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ST. LOUISE SCHOOL PARENT BULLETIN
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Please check out today's red envelope that your kids are bringing home, as it contains information on two vital events. One event is coming up on November 9, and it helps raise funds for your children's school. The other vital event will be happening on a couple of Wednesday mornings every month, and it helps strengthen you as well as guard your children. The first event will cost you - but it's worth it! The second one is free!
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St. Louise teachers are famous for giving up their lunch break, coming in early, or staying late, all for the sake of helping students who need some 1-on-1 time to get some math homework questions answered, understand their reading assignment, or find out if they're on track with that long-term science project. Teachers will gladly set aside 10-25 minutes every week or so to work with an individual student of theirs who needs this special, personalized assistance.
However, sometimes this gratis time provided by the teacher isn't enough, and your child needs even more 1-on-1 support. Many parents end up finding private tutors for their kids, and that seems to help a lot. Of course, there is a hassle with finding tutors: How do you know they're qualified? Where does the tutoring take place? How can I work out a schedule for my child to see a tutor weekly?
I'm happy to announce that starting this year, St. Louise teachers will be allowed to "put themselves out there" as potential tutors for parents to hire. This is a win-win situation. You parents win because you know the type of trusted & tested educator you'd be hiring, and you don't have to drive your child to the tutor, as the tutoring can be done right here on campus. It's also a win for the teachers, as they can "moonlight" before or after school and pick up some needed, added revenue.
In order to allow this new policy of teachers being able to be hired by parents during the school year to tutor at St. Louise, the following guidelines must be followed:
- St. Louise teachers offer gratis support of any and all of their current year's students before-school, after-school, or during recess without the need to be paid as a tutor. This reasonable, extra assistance that all St. Louise teachers are expected to provide to their students is dependent on each teacher's availability and typically is offered for less than 30 minutes and on an irregular basis. This is in contrast to tutoring services which last for (typically) 30, 45, or 60 minutes at a time and are held weekly.
- If a parent approaches a St. Louise School teacher to hire as a tutor for his/her child, with compensation to be paid directly from the family to the teacher, the parent is to recognize that this teacher hired as a tutor is not acting as an agent of St. Louise Parish School but is acting as an independent contractor providing tutoring services. Terms of compensation are to be transacted privately between the parent and teacher. The school does not involve itself in the financial transactions for paying the teacher nor does the school receive any revenue from tutoring.
- When tutoring during the school year, a teacher may use a classroom or school room before or after the school day; however, when occurring during the summer, tutoring must be done off site. At no time may a tutor who is not a St. Louise teacher use a St. Louise classroom or school/parish room.
- So that the principal is kept informed of which teachers are being hired by parents as tutors, and so the principal is aware of when a teacher and student are on campus before-school or after-school hours, a completed Tutor Agreement Form is to be submitted by the parents to the principal for his signature. A new form must be completed for each academic school year. The principal's signature on the form authorizes the teacher to tutor for compensation, as the principal wants to affirm there is no conflict of interest.
If you are looking for a tutor for you child, you may ask your child's teacher(s) if he/she is available - but note that not every St. Louise teachers wants to "moonlight" as a paid tutor. If your child's teacher won't be tutoring, ask if he/she knows of a teaching-colleague who tutors. In addition, you may ask our Student Support Teacher,
Melissa Cantu, who has a list of tutors in our area (who are not affiliated with St. Louise). Of course, it is the parents' responsibility to investigate and evaluate the tutor choices and choose the one best for their child.
Enjoy God's blessings today,
Mr. Fitz
p.s.
Once again, we will be partnering with the iconic
Yuen Lui Studios
for our school photos! Both individual student photos and class photos are scheduled for next Thursday, October 3. Throughout the day, each student will have their individual photo taken, regardless if the student is purchasing photos to keep or not. These are used for our school Yearbook in June.
Students are to come to school next Thursday in their complete uniforms, wearing the traditional red sweater or the red fleece (no hoodies or track jackets please).
The preferred method is for you to pre-order online. Simply
go HERE
to place your order. All photo packages you purchase will include a complimentary class photo. If you have any questions concerning school photos, please contact
Cindy Wagner
in our development office.
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Upcoming Calendar of Events
- Pastries with the Pastor and Principal - parents invited to the school lobby anytime from 8:15-8:45AM for caffeine, conversation, and carbs
Tuesday, October 1
- Parent Education Class for parents of grade 3, 4, 5 students - 6:30PM in the Parish Hall
- All g. 3-5 parents invited to hear from family therapist and former school counselor, Mollie Lentz, on parenting topics such as signs of anxiety in your kids, how technology affects children, and how to balance your family calendar for a healthy family life - all focusing on this specific age level of 8 to 11 year-olds;
- All adults invited, so invite your friends who have gr. 3-5 children in other schools;
- Adults only, so thank you for finding childcare;
- No cost - thanks to your fundraising efforts in the Charger Cards program which allows Parents' Club to fund these parent education classes;
Thursday, October 3
- Photo Day
- All students to wear complete school uniform, including red fleece or sweater
- Pre-order photos through Yuen Lui Studios
- Questions on Photo Day? Contact Cindy Wagner
Friday, October 4
- Mass on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, 9AM - all parents are encouraged to attend; please wait for you child outside the main building or outside church, as they head to church at approximately 8:45
- In conjunction with our focus on St. Francis - the patron saint of animals - the 6th graders are holding an (optional) all-school collection drive - cans of dog and cat food to be donated to low income people with pets. Your child is invited to bring one can to school today, but please don't spend any more than $1.
Monday, October 7
- Parent Education Class for parents of grade PK, K, 1, 2 students - 6:30PM in the Parish Hall
- All gr. PK-2 parents invited to hear from family therapist and former school counselor, Mollie Lentz, on parenting topics such as signs of anxiety in your kids, how technology affects children, and how to balance your family calendar for a healthy family life - all focusing on this specific age level of 4 to 8 year-olds;
- All adults invited, so invite your friends who have gr. PK-2 children in other schools;
- Adults only, so thank you for finding childcare;
- No cost - thanks to your fundraising efforts in the Charger Cards program which allows Parents' Club to fund these parent education classes;
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There is still time to sign up to attend this.
What is "this"?
Watch the video to find out.
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WE ARE ONE
Auction News
Today is when the real fun begins! Your children are bringing home your red envelopes containing vital Auction information, including:
- Registration to attend the Auction and dinner (go HERE now to RSVP);
- Black & White Picture Form (to fill out if you are interested in buying a photo of your child with his/her best friends)
- Raffle Tickets (go HERE now to reserve your tickets; only a limited number are available);
- Wine Contest
If you are out of town on November 9, and can't attend the Auction, how about
making a donation in the amount you would have spent that evening? You may do that HERE. Thank you!
You can help pay for the dinner expense of your child's teacher(s) to attend the Auction. To "sponsor a teacher," please go HERE.
If you'd like to stay at the Westin on Auction night, make
your hotel reservation now! Click this
link
to get the St. Louise special rate at the Westin Bellevue.
If you have any questions or need any more info, please let me know!
Thank you, again, for your participation! We'd love to see every parent in the Westin on November 9 - either attending and bidding, or helping behind the scenes.
~Julianne Read
St. Louise Parent & Auction Director
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This Morning, Come Get Your Caffeine, Conversation, and
Carbs
The first Pastries with the Pastor and Principal
is
THIS MORNING
from 8:15-8:45.
Parents are encouraged to park the car, gather in the school lobby, and find Father Gary and Mr. Fitz there to serve you a breakfast treat while available to answer any questions you may have about the parish, our school, or the larger Church. And if you don't have any questions, but just want to chew and chat, that's fine too.
Pastries with the Pastor and Principal will be held periodically throughout the school year at morning drop-off time.
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Pet Food Drive Next Friday
Since the school is having a Mass next Friday on the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, and since
St. Francis is the Patron Saint of animals, our 6th graders (who are helping us in key roles in our October 4th Mass) have asked to hold a school-wide Pet Food Drive next Friday.
Every grade K-8 student is encouraged* to bring in a donation of 1 can of dog or cat food on the 4th. (*Note: this is an optional, not required, drive.) Our 6th graders will be delivering these donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Seattle/King County. St. Vincent de Paul gives away the pet food at their food bank to low income families and senior citizens who have dogs or cats but struggle to buy pet food.
We expect your purchase of pet food will cost no more than $1. (Please no bags of food due to space limitations.) Below are some suggestions on the one item your child may choose to donate (as seen at Petsmart)...
If your family chooses to help in this cause, please have your child bring in only 1 can of dog or cat food on the Feast of Saint Francis - Friday, October 4. And of course, parents are encouraged to join their children for Mass at 9AM that day.
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Parent Education Classes will be held in the PARISH HALL (beneath the Church) from 6:30-8:00 p.m.
These classes are for adults only.
Please find childcare.
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MAP
stands for Measures of Academic Progress, and MAP Growth is a three-part test that measures student knowledge in reading, language usage, and mathematics. All students in grades 2 - 7 take the MAP Growth assessment each spring and fall at St. Louise and throughout most of the other Seattle Archdiocesan schools.
MAP measures your child's academic progress or growth. By having precise measurement of student achievement, teachers and parents are able to monitor academic progress.
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When parents, their child, and their child's teacher look at MAP scores - which are shared each November at parent/teacher conferences and again each June - it may become apparent that certain academic areas need more attention than others. If a child needs help, parents and teachers will know exactly what skills on which to focus. These tests will also give a long-range picture of a student's learning as he/she progresses through the grade levels.
Parents can improve the chances their child will perform to the best of his/her ability by:
- Making sure their children get a good night's sleep prior to testing day, and eat a filling breakfast the morning of testing;
- Assuring their children that they will do fine on the test, and motivating them to do their best so we can get a true assessment of academic strengths while also knowing which goals to establish for future learning;
- Explaining to their children that test-taking should be taken seriously, but not pushing the seriousness all the way to test anxiety.
Here are the scheduled testing days for each homeroom this fall:
- Miss Reynolds - Sept. 24, 25, 27
- Mrs. Woods - Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 2
- Mrs. Berlin - Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 2
- Mrs. Jaster - Sept. 24, 25, 26
- Mrs. Scruggs - Sept. 23, 25, 27
- Mrs. Danforth - Sept. 24, 25, 27
- Dr. Cruickshank - Sept. 30, Oct. 1, 2
- Mrs. Cervantes - Sept. 24, 25, Oct. 1
- Mrs. Patterson - Sept. 24, 26, 27
- Mr. Glaser - Sept. 23, 30, Oct. 1
- Mr. Gallant - Sept. 23, 25, 26
- Mr. Weiss - Sept. 25, 26, 27
If you have a general question regarding MAP, please talk to Mike Fuerte, who oversees our school's testing programs. If you have a question on your child's specific progress in reading, language arts, or math, please talk to the teacher. Again, the results of fall's assessments will be shared at November's parent/teacher conferences.
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Last Chance for a Free Starbucks Card
This bonus is for September only.
Place a Standing Order before September 30, and include at least one "Groceries or Gas" category store. You'll then receive a $5 Starbucks gift card with your first order.
Sign up by Monday's deadline, and your standing order will begin in October! You just need to p
lace an order for basic grocery and gas cards you aleady spend at weekly. Send postdated checks with your order and your cards will be delivered during the first week of each month. This is the best way to set a budget, determine your needs and meet your Charger Card requirement!
Find the Standing Order Form on our webpage.
Class Lunch Contest! Order Online in October!
During the month of October, place an order online and help your
child's entire class win a free
pizza lunch & donut treats!
Contest Details:
- Online order must be placed October 1-31. Contest ends 11:59pm, October 31st.
- One online order counts toward the classes of all children in your family.
- Any size order qualifies. (Place an order as small as one $5 Charger Card!)
- Online PAYMENT is NOT required. Pay for your order by check or online (via Presto Pay).
- Winning class will be determined by the highest percentage of participating student families.
- Date of free lunch TBD by winning class's teacher
Charger Cards Should Be Used for Everyday Purchases
- In charge of treats for the soccer game this weekend?
- We have Walmart, Costco, QFC/Fred Meyer, and Target!
- Thinking of an easy dinner idea Friday night?
- We have Papa Murphy's, Dominos, Papa Johns, and Little Caesars (just down the street)!
- Planning birthday parties or other gifts?
- We have Barnes and Noble, Target, Walmart, Claire's, iTunes, Regal Theatres, Jamba Juice, Gap/Old Navy, andSports Authority!
The Charger Cards sale office in the central wing of the original school is open on school-Fridays from 8:15-9:00AM.
Charger Cards...It's simple, it's thoughtful and it's truly the gift that
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Meet Our New School Parents
We are excited to have 30 new families joining St. Louise Parish School this year! Over the past weeks, we've introduced them via their names and photos in this bulletin. Veteran parents, thanks for welcoming these newest St. Louisers when you see them on campus.
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top, left-to-right: George Anthony & Catherine Sabol (daughter in 6th grade); Grace Temple & Tom Foot (son in kindergarten)
bottom: Diana Plascencia & Francisco Martinez (daughter in kindergarten)
(New parents, we are still waiting for a few more of you to send us your pics so we can post them here. Please email your photo to Cindy Wagner.) |
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Bible Study for Women
Two women's Bible study groups at St. Louise Parish will begin The Bible Timeline study this fall. A morning group will start meeting on Thursday, September 26 at 8:30 am. Participants in the morning group will meet every week to view an engaging video presentation followed by lively group discussion and fellowship. For more information or to register for the morning group, please contact Colleen Lowell at colleenlowell5@gmail.com or at 425-351-6402. An evening group will also be undertaking the same study program this year, with twice-monthly meetings begam on Thursday, September 19 at 7:15 pm. For more information or to register for the evening group, please contact Caya Hartman and Connie Schouviller at wbbs@gmail.com.
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S
AINT OF THE
W
EEK
please read this with your kids
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Thank you for patronizing the following businesses and thanking these families who, through their generous sponsorship, help underwrite the costs of St. Louise School's Auction, Walk-A-Thon, and other events...
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See what's happening on our St. Louise Facebook page
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