Parent Bulletin
February 20, 2020
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Lent will be here this coming Wednesday the 26th, and per tradition, Catholics will talk about what they can “give up” during Lent. When I was in elementary school, I used to joke that "I am going to give up smoking for Lent," and then I would proudly (and sarcastically) announce at the end of the season that I was 100% successful. Fortunately, I've matured since then, and I now treat my Lenten promises more seriously.
Lent is a season of conversion, when we acknowledge the ways we have turned away from God in our lives, and we focus on turning our hearts and minds back toward Him. That is why the three pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. These observances help us turn away from whatever has distracted or derailed us and to turn back to our Lord. Giving up something for Lent is a form of fasting. We can deprive ourselves of some small pleasure and offer that sacrifice up to God. Or we might “give up” a bad habit, such as too much screen-time or junk food, as a way of positively turning our life back toward what God wants for us.
This Lenten season, may I challenge you to give up something you perhaps haven’t given up in Lents’ past? This Lent, give up
WORRYING
!
In our stressful jobs and today’s chaotic and fast-paced culture, we often can find ourselves worrying about how we’re going to be able to accomplish this task, or worrying about how we’re going to be able to get though that past incident, or worrying about if we can handle this upcoming issue. Take heed in the following passages from Scripture and quotes from Saints about why we don’t need to worry - if you instead put your trust in the Lord.
"Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
~ Matthew 6:34
“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”
~ Psalm 55:22
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
~ Isaiah 40:30-31
"Pray, hope, don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayers.”
~ Saint Padre Pio
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
~ Isaiah 41:10
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.”
~ Psalm 34:17-19
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
~ Psalm 46:1
"Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time. Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you."
~ 1 Peter 5:6-7
“From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge.”
~ Psalm 61:3
“When my anxious inner thoughts become overwhelming, your comfort encourages me.”
~ Psalm 94:19
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
~ Philippians 4:6-7
"Let nothing perturb you, nothing frighten you. All things pass. God does not change. Patience achieves everything."
~ St. Teresa of Avila
“Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace then and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.”
~ St. Francis de Sales
Perhaps you can take one or two of the above that speak most personally to your situation as it relates to worrying and anxiety, and make it your mantra for the coming 40 days of Lent. Add it to your cell phone calendar or reminder app and have it pop up daily or weekly to remind you.
Please read the two articles below ("Rice & Beans Lunch" and "Lent Begins in 6 Days") which talk more about what your children will be doing during Lent, starting in just six days.
Thanks for helping your children on Ash Wednesday with their almsgiving donations to go with their fasting (unless your child has his/her own piggy bank for the donation), and please try to attend our 1:45 prayer service and distribution of ashes that day.
For a listing of all the various Lenten liturgies and activities taking place at St. Louise Parish through the upcoming 40 days which might interest you or your entire family, please go
here
.
Enjoy God's blessings today,
MR. FITZ
p.s.
Be looking in your email for the latest Parent Survey, which I'm sending you today. It will take you less than 5 minutes to complete, and you'll be giving the school and me important input to help us make future decisions. The Survey closes next Wednesday at 3PM.
p.p.s.
We are holding a special FAMILY ROSARY TIME on March 5, immediately after school, calling together to the church all school parents and their children who are able to spend 20 minutes praying the Rosary. We'll be praying for the special intentions of the parents in our school community who are seriously ill. We know of a few who are having cancer treatments, surgeries, etc., but I'm sure there could be more of you out there. If you or your spouse is battling disease now, and you'd like to be named in our FAMILY ROSARY TIME on March 5, please
email me
now.
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CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
Today and Tomorrow
- Book Fair in the school library; closes at 3:00 Friday.
Today
- "Teacher for the Day" takes place today for one child in every homeroom whose parents purchased this privilege at the Auction
Tomorrow
- "Flavorful Friday" - ice cream treats sold for $1 each at lunchtime; proceeds benefit the 5th grade's service project of supporting the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos orphans
Saturday, February 22
- Father/Daughter Dance at 6:30 in the parish hall
Tuesday, February 25
- Mardi Gras Fun-Dress Day for all students and staff - wear the colors of gold, green, and/or purple and you get free dress today (no shorts allowed during this winter trimester; regular free dress rules apply)
Wednesday, February 26 - Lent Begins
- Ash Wednesday Prayer Service at 1:45; parents invited to sit with their children; please arrive by 1:30
- Rice & Beans Lunch for all students and staff; don't pack a lunch today but instead your child will eat a simple lunch of rice and beans as a form of fasting; as a form of almsgiving, please have your child bring a cash donation of what normally would have been spent on a filling lunch ($5?); the donation will be given to Seattle's Union Gospel Mission
Thursday, March 5
- Family Rosary Time at 3:15 in the church; all school parents and their children are invited to come spend 20 minutes praying a decade of the Rosary for the ill in our school community; if you or your spouse would like to be named in our intentions at this Rosary, please email Dan Fitzpatrick now
Friday, March 6
- Adoration in Parish Chapel
- End of 2nd Trimester (report cards come home on March 27
Thursday and Friday, March 12 and 13 -
NO-SCHOOL DAYS
- School closed and no Kid's Club these two days
- Thursday is an online-learning day; expect work for K-8 students to be sent by their teachers
- Teachers will be attending a theology course on Thursday, and on Friday will be working on report card inputting
CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE SCHOOL CALENDAR
HERE
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Job Opening for a Half-Time School Secretary
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A half-time school secretary position is available starting this March at St. Louise School. This position is for a 20.5 hours per week school secretary, who job-shares with another half-time secretary. This position will begin March 30, with training to begin in mid-March. The secretary works approximately 120 days annually, following the school calendar and including most of June and August. This is a recurring position, with the opportunity for continual, annual rehire.
A candidate is desired who is a practicing Catholic, and the ability to speak Spanish is a plus. Some qualifications include:
- knowledge and experience of relevant software applications including spreadsheets and database management;
- knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures;
- proficient in spelling, punctuation, grammar and other English language skills;
- proven experience in positive communication skills and the ability to convey the upbeat spirit of St. Louise to those who call or visit the school.
How to Apply
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Kindergarten celebrated the 100th Day of School last week! While the students did activities such as counting 100 objects, their teachers, Mrs. Samson and Mrs. Curry, pretended to be 100 years old.
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Rice & Beans Lunch Is Wednesday
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Almsgiving and fasting are two of the pillars of Lent (see article directly below), and so on Ash Wednesday this coming Wednesday the 26th, everyone in the school - teachers, staff, and students will partake in these two disciplines. We will fast from our typical, filling lunches and instead eat a simple bowl of white rice and pinto beans.
Please note that every student is expected to forego their usual lunch on Ash Wednesday and partake in the Rice & Beans fasting/lunch. Only a medical or allergy reason should preclude a student, and in that case, we ask that the parent send a letter to the teacher explaining this unique situation, and substitute a bare-bones, simple lunch.
The money that would have probably been spent to create a filling lunch on February 26th will be donated by each person when they pick up their bowl of rice and beans. We suggest a minimum $5 donation.
These donations will be sent to Seattle's Union Gospel Mission. As you recall, the
Union Gospel Mission
was here a couple of weeks ago, educating the students on the ways they help feed the hungry and help those without shelters. We've already collected almost $500 in donations to the UGM through our recent Faculty Bake Sale, where the teachers baked treats and your kids purchased them, with 100% of donations earmarked for the UGM. Thank you for your support at that sale, and thank you in advance for your donations via the rice and beans lunch!
We want to thank Papaya Restaurant and the Chinh Vu & Kristy Nguyen family, who are making, delivering, and donating all the rice for our lunch!
Papaya
is located at the Renton Landing.
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The Catholic Church's annual 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving begins this coming Wednesday, February 26, with Ash Wednesday starting off the Lenten Season.
Lent is a time to prepare ourselves spiritually - acknowledging our faults and weaknesses while also trying to strengthen our faith and draw ourselves closer to Jesus before we observe the anniversary of his crucifixion and celebrate his resurrection at Easter. Since Jesus spent 40 days fasting and in isolation in the desert, tempted by the devil, we take 40 days from Ash Wednesday until Holy Week also battling the bad habits and disorders in our lives.
Prayer is one of the three pillars of Lent, and at St. Louise School students will be praying not only daily in religion class, but also as an entire school at our Ash Wednesday Prayer Service on February 26 at 1:45. We also have Reconciliation Services in March for grades 3-8, and all-school Holy Week Services in April.
A second pillar of Lent is fasting, and on Ash Wednesday everyone in the school - teachers, staff, and students - will fast from our typical, filling lunches and instead eat a simple bowl of white rice and pinto beans. (See the article directly above.) It is a traditional doctrine of Christian spirituality that some form of penance is required when turning away from sin and turning back to God. Fasting is one form of penance that we practice, just as Jesus fasted and just as he asked his disciples to do.
The third pillar of Lent is almsgiving. The money that would have probably been spent to create a filling lunch on February 26th (suggesting $5) will be donated by each person when they pick up their bowl of rice and beans. These donations will be sent to Seattle's Union Gospel Mission. Thanks in advance for you and your children's donations via the rice and beans lunch!
If you have any questions about the Lenten Season or the Rice & Beans Fasting/Almsgiving/Praying taking place on Ash Wednesday, please talk to your child's teacher or to Mr. Fuerte or Mr. Fitzpatrick.
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Save the Date for One Month from Now
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Good Morning, St. Louise Families!
Save the Date! On Saturday, March 21st at 6:00 pm, we’ll be hosting our annual Auction Launch Party! If you haven’t attended before, it’s really a good time! Think Happy Hour (appetizers, wine and beer will be served) with your fellow St. Louisers, plus, if you pre-register at this Launch Party to attend our November 14, 2020 Auction, you will receive discounted tickets!
Also on the evening of the 21st, we will be announcing our exciting theme for this year's big event and presenting the 2020 Auction logo! It promises to be a special evening of community and fundraising dedicated to supporting the education of our children.
And, I just have to share something with you all – I’m so grateful for everyone who supports the auction! We have the most generous sponsors, donors and volunteers – really the most amazing families. Thank you so much for all you do – you are very much appreciated by your community!
If you are able to support the Auction as a volunteer or donor, or if you want to know more about the event, please send an email to
auction@stlouiseschool.org
. You can also give me a call at 425.214.5441. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Auction Director
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The Scholastic Book Fair ends tomorrow at 3:00. Mrs. McIntosh's library classes have been shopping at it this week, and Mrs. McIntosh also has the library open today after school (Thursday 3:00-4:00) and tomorrow before school (Friday 8:00-8:30) for parents to come shop.
Proceeds from the Book Fair are used to buy more books for the school library. Our
St. Louise School Library will receive 50% of the net profit.
We encourage you to come in and experience the excitement of the Book Fair with your family. You will also have the opportunity to purchase books for your child’s teacher (from their wish list) to expand their own classroom library.
We gladly accept cash, debit/credit cards, checks, and
eWallet,
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Charger Cards
Family Rebate status reports were sent home last week, and we'd ask each school family to please review your family account information to make sure you're on the way to fulfilling this commitment by June:
Purchase enough gift cards so to generate a minimum contribution to Charger Cards/Parents' Club of $125.
Many families have already met their minimum contribution and are now earning tuition discount for next year’s tuition! Charger Cards is happy to help you map a plan for your family to use this program to earn tuition credit and help support St. Louise at the same time! We can meet with you to create a personal plan unique to your family’s budget and everyday purchases to maximize your participation in the program!
Charger Cards program main function is to earn funds using budget that families are ALREADY spending. Simply change how you purchase (buy Charger Cards first for items you already plan to buy) NOT what you purchase.!
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The Charger Cards sale office in the central wing of the original school is open on school-Fridays from 8:15-9:00AM. You may always purchase 24/7 at
Charger Cards...It's simple, it's thoughtful and it's truly the gift that keeps on giving! For more information on Charger Cards and online ordering, please visit
www.stlouiseschool.org/chargercards
or email chairpersons Marsha and Katherine at
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Volunteers Needed Tomorrow
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Are you looking for volunteer hours?
The Father/Daughter Dance team can use your help. We are in need of volunteers who can help set up tomorrow, Friday the 21st, for this Saturday's dance. For more details, please contact
Silvia Macias.
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We appreciate the following volunteers who ran our Used Uniform and Charger Gear sales event last week:
Aila Olayao; Kristina Yumul-Abueg; Krissy Ledesma; Angela Fernandez; Adriana Alvarez; Victor Phan; Veronique Tano; Anneliese Kertson.
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Come to School this Tuesday Wearing Green, Gold, and/or Purple
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St. Louise School will observe Mardi Gras (AKA Fat Tuesday) on Tuesday, February 25 - the last day before Lent begins - with a free dress day for all the students and staff...provided part of the clothing includes
purple
,
gold
, and/or
green
colors.
You can go
here
to find out more about Mardi Gras and why specific colors.
Thanks for helping your children join in the fun on Fat Tuesday before we begin the more serious season of Lent on Ash Wednesday. No face paint, hats, or masks are to be worn on Mardi Gras, but beads or other simple accessories are okay. Regular free dress rules apply for Tuesday, which means no shorts since we’re still in the winter trimester.
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Parents Invited to Conference to Better Equip Themselves
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Last week, Mr. Fitzpatrick noted in
his blog
about the "comprehensive sex education" bill that may soon become law in our state, mandating an extreme curriculum be taught to our youngest students. Much of this new curriculum will focus on normalizing transgender living for children. Now there is a workshop in our area that will help Christian parents learn more about the dangers of "comprehensive sex education" as well as learn how to present a proper perspective to their children on human sexuality, including how to be prepared for secular society's current promotion of a gender ideology theory.
The "
Joy of Life Conference: Male and Female He Created Them
" is being held on Saturday, March 7, at St. Brendan Church in Bothell. At this conference, parents will learn more about the beauty and importance of God's plan for gender and sexuality. High school children are also invited to this conference. To learn more about this conference and the impressive speakers lined up to talk, please go
here
. To register, go
here
.
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Saint of the Week
please read this with your kids
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Our 5th and 6th graders performed a Winter Concert last week, under the direction of Mrs. LaRussa Banton.
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The concert focused on "Music from Around the World" and included dances and songs from other lands.
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