ST. LOUISE SCHOOL PARENT BULLETIN

August 30, 2018
Dan's Blog
I hope every school parent has downloaded to their phone the virtual version of the school calendar by clicking on this Subscribe link on our events webpage. Although we already sent you a one-sheet summary calendar for the year of the major events, it is recommended that you also print out a hard copy of each individual month. To do that:

1) After clicking on the link above that brings you to our events webpage, scroll the arrows on the upper left corner to bring up each month's calendar.
2) Click on the "Print" button on the right side for each calendar you scroll.
 
When examining the school calendar for September, please pay particular attention to these important, first events:
  • The Curriculum Night for grade 7-8 parents is on the first evening of school - this Tuesday, September 4, at 6:30 p.m. This session is mandatory for all grade 7-8 parents (at least one parent per family). It begins in the library.
  • Pre-K parents have a meeting on Wednesday, September 5, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. in the Pre-K classroom. This meeting is mandatory for all Pre-K parents (at least one parent per family) and is for adults only. Sorry, we cannot accommodate toddlers, babies, or your pre-schooler; please arrange for childcare for them.
  • Grade 1-6 parents have their own Curriculum Night on Thursday, September 6, at 6:30 p.m. Again, this Curriculum Night is for parents only; please find childcare for your kids. At least one parent from each grade 1-6 family is required to attend. It begins in the Parish Hall beneath the church.
  • 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.
The teachers, instructional assistants, Mr. Fuerte, and I have spent this entire week in meetings and trainings, preparing for what is going to be a fantastic school year. Besides the typical inservice-week agendas of class schedules, inspirational prayers and readings, and reinforcing school policies and procedures, this week we also trained on two safety and security topics.

First, we held our annual Earthquake Preparedness Drill with solely the faculty (we'll hold one with your kids later this fall), and every employee retrained on his/her specific tasks and responsibilities should an earthquake occur during school hours or Kids' Club before-school/after-school hours.

Secondly, we have a police officer involved in school security give the entire faculty training using the
ALICE Training Institute protocol. ALICE stands for Alert - Lockdown - Inform - Counter - Evacuate, and it is a more advanced way to react to a violent intruder situation at a school instead of the typical Run - Hide - Fight reaction that has been taught in years prior.

Corresponding to the new ALICE protocol is a new exterior entry door we've installed this summer. 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 newly constructed parent/visitor door directly to the left of the front doors. These student/staff front doors are red. This new paren t/visitor door is silver.

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'll fill out a visitor nametag and wear it. 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 a week or two in a Thursday red-colored Family Envelope. Be looking for those cards, 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 the ALICE protocol, please contact Joe Dickinson , the head of our volunteer Emergency Preparedness Committee.

Thank you for your support and cooperation, as we tighten up security in an effort to increase safety on campus.

Pax et bonum,
Mr. Fitz
p.s.
 
Students entering grades 3-8 are invited to be a part of music ministry at our school Masses by joining "Chorale" - the school choir. If your 3rd through 8th grade child loves to sing or play guitar, drums, violin, flute, etc., please encourage him/her to sign up.  Chorale rehearses approximately three Mondays a month from 2-3 pm in the church. There is a one-time $40 fee due by tomorrow - Friday, August 31.  You may pay here by tomorrow, and also complete this form and return it to the school office on Tuesday. Please contact choir director Karen Cole with questions.
Upcoming Calendar of Events  
Friday, August 31 through Monday, September 3
  • School is closed for an extended Labor Day weekend

Tuesday, September 4
  • Opening Day for St. Louise School's 58th year! See article below that lists the various entry times for families on Passport Day;  all PreK-8th grade families are to please report first to the Parish Hall with school supplies;  students need to be in school uniform
  • Curriculum Night for all parents of grade 7-8 students - 6:30PM in the library

Wednesday, September 5
  • Parents' Coffee in library at 8:30 - all parents invited for beverages, treats, and mingling
  • Curriculum Meeting for all parents of Pre-K students at 9:00AM in the Pre-K room; this meeting is for adults only; preschoolers do not come to school today
  • Opening week prayer service for grade 1-8 students at 11:00AM in the church - parents invited
  • Dismissal for grade K-1 students at 12:00 today
  • Kids' Club starts today (7:00 for K-8th graders in AM session; 12:00 for K-1st graders in PM session; 3:00 for 2nd-8th graders in PM session)

Thursday, September 6
  • First day of Pre-K only for students with last names "A-M"
  • 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!)
  • Dismissal for grade K-1 students at 12:00 today

Friday, September 7
  • 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
  • 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

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

Special Window-Sales this Tuesday on Passport Day
 
On the first day of school this Tuesday - Passport Day - our Charger Cards' sales-window will be open from 8:30am-11:30am. You may also purchase cards today at  www.shopwithscrip.com and then pick up those ordered cards at the Charger Cards' window on Tuesday.

Special offerings of physical cards at 20% rebates are available for a variety of popular stores and restaurants, so please stop by the Charger Card window.
 
 
Sign-Up for Online Payments (aka PrestoPay)

In addition to not having to drop off checks, with Online Payments
  • You'll receive your ScripNow eCards instantly;
  • ReloadNow funds are added to your card immediately;
  • Your Reload orders process faster;
  • You'll have access to our mobile ordering website, MyScripWallet.com (or you may download the app MyScripWallet on your mobile device right now).
Watch this video that shows you how to use the MyScripWallet app, and then use the app to purchase, use, and track Charger Card scrip on your phone. Purchasing Charger Cards through MyScripWallet may take just a few minutes anywhere with a reliable internet connection. Just login, add to cart, and checkout using PrestoPay and your card is ready to use in a matter of minutes.
 
See the Online Registration Directions page for step-by-step info to register online and get started!
 
 
For more information on Charger Cards and online ordering, please visit www.stlouiseschool.org/chargercards or email Marsha at chargercards@stlouiseschool.org.
Background Check and Safe Environment Training Due Now
          
          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 sign up for a training session at a Seattle Archdiocese parish that works with your schedule - but that takes place no later than September. (There is a training session scheduled to take place right here at St. Louise on September 15.) 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

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! For those who signed up by June 18, on our online volunteer sign-up form, the staff members or volunteers who head up the various programs and events are receiving your names this summer and will be contacting you to confirm your volunteer job with their programs/events. If by the end of August you do not hear back from the heads of the programs/events for which your signed up, 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 to start immediately on your volunteer hours, please consider the "adopt-a-garden" program, whereas on your own time this month (and 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:
  • Throughout the coming school year, 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.
  • Lola Bazan and Mindy Morgan require parent volunteers to assist them in the school office daily - answering phones, greeting visitors, and completing clerical tasks. If you can volunteer for a 3+hour shift one day a week (or every-other week), please contact both Lola and Mindy and tell them your preferred day and whether you can assist in the office during the 8:15-11:30 or 11:30-3:00 shift. 
  • Bake breakfast pastries/treats for our September 5th Parent Coffee and/or bake cookies/brownies as refreshments for the September 6th grade 1-6 Curriculum Night and/or serve refreshments at these or other daytime or evening events. If you are interested in baking and/or volunteering, please contact Hospitality co-chairs Shawna Shaules or Liz DeBord to ask to be added to their Hospitality Volunteer Email List.  Shawna and Liz will then reach out to you via their Sign-Up Genius account.
  • Plant flowers, pull weeds, and spread bark the morning of Saturday, 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.   

  •  
    Hello, St. Louise Families!
     
    We hope you've enjoyed a wonderful summer and we are looking forward to seeing you on Passport Day! Here are the key things you need to know this week:


    Passport Day this Tuesday
    Photos - Make sure you stop by and have your children's photo taken under the trees by the front of the church. This photo will become a special memento for you to keep when you attend It's A Wonderful Life at St. Louise!
    Party Sign Ups - You can sign up to attend the Orangetheory Charger Charge Up Party, and several other wonderful parties!
    Charger Blessings and Charger Spirit - Our St. Louise glassybabys will be offered for sale at the Auction table by the front of the church. Just $85 for this wonderful keepsake. Purchase them for gifts, or for yourself!
     
     
    Item Donations Due September 17th
    If you committed to an item last spring, please make sure that it is turned in to the auction office no later than 3pm on September 17th. Also, our new families will want to make your donations
     
     
    Save the Date
    It's a Wonderful Life at St. Louise will take place on November 10th. Please mark your calendars and join us for this fantastic event! The evening promises to be loaded with fun as we raise money to support our children and our community!

     
    Thank You!
    I am always so grateful to our wonderful volunteers - there are some people who are able to come in to the office and share their time with the auction, and those that can volunteer from home, and we are so fortunate you have taken time to share your talent with us! Thank you so very much!
     
    I especially wanted to thank Esther Magnotti for getting our procurement mailing out this summer, Megan Kirk for all of her time entering and tracking our items and Amy Wilken and Rebecca Ort for our early photo session party! Also, I want to thank our Committee Chairs this week - their efforts make this event and fundraising possible!
     
    Thank you so very much for all you do for our community - in prayer, in time, and in giving - you are appreciated.
    Sincerely,
     
    Julianne Read
    St. Louise Parent & Auction Director
    425.214.5441
    julianner@stlouiseschool.org
     
    Welcome Back Letter from President & Chair

              
    Dear Parents,
      
    The St. Louise Parents' Club Board and the School Commission would like to welcome you all back for another great year at St. Louise! Whether you are new to the school or a veteran Charger we are excited to kick off 2018-2019.
      
    We want to take this opportunity to give you a quick overview of our two groups' functions within our St. Louise community.
      
    The Parents' Club (of which all parents of St. Louise students are automatically members)
    serves primarily to provide volunteer help and to conduct fundraising activities for the purpose of enhancing our children's Catholic education at St. Louise School.
      
    The School Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Pastor, Fr. Gary Zender, and to
    our Principal, Dan Fitzpatrick, in matters concerning school policy, financial planning, and future development.
      
    Our two organizations are described in greater detail on the school website, stlouiseschool.org, and below is a list of our current board members - your fellow school parents.
      
    Please feel free to contact any of us with questions you may have - you'll find our contact information in the family roster.
      
    You are also cordially invited to attend our bi-monthly meetings. (You'll find the dates and times listed on the school calendar.) Please join us, we look forward to meeting you!
      
    Sincerely,

    Kelly Miller                                                             Chris Reed
    Parents' Club President                                       School Commission Chair
      
    P.S. We would love to see you at our annual Parent Coffee on the second day of the school year - Wednesday, September 5, at 8:30, upstairs, outside the library.

     
    2018-2019 SCHOOL COMMISSION MEMBERS
      
    CHRIS READ
    TYLER WILKEN
    NIKKI CRAIG
    SEAN MANNE
    MEGAN KIRK
    LEE MACATANGAY
    ABIGAIL EALA
    KAREN REED
     
    2018-2019 PARENTS' CLUB BOARD MEMBERS
      
    KELLY MILLER
    KAREN REED
    JENNIFER SHARP
    JULIANNE READ
    JOHANNA POSADA
    PAM MUNAR
    COLLEEN NOWAK

    Turn In Your Fieldtrip Driving Form Now

              Our insurance requires us to have parents annually fill out a driver information sheet - which may be found on our website here. This sheet asks you to specify the insurance information on vehicles that may be driven on school field trips. Since there is a strong possibility that every school family will drive on at least one field trip this school year, we ask each school family to complete and return an information sheet immediately. Thank you.

    Do You Know How Drop-Off & Pick-Up Works?
            
    Explanations of our traffic regulations and how to maneuver morning carpool drop-off and afternoon carpool pick-up may be found on our school websiteWe also have this BRAND NEW instructional video that is very helpful. (Thanks to Jon Sharp and 7th grader Jack Sharp for helping Mr. Fuerte create this video.)
     
    Please note that the first day of school - Passport Day on Tuesday the 4th - does not follow these regulations; you may enter and park on September 4th as you would when coming to Mass. And for the rest of that first week of school - Wednesday through Friday, September 5th through 7th - we will begin following most of these regulations, but there will be some slight differences because our grade K-1 students are dismissed at noon. The grade K-1 parents will not be able to exit onto Main Street these three days, as the north playground will be closed for recess for the other grades.
     
    For the entire years, as we only have staff supervising grade K-8 students outside on the school grounds from 8:00 through 8:30, and again from 3:00 through 3:17 (2:00-2:17 on Mondays and 12:00-12:17 on half days), it is critical that you or a carpool driver be responsible for your children at all other times. Please don't drop them off alone at school before 8:00AM, and please do not arrive after 3:17 (Mondays at 2:17; half days at 12:17).
     
    Finally, the pick-up of our Pre-Kindergarten students is somewhat different, in that these students are to be walked to and picked up
    carpooll
    Please model safety for your kids by only crossing on the parking lot using the yellow-striped crosswalk lanes and/or following the directions of our student Safety Patrol crossers.
    directly from their room. Pre-K parents will want to park their cars in the south lot (south of the church) or on the basketball court (north of the gym) and walk their children directly to the classroom door at the far east end of the north wing (8:15-8:30 a.m.). Please pick up your preschooler directly from the classroom at 11:45 (or at 2:00 on Mondays & 3:00 on Tuesdays through Thursdays if enrolled in extended-day).
     
    Thanks to everyone following the same traffic rules! We need this 100% cooperation to better assure the traffic flows quickly and the students are safer.

    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.
     
     
    Dyonne Pryce Bartolome & Rodin Diaz; daughter in PreK


      

    Katherine & Anthony Caso;

    sons in 1st grade & 5th grade


     

    Joseph Bumatay & Lu De La Cruz;

    son in kindergarten


     

     

    Chris & Jenelle Bair

    son in kindergarten


     

    Updating Your Child's Immunizations
              
              Parents of all incoming Kindergarteners need to make sure your child's immunizations are up to date.  If your child receives any immunizations over the summer, please forward the dates to school nurse Jane Reynolds, who will update your child's immunization form we have on file.
               For parents of all incoming 6th graders, a reminder that the state is requiring a booster Tdap.  Please forward Jane the date your child received this booster by no later than the end of August, or else your child will not be able to attend school.
             The state also requires all incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to have two doses of chickenpox vaccine. Most students have only received one dose, and thus will need a booster.  Please send Jane the dates of your child's chickenpox booster by no later than the end of August.
              As you may know, our state requires a licensed health care provider to sign the Certificate of Exemption for a parent or guardian to exempt their child from school immunization requirements.  The signature verifies that the provider gave the parents information about the benefits and risks of immunizations.  The parent can also turn in a signed letter from a health care provider stating the same information. Kids who aren't fully immunized will be sent home from school if a disease outbreak occurs. This law took effect July 22, 2011, so it only applies to exemptions requested after this date. If you have any questions, please contact Jane.

    Report to Parish Hall for 1st Day of School this Tuesday

    Passport Day is a morning for every single St. Louise student and at least one of his/her parents to first meet in the parish hall beneath the church to pick up a "passport" and get instructions from Mr. Fitzpatrick. Families then tour the school, meet familiar and new teachers, learn where all the classrooms are, and drop off all the school supplies in the student's desk (or locker for grades 7-8).

    Although students are to wear their school uniform on September 4, Passport Day is not like an ordinary first day of school. Instead, every grade PK-8 student must have at least one parent attending with him/her and have a uniquely assigned time to arrive. Your Passport Day experience will last no longer than 90 minutes, at which time you will go home for the day. Every grade PK-8 family whose student's last name begins with the following letters are to meet in the Parish Hall this Tuesday at the stated start time:
    • D-J at 8:30 a.m.
    • K-P at 9:15 a.m.
    • Q-Z at 10:00 a.m. 
    • A-C at 10:45 a.m.

    Veteran school families who had been "mentoring" new families over the summer may disregard using the above schedule and instead arrive in the parish hall when the new family is scheduled so the mentor family may accompany the new family around the school.

    Please note that on "Passport Day," Kids' Club does not begin, but instead this day is when all families in both morning and afternoon Kids' Club should visit the Kids' Club staff at the Lavelle Center. Kids' Club's supervision begins on Wednesday, September 5, and after-school Kids' Club will start at noon each day that first Wednesday through Friday of school, to accommodate the kindergarten and 1st grade students who have early dismissal.

    The second day of school - Wednesday, September 5, is a more traditional first day, when grade 1-8 students are dropped off in the carpool lane, kindergarten students are walked to their classrooms by their parents, and school begins at 8:30.

    For Wednesday through Friday of the first week of school, grade 2-8 students will attend at our usual school times of 8:30-3:00, but kindergarteners and 1st graders will attend from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., September 5-7, with a noon dismissal each day.

    Monday, September 10, is a regular school day, and all students in grades K-8 attend for the usual Monday school timeframe of 8:30-2:00. [Please Note: Whenever school is in session on a Monday, it's a 2:00 dismissal time for all K-8 students, as our teachers use this extra "free time" to hold curriculum meetings each Monday afternoon.]

    The Pre-Kindergarten students have specific first days of classes (after Passport Day) based upon their families' last names. Only students with last names A-M have their first day of Pre-K from 8:30-11:45 on Thursday, September 6. Only the Pre-K students with last names N-Z have their first day from 8:30-11:45 on Friday, September 7. [There is no extended-day preschool the first week of school.] Then on Monday, September 10, all Pre-K students attend together for the first time from 8:30-11:45, with students in the extended-day program remaining until 2:00 (and until 3:00 on Tuesdays through Thursdays).
     
    Thanks for Following Our Uniform & Hairstyle Policies
            
    The School Policies and Guidelines section on our website lists our uniform guidelines, and you'll want to make sure you read it carefully so you purchase the correct clothing. At St. Louise Parish School, we value decorum and traditions, and our uniforms and appearance are our first opportunity to make an impression on those who see us. Our uniforms and appearance also demonstrate our commitment to modesty, safety, and a distraction-free learning environment. Our uniform policy contributes to an environment freer of the judgment which may be a byproduct of fads, fashion trends, or socioeconomic factors. Thanks for you support of our policy by making sure your child is in proper uniform, including hairstyle and jewelry, every morning before leaving the house.
     
    Uniforms are required beginning with the first day of school - "Passport Day" - and although every student is required to own a sweater/fleece, a sweater/fleece does not have to be worn if the weather on a particular day is too hot. In fact, for the months of September and October, students may wear uniform shorts instead of pants, skirts, jumpers, or skorts (but the shorts must be walking-style, not cargo-style or short-shorts, and must hang no shorter than 3" above the crease in the back of the knee).
     
    Please remember that your grade K-8 child must bring on Passport Day a separate pair of "sneakers" (gym shoes) in a sturdy, plastic shopping bag, which will be kept in the homeroom all year.  
     
    Besides confirming in the Policies section on our school website what pieces of the school uniform are or aren't allowed, in this same section please make sure your children's hairstyles follow the school rules. This may necessitate visiting the barber or salon this month. Please note below that specific section in our policies regarding hairstyles:
     
    1. Hair for both boys and girls must be kept neatly trimmed and combed. A boy's hair must not
    hang below his eyebrows or ears and not touch his shirt collar. A girl's hair must be off her face, be it through side-swept bangs or hairclips/headbands.
     
    2. No facial hair is allowed.
     
    3. Hairstyles are to be conservative, with no extreme haircuts or hairstyles allowed. The school
    administration is the final determinant of what constitutes "extreme." Typically, an extreme haircut or hairstyle is one in which unnecessary attention is drawn to it because one or more of the following occurs:
    • Is not a natural, God-given hair color (coloring, bleaching, or streaking is not allowed);
    • Does not have consistent thickness but is shaved noticeably shorter in some areas (an "undercut," a "fade,"  a "mohawk," or a style similar to the ones shown here are not allowed);
    • Is completely shaved on a boy;
    • Is buzz cut or completely shaved on a girl;
    • Has designs or lines cut into it;
    • Excessively uses gels or styling products.
     
    Prayer Aid for the Week

    "God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer."
     
    ~Saint Mother Teresa

    See what's happening on our St. Louise Facebook page