacation, they are welcome to return to school immediately upon return – provided they have followed our regular, daily protocol:
- Verify every morning before leaving for school that there are no symptoms of COVID-19 or the flu.
- If a student or staff member exhibits any one of the following symptoms, he/she must remain home:
• Fever (100.4 or higher) • Chills • New loss of taste or smell
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing • Cough • Fatigue • Headache • Muscle pain/body aches • Sore throat • Runny nose or congestion • Nausea or vomiting • Diarrhea
However, if a student or staff member is showing only one of these short-term symptoms for COVID that begins and resolves in less than a 24-hour period, and that person has not been in close-contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID, he/she may return to school the next day and without the need for a COVID test, provided the short-term symptom has resolved. The symptoms identified as short-term are:
• Fatigue • Headache • Muscle pain/body aches • Sore throat
• Runny nose or congestion • Nausea or vomiting • Diarrhea
It’s possible that some St. Louise families will choose to keep their child home from school upon return from a trip, simply out of precaution. In this case, the parents are asked to please inform the school office (office@stlouiseschool.org) and the child’s teacher(s) as soon as that decision has been made. Since it is not always possible for a teacher to revert immediately to remote-teaching via Microsoft Teams for a student who suddenly announces he/she is staying home for a few days, there may be a delay in getting online-learning initiated for the first day home.
Finally, unlike when school resumed following Christmas Vacation and the entire school was conducted remotely for the first week back, when school resumes this April 12, after Easter Vacation, the entire school will be conducted per usual – with the school building open for in-person teaching. (Grade 6-8 classes will continue with their hybrid schedule.)
As we begin the spring season with more outdoor-time and assuming less illnesses, we still need to continue diligence in daily checking children’s conditions, in not sending students to school if they exhibit any symptoms above, and in following our protocol as explained here. Thank you, St. Louise parents, for your outstanding cooperation with all of this!
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Charger Gal Is Deep into March Madness!
Use March Madness to benefit your family! Until March 31, if you use your credit or debit card for purchases, there is no ‘fee’ for transactions in excess of $100.
Think spring and plan ahead! Do you have any travel plans for spring break next month? If so, buy Charger Cards for your plans now, pay with your credit card (no fee!), earn your frequent flier points AND support St. Louise at the same time! See how much of your usual purchases can be funneled through Charger Cards first!
Here’s an example of a few ways you could use Charger Cards for events and earn points to help out our school.
Easter
- Fred Meyer - groceries, decorations, easter eggs - $100 x 4% = $4 rebate earned
- Papa Murphy’s - easy family dinner - $20 x 8% = $1.60
- Friday Dinner Dining- Daniel's Broiler, Wild Fin - $100 x 20% = $20
- Easter Basket – See’s Candies - $50 x 11% = $5.50
Auction Night
- Gene Juarez - Hair/Makeup - $200 x 10% = $20 rebate earned
- Nordstrom - new clothes - $200 x 4% = $8
- Pizza Hut - pizza for the kids staying home - $30 x 8% = $2.40
- Starbucks - morning after - $50 x 7% = $3.50
Total Rebate earned = $66.00
Buy Cards for Your Business and Pay by Company Credit Card
Several families purchase gift cards from the Charger Card program for their company! This month when you pay by credit card, there are no extra credit card fees! Contact the Charger Card program if you need a large quantity of gift cards for a promotion or employee program. In the past, we’ve had families order:
- 300 x $25 Amazon
- 250 x $10 Subway
- 200 x $25 QFC
- 80 x $10 Starbucks
We can provide an invoice for easy check request or expense purposes! Contact us with any questions!
20% Rebate Sale
Do you need to catch up on rebates to make the minimum requirement for each St. Louise family? Are you working towards tuition credit for next year? Charger Cards has a number of cards available at 20% rebate! These cards are limited while supplies last, so get yours now!
Bai Tong
Daniel's Broiler
Tom Douglas
Wild Fin
Wild Ginger
In-person sales every school-Friday from 8:15-9:00AM in the central hallway of the original school building. Orders made online or drop-off forms received at the school office by 9am Monday will be delivered Friday of that week.
For more information on brands/cards available for purchase 24/7 please go to shopwithscrip.com.
Please return Charger Card plastic envelopes to the main school office once you have received your Charger Card order.
Thank you for supporting St. Louise Charger Cards!
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Will You Need Before-School or After-School Childcare This Coming Fall?
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Registration for our Kids’ Club childcare program for the 2021-22 school year is open now.
Kids’ Club is our before and/or after-school onsite program for students in grades K-8 attending St. Louise School. At Kids’ Club, our goal is to ensure a smooth transition between the school day and the before-school and after-school program. Activities are designed to spark academic interests, recreation, physical fitness and nurture social-emotional growth. We also provide the time, the place, and the assistance to ensure your children have enough time to complete their homework.
There are so many advantages to being part of an after-school program such as Kids' Club. A report by the U.S. Department of Education shows that students in after-school programs have fewer behavioral problems, more self-confidence, and can handle conflicts better than students who are not involved with after-school programs. Our Kids' Club family is strong and engaged, and we welcome the opportunity to share it with you!
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Thanks to those who helped at our recent after-school sales day of Used Uniforms, Charger Gear, and Charger Cards: Aila & Jon Olayao; Rochelle Lagunero; Sandra D’Costa; Raizel Lagunero (alum); Kelly & Grant Kenn; Tiffany Neuman; Erica Lizotte; Marsha Rampersad-Zope
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Thursday's Theology:
The Church Calendar Simplified - Lent Runs This Year thru March 31; The Triduum Begins on Holy Thursday, April 1
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