Parent Bulletin
February 27, 2020
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We are holding a special FAMILY ROSARY TIME one week from today - on Thursday, March 5, immediately after school. At 3:15, we would love to see you and your children in the church, spending 20 minutes praying the Rosary before you head home. 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., and they have asked us to please pray for them. But I'm sure, unfortunately, there could be more of you out there who are also seriously ill, but we haven't heard the news. If you or your spouse is battling disease now, and you'd like to be named in our FAMILY ROSARY TIME next Thursday, please
email me
now.
For our FAMILY ROSARY TIME on the 5th, it would be helpful to bring your family rosary for you/your child to use, but you don't need rosary beads to pray. We'll hand out prayer sheets as you enter the church, so if it's been a while since you've prayed the rosary, you'll easily be able to pray along.
Lent began yesterday, and it was heartwarming to see your children take the fasting, almsgiving, and praying so seriously. The rice & beans lunch was a terrific opportunity to bring the Lenten pillars of fasting and almsgiving to your kids. The Ash Wednesday prayer service was a great introduction to the season as we received the symbol of penance on our foreheads since we're entering a season of penance and of reflection, preparing us for Christ's Resurrection in about 40 days.
The reason we "give up" things during Lent and/or commit to do more "good" things is because these 40 days are a journey to bring us closer to Jesus, and when we fast and/or give more, we are removing the clutter from our lives and making more space in our lives for God.
On this note of "MAKING SPACE FOR GOD," the Seattle Archdiocese's
Office of Marriage and Family Life
has created some simple, weekly reminder sheets that we'll be sending home to each St. Louise family every week during Lent. The first purple-colored sheet is being handed today to the youngest child in each family to bring home to mom or dad. Please be looking for it after school today.
The purpose of each week's sheet is for a family to MAKE SPACE FOR GOD by taking at least one day that week for everyone in the family to eat dinner together AND to turn off the TV, turn off the cell phones, and put away any other electronic devices or distractions. Now, in this distraction-free environment for 30(?) minutes, your family can read through the "conversation starters" on each week's sheet, talking about your Lenten journey.
The Office of Marriage and Family Life offers these weekly family sheets in hopes that Lent will be more than just giving up candy for 40 days, but will truly offer an opportunity to treat the season as the initiation of your family's faith life growing stronger through the fundamental family action of talking to each other. But again, this talking needs to be free of the distractions of technology and today's hectic lifestyle, so it's important that at least one family meal each week be 100% focused on only the people at the table - and on their thoughts, beliefs, hopes, worries, and questions.
I hope you'll take advantage of these weekly reminder sheets we'll be sending home, starting with today's first one and continuing for six more weeks through Holy Week in April.
Enjoy God's blessings today,
MR. FITZ
p.s.
Every year at this time I start talking to my teachers and staff about returning for the upcoming school year, and every year we receive sad news of faculty not returning. Our long-time kindergarten teacher, Lauren Samson, won't be coming back to teach next school year, as she is changing careers. Additionally, one of our Kindergarten/Gr. 1 Instructional Assistants, Vicki Cam, has decided to be a full-time mom next year, and won't be returning to our staff after June.
Obviously, it's sad when school staff depart, and when we officially say goodbye to Lauren and Vicki in June. we'll definitely be glum , but we'll focus on being appreciative of all the gifts they've shared with our school community !
See below for information on these two soon-to-be-open positions which we today begin to advertise. If you know of someone interested in either being a kindergarten teacher or an instructional assistant, please share the information with them on how to apply. We'll be accepting applications over the coming few weeks.
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CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday, March 4
- Tickets go on sale to the greater school community for our school musical, Junie B. Jones, to be performed April 1 and 2; be looking for a ticket order from coming home with your child this day
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 - as part of parish's 24-hour prayer vigil (see article below)
- 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 Kindergarten Teacher
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With Mrs. Samson's announcement of her departure from St. Louise at the end of this school year (see below), a St. Louise School kindergarten teacher position is now being listed as available starting in the fall. Please share the following with those teachers you know who are looking for a new position for the upcoming school year...
A full-time Kindergarten Teacher position for the 2020-21 school year
is available at St. Louise School in Bellevue, a school providing academic excellence in an atmosphere fostering Catholic faith and values. St. Louise has a comprehensive curriculum, impressive facilities, and specialist teachers in the areas of music, art, p.e., computers, and library. There are two kindergarten classrooms, with each of the kindergarten teachers having a small class size of approximately 15 students, with the aid of an instructional assistant.
Benefits Provided
- Competitive salary based on experience and education;
- Medical, dental, vision and life insurance;
- Potential matching for healthcare spending accounts;
- Employer paid pension and access to 403(b) retirement plan;
- School-funded professional-development and continuing-education opportunities;
- Tuition grants for grade PK-8 children of employees.
Ability and Skills Desired
- Has experience in successfully teaching primary grade students;
- Appreciates the ability to team with the other kindergarten teacher in the adjoining kindergarten classroom to cooperatively create a dynamic curriculum;
- Is a practicing Catholic who integrates Gospel values in his/her lessons;
- Establishes and maintains a positive and orderly classroom environment needed to provide a productive environment;
- Evaluates each student’s progress in academics and social skills, and communicates progress via report card marks and frequent parent conferences;
- Maintains professional competence through continuing education and in self-selected professional growth activities.
How to Apply
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Announcement from Mrs. Samson
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Dear Parents,
I am writing to let you that this is my last year as a Kindergarten teacher at St. Louise. Currently, I am receiving my Master’s in School Counseling at Seattle University. In the fall, I will begin my Counseling internship. I made the decision to become a school counselor because I feel a calling to continue to help support and guide students. As a counselor, I feel like I can make an impact on student’s social, emotional, and academic development.
I have been at St. Louise for twelve years and have so many wonderful experiences and memories. This community has been so supportive and caring to me throughout these fantastic years of teaching. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with such incredible families. I will truly miss everyone, especially the enthusiastic Kindergarteners every morning. Every day I have experienced so much joy teaching Kindergarteners and it has been so rewarding to watch them grow. I feel so blessed to have taught your beautiful children and seen the progress they have made.
I have enjoyed sharing my passion for teaching with the St. Louise community. I had the opportunity to share my love for running through coaching my previous students in cross country and track. St. Louise has truly become my second home and it will be difficult to leave this blessed place. I will cherish the times my previous students have come back to help out and share their favorite aspects of kindergarten. I have vivid memories of my first class here and watching those students graduate from 8
th
grade. I remember when each of them came in before graduation and surprised me with rose and I could not hold back the tears. They each told me what they loved about Kindergarten and all their heartfelt memories. Kindergarten is truly a special year and thank you for making my experience so special.
I will leave you with this quote-
What happens in Kindergarten… lasts a lifetime!
My memories of Kindergarten and the impact of the St. Louise community had on me I will cherish for a lifetime.
Sincerely,
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Job Opening for a Primary Grade Instructional Assistant
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Thank you for sharing this job posting with those you know who are looking for a job in a school and fit the following qualifications...
A full-time Primary Grades Instructional Assistant position
for the 2020-21 school year
is available at St. Louise School in Bellevue, a school providing academic excellence in an atmosphere fostering Catholic faith and values. St. Louise has a comprehensive curriculum, impressive facilities, and small class sizes, with instructional assistants supporting the teachers in many of our grade levels. This position available in the upcoming school year will be for sharing time between one kindergarten and one 1
st
grade classroom.
Benefits Provided
- Competitive salary based on experience;
- Medical, dental, vision and life insurance;
- Potential matching for healthcare spending accounts;
- Employer paid pension and access to 403(b) retirement plan;
- School-funded professional-development and continuing-education opportunities;
- Tuition grants for grade PK-8 children of employees.
Ability and Skills Desired
- Has experience in successfully teaching reading to primary grade children, including the ability to teach phonics by speaking clearly and enunciating phonemes so students can differentiate the different sounds and develop phonemic awareness.
- Has experience in successfully teaching math to primary children, including the ability to show students different ways to solve math problems and the gift of being able to encourage students who struggle.
- Possesses the skills needed to assist the primary grade teacher in creating a dynamic, organized curriculum, including the ability to follow the supervising teachers’ directions while at other times to manage things independently;
- Is a practicing Christian who naturally can integrate Gospel values when instructing and supervising children;
- Can assist the teacher in maintaining a positive and disciplined classroom environment;
- Can maintain a safe and well-ordered recess atmosphere, including the ability to discipline students of all ages as needed;
- Able to be outdoors co-supervising one daily recess and able to handle the physical demands of loading and unloading 25 lbs. of recess equipment;
How to Apply
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Fathers and Daughters Are Special
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Here you see some of the fun dads and daughters had on Saturday at the annual Father/Daughter Dance. We appreciate the following volunteers who helped set up, serve at, and/or clean up the dance:
Silvia Macias, Julia Lacouture, Anahid Alvarez, Priscilla Portocarrero, Molly Akers, Amy Au Yeung, Leslie Tankersley, Erica Lizotte, Arleen Isaksen, Kristy Charles, Marinell Zevenbergen.
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Thanks for Your Support of Fasting & Almsgiving Yesterday
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Almsgiving and fasting are two of the pillars of Lent, and yesterday on Ash Wednesday, everyone in the school - teachers, staff, and students - partook in these two disciplines. We fasted from our typical, filling lunches and instead ate a simple bowl of white rice and pinto beans.
The money that would have probably been spent to create a filling lunch yesterday was donated by each person when they picked up their bowl of rice and beans. Next week we will announce how much money was raised to donate 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 the kids purchased them, with 100% of donations earmarked for the UGM. In addition, students made a couple hundred prayer cards that will be sent to the Union Gospel Mission, who pledge to hand these cards out to those they feed at their shelter or greet in the streets of Seattle.
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A Fun Saturday Night Is Coming Up Soon
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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.
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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Thanks for Your Support of the Book Fair
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The 2020 Scholastic Book Fair was a huge success. Thank you to all the St. Louise families for your support and generosity in this fundraising event. The Book Fair sold over $7,100 in books in just 3 days!
The St. Louise library will receive 55% of this total (almost $4K) to purchase new books. What a great way to help keep our library current with up-to-date titles from all genres for your children to enjoy!
The success of this year's Book Fair was due to all the amazing helpers who volunteered their time. Mrs. McIntosh wants to give big thank you's to:
Veronique Tano, Jacintha Vimal, Ruth Kerschbaumer, Carolyn Yepez, Sharon Victor, Trinette Kuester, Gabriella Schmidt, Allison Weber, Arlene Isaksen, John Perreault.
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It’s Time for March Madness with Charger Cards!
From March 1-31, if you use your credit or debit card for purchases, there will be no ‘fee’ for transactions in excess of $100 on cards that produce over 3% in rebates.
Take advantage of March Madness by stopping by the Charger Cards sales window in the central wing hallway of the original school to pay in person by credit card. Or if it’s not convenient to visit during Charger Card office hours,
complete an order form and we will send you an invoice.
The sales window to pay in person is open on Friday school mornings from 8:15-9:00. If you want to skip the line, submit your order online or on paper, and pay by credit card online when we send you an invoice for payment, you may do that by going
here
.
Either way, don’t wait! This special ordering for March Madness ends Friday, March 31, at 9:00 am.
Think Spring and Plan Ahead
How many of your purchases can you make this month using Charger Cards? Buy your gas, groceries and all other spending through Charger Cards and pay with your credit card!
Do you have any travel plans for Easter Vacation 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!
Use March Madness to benefit your family!
Charger Cards carries many cards useful for travel! Where will you be during Easter Vacation?
- Hotels – Best Western, Hyatt, Clarion Hotels, Comfort Inn
- Rental Cars – Avis, Budget
- Air – Delta, Southwest
- Travel – Disney, Princess Cruise, Celebrity Cruise, Carnival Cruise, Royal Caribbean
- Gas & Auto – Chevron, Shell, 76, Arco, Safeway, Jiffy Lube, Sinclair
Coming home in your red envelope today are all the necessary forms to make ordering Charger Cards and using your credit card easy and efficiently.
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20% Rebate Cards Now Available
Do you need to catch up on rebates? 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!
- El Gaucho
- John Howie Steak
- Bai Tong
- Purple
- Red Robin
- Wild Ginger
- Regis Hair Salons (Hair Masters)
- Tutta Bella
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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24-Hour Prayer Vigil Begins a Week from Tomorrow
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St. Louise Parish has scheduled a Prayer Vigil on Friday, March 6, beginning with 9AM First Friday Mass until 12:00 Midnight. While the Church will be closed from midnight until 6AM, Benediction will be held at 8:45 AM followed by the Healing Mass at 9AM on First Saturday. It is our hope that parents (and families) will be able to join us for some prayer time for an hour or more. While focus of this year’s prayer time is silent adoration, the parish will offer a few opportunities for vocal prayer time. In order to aid you in discerning your prayer time, please note the following schedule:
9:00AM - 10:00AM First Friday Mass
10:00AM - 3:00PM
Silent prayer (the following classes will be participating: 2A, 2B, 4B,
5A, 5B, 6A, 6B)
3:00PM - 3:30PM Divine Mercy
3:30PM – 5:00PM
Silent prayer
5:00PM - 5:15PM Evening Prayer
5:30PM - 6:15PM Children’s Rosary
6:15PM - 6:50PM
Silent prayer
6:50PM - 7:00PM Reposition Blessed Sacrament
7:00PM - 8:00PM First Friday Mass, in Spanish
8:00PM - 8:10 PM Reposition Blessed Sacrament
8:10PM - 9:00PM Adoration and Confession
9:00PM – 10:00PM Contemplative Prayer and Confession
10:00PM–11:50PM
Silent prayer
11:50 PM–12:00AM Reposition Blessed Sacrament
March 7
12:00AM – 6:00AM
Church Closed
6:00AM– 6:10AM Reposition Blessed Sacrament
6:10AM – 8:30AM
Silent prayer
8:30AM - 8:45AM Morning Prayer
8:45AM – 9:00 AM Benediction
9:00AM – 10:00AM First Saturday Mass
A box for prayer intentions and a sign-up sheet has been placed in the Church Vestibule. During this week and next, you will be able to place your prayer intentions in the box and sign up for an hour of prayer time. Your prayers will be used by participants to offer up intercessory prayers during the vigil. Please contact parishioner
Dawn McIntosh
with any questions.
FOR A LIST OF OTHER ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE AT ST. LOUISE PARISH DURING LENT, PLEASE GO
HERE
.
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Parents Invited to a Conference to Better Equip Themselves
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The "comprehensive sex education" bill that may soon become law in our state, mandates an extreme curriculum be taught in all K-12 public schools. 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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