School Newsletter
October 11, 2019
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Dear Parents and Guardians of Presentation of Mary Community-
Welcome Back
This evening we welcome back the 6
th
graders who just spent a week at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. Past attendees speak about how this type of immersion experience not only deepens their academic background in Science but also deepens their spiritual mindfulness as they experience the wonders of nature and all that God has provided for them. Of course, the team building and living in community enhances their social and emotional development as well. Chances are they will be a little different when they return from such an awesome experience. We look forward to hearing about all that they experienced during this past week. Our sincere thanks to Cole Stapleton for his leadership in planning and supervising such an experience and also thanks to our chaperones who took a week out of their busy schedules to attend as well. Trips like these are not cheap so we would also like to express our thanks for the financial commitment families made so that their child could have this experience.
October: Fire Safety Month
October is Fire Safety Month, and as such we have had one fire drill so far and look forward to a visit from the Maplewood Fire Department. Firefighters will visit grades K, 2, and 5 on Monday.
We will continue to have fire drills throughout the year so we are well prepared in the event of a real fire. In addition, we will practice lock downs and tornado drills in an effort to be prepared for any emergency. The school has a very detailed crisis management plan to guide these events.
Professional Development Day: Oct. 16
Now that the K-5 teachers have had some time using the new math curriculum, they will deepen their understanding of teaching and learning math. A national trainer from
The Math Learning Center
will work with the teachers for the entire day. Teachers from grades 6-8 and Mr. Faust will attend the CSCOE Summit at the Minneapolis Convention Center., and Ms. Kane will attend the K-5 workshop.
We thank everyone for their commitment to life-long learning. Our students certainly benefit from our teacher's enthusiasm and love of knowledge.
Parking Lot
We would like to again stress how important it is to follow the rules in the parking lot at dismissal each day. These rules are in place not only to avoid backups and keep traffic flowing, but more importantly to ensure the safety of everyone out there. They are as follows:
If you want to get out of your car you
MUST
park in one of the lined parking spaces in the lot and meet your child at the bottom of the bell tower steps. Children may not cross the parking lot without an adult.
If you want to stay in your car please line up along the curb and
PULL ALL THE WAY FORWARD
. You
MUST
CONTINUE TO PULL FORWARD AND MOVE WITH THE LINE
. We have had some issues with people refusing to pull up which causes backups and potential safety concerns if other cars have to pull around you. If this continues to be an issue we may be forced to eliminate the pull-up line and everyone will have to park in a space and get out of the car to retrieve students at the bottom of the steps.
We have been asked by the Post Office to please remind people that it is a Maplewood City ordinance that you may NOT park within 30 feet of a residential mailbox. There are two mailboxes across from the school on Kennard Street. Please be mindful when parking there.
Thank you to all visitors for signing in/out and wearing a visitor/volunteer badge any time they come in the building. Please continue to do this, even if you only plan to be in the school for a few minutes. It is an important safety protocol to follow and we appreciate your help in keeping it consistent!
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.
We wish you all a wonderful weekend. Stay warm!
Blessings,
Gary Faust
Mary Kane
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We all know the wonderful work students William Paslawski, Audrey Aflapki, and Nichole Bertini have done in their fundraising efforts with the #WaysWarriors shirts. Did you also know they were recently honored at the Aim Higher Foundation's Night of Light Gala? Click
here
to see a touching YouTube video about the event. We are all so blessed to be a part of this special school community! Father Peter wrote a great article about the gift of Catholic education in last Sunday's bulletin. In his lovely words "...this [the #WaysWarriors fundraiser] is just one of the many stories that highlight what a Catholic education has given to our children here at Presentation School. The lives of our children, whether they are yours or not, for they are all part of our Presentation family, are being given a foundation and an opportunity that they might otherwise not receive somewhere else. To be able to receive a strong education, while being able to live out their Catholic faith. What a gift."
To read the full article, click
here
.
Thank you William, Audrey, and Nichole for your compassion and determination to help. And thank you to every person in the Presentation Community for making it such an incredible place to be!
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Scam Alert!
There have been people posing as the priest or a staff member from our parish, using emails to try and scam people into purchasing ITunes’ gift cards or other gift cards to send to them. It appears they have now obtained cell phone numbers and are sending text messages to do the same thing. If you ever receive such a request,
DO NOT
respond! Rather, contact the church or school to get clarification. The parish office number is: 651-777-8116, and the school office number is: 651-777-5877.
Please pray for the conversion of these poor souls, and spread the word, especially to our elderly who are more susceptible to these scams.
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Volunteers Needed!
We are in
GREAT
need of volunteers to help supervise students during recess.
This is a very important and necessary volunteer role.
It is a huge help to the teacher assigned to monitor recess to have another adult or two present. Having another set of eyes and hands helps ensure that our students are safe while playing.
Please consider making some time in your schedule for this.
You can help at one or both recesses any day of the week.
Recess Supervision - 11:40-12:05; 12:05-12:25
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Call for Substitute Teachers
We would like to get some more people on our list of available substitute teachers. If you or someone you know would like to be added to our substitute list, please contact the school office. We are also able to get training for anyone interested in becoming a substitute teacher.
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Presentation Spirit Wear!!
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Presentation Spirit Wear is now available! Click
here
to see all the great items available - there are things for infants, youth, and adults! Orders may be placed through the online store through 11/6/19. All orders will be distributed at school after 11/25/19.
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Did you sign up for conferences yet?
Conferences will be held from 3:30 - 7:30pm on Thursday, October 24th and from 11am - 4pm on Friday, October 25th. Please click
here
to see the SignUp Genius and schedule a time to meet with your student's teacher.
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Hot Lunch
Please note that our hot lunches come pre-packaged and Ms. Linda has to place the order for the day with the district office by
9:00 am
. If your student is going to be coming in later than that and will be needing a hot lunch, it is important that you contact Ms. Linda in the office to let her know. If your child comes later than 9:00 and the office has not been informed, they will not receive a lunch as we do not order extras.
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Our SchoolStore program kicked off on Monday, September 7th, and helps our school earn cash without students selling door-to-door, collecting money, or delivering products. Over 400 merchants, including Sears, Target and WalMart.com, have joined together to offer up to 50% of sales to our school for shopping through SchoolStore.com.
To shop and support our school, simply go to
www.schoolstore.com
and select Presentation School of The BVM.
Thank you for your support of our wonderful school.
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Auction Video
One of the most beloved parts of the Auction each year is the Auction Video. This year, we would love some help from YOU in creating it. Do you have pictures of your students at school, school events, or school sports? If so, please send them to
PantherPrideAuction@gmail.com
Thank you!!
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The auction committee is hard at work planning an amazing night filled with fun, food, fellowship and fundraising. We want to see you at our event to prove that at Presentation, Everybody Knows Your Name! We will gather together on November 2 at the Maplewood Community Center. It’s our second year at this new venue and so close to our favorite school!
Please consider making a donation to the auction. Popular items include fun/creative gift baskets like a “traveler’s basket,” a “home and garden basket,” a “night at the movies basket,” or a “man crate basket.” You could also donate gift cards to your favorite restaurants or salons. Experiences make another great donation. Consider creating a Personal Fitness plan or guiding a day-long fishing trip!
Need Inspiration for a donation? Create one of these baskets:
Cheers to Beer:
a basket stocked with high-quality, full-flavored global beers and a gift certificate to a local taproom!
Here Comes Baby:
blankets, a baby monitor, tiny hangers, laundry detergent safe for sensitive skin, wet wipes, bibs, books, toys etc.
Gift Wrap Workstation:
rolls of wrapping paper of all different patterns and textures, plus bows, gift bags, gift tags, tissue paper, colorful tape and scissors
Let Your Light Shine:
a candle making kit with wax and wax warmer (or pouring pot), candle holders, wicks, color chips and instruction books, plus matches or lighters and a set of popular essential oils (like lavender, fresh cotton, sandalwood, vanilla and yuzu) for fragrance
FORE!:
Tees, golf balls, visor, gloves, book about golf, a gift card to a golf store or to a local course, packaged in a sports bag.
Mother Earth:
Garden store gift card, planters, watering cans, gloves, seeds, sunscreen, hand lotion, bags of soil, packaged on a garden rack
Personal Craft Store:
Markers, pens, colored pencils, crayons, craft paint, construction paper, paint brushes, stamping kit, jewelry kits, small wooden model kits, loom bracelet kit, poster board, gift card to craft store, packaged in a craft cart
Run your Errands:
Gift cards for dry cleaning, house cleaning, grocery store, coffee shop, movie theater, restaurants, hair salon/barber shop, etc.
Lego Maniac:
different sets of Legos, gift card to Lego store
Knitter’s Delight:
yarn, needles, mini tape measure, stitch markers, gift card to yarn shop
Outdoor Adventure:
Sleeping bag, fishing pole, mini lanterns, fixings for s’mores (graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate), head lamps, bug spray, citronella candles, gift cards to outdoor store, packaged in a cooler.
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The POPS Halloween Party is just a few weeks away and could use some volunteers! See
this SignUp Genius
for available times and positions. It's sure to be a ghoulishly good time!!
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Schulze Early Learning Scholarship Program
The Schulze Family Foundation has created the Schulze Early Learning Scholarship Program to assist middle-income families in gaining access to excellent preschool programs for their children.
The Foundation firmly believes in and supports the strength of the academic experience, the caring community and the spiritual development that is provided by the Catholic elementary schools.
Scholarships will be awarded ranging from $500 to $3000 and will be sent directly to the preschool to pay for tuition.
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Applications are currently being accepted for the 2019-2020 school year.
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Applications for 2020-2021 school year will be available November 1, 2019.
You are eligible to apply if:
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Your child will be attending an eligible Catholic preschool;
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Your child will be in their last year of preschool in 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 and
·
Your family is middle-income.
If you have questions, please contact:
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2019-2020 Referral Program
Know someone looking for a great school community? Send them our way - we would love to meet them and show them all Presentation has to offer! When they register, tell them to mention your name and your family will be credited $250 for each family you refer!
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Click
here
to view October lunch menu
Please keep your lunch account current.
Log into:
All money for lunch accounts must now be entered online, cash or checks will no longer be accepted.
Please contact the school office if you are having trouble logging in.
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Dynamic Pay
Dynamic Pay is a great and easy way to earn money for yourself as well as for Presentation School! A Dynamic Pay membership grants you access to gift cards from numerous retailers, and all come with a rebate!
Questions? Email Mary Davini for more info.
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FALL SPORTS
The fall sports season is wrapping up. All regular season games come to an end next week. Playoffs for both soccer and volleyball begin Tuesday, October 22
nd
. Congratulations to all of our athletes that participated in a fall sport.
Soccer: 6
th
-8
th
grade
The 6
th
, 7
th
, 8
th
grade soccer team remains in 4
th
place (out of 8 teams) with a record of 3 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. They recorded a 3-2 win against Community of Peace, but their game against St. John the Baptist was cancelled due to the weather. They have 1 regular season game left before playoffs.
Remaining Schedule:
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Soccer: 5
th
grade
The 5
th
grade soccer team remains in 3
rd
place (out of 6 teams) with a record of 2 wins and 1 loss. They had a bye on 9/28 and their game against Highland Catholic was cancelled due to the weather. They played St. Charles and won with a score of 6-0. They have 1 regular season game left before playoffs.
Remaining Schedule:
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Volleyball: 8
th
grade
The 8
th
grade team is currently sitting in 4
th
place in their league with a record of 6-2 with one match left. Those top 3 teams definitely gave us the most competition this season. The girls had an exciting match against St. Agnes, the 1
st
place and previously undefeated team in our league. We are proud to say that we did win that match. It was held at St. Agnes’ small gym to a huge and loud home crowd. The girls lost the first set, but were able to focus, tune out the noise, and come back strong the 2
nd
and 3
rd
set with some strong serving to take the W. The girls did compete in the Transfiguration tournament on Saturday 10/5. It was a tournament that we took 2
nd
place in last year. Unfortunately we did not place well this year. Following the middle school river boat dance up with an 8:00 match on Saturday just did not work in our favor. They have one more regular season match against a strong rival – MMSA on Monday 10/14 before they move on to playoffs.
Remaining Schedule:
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Volleyball: 5
th
-7
th
grade
Congratulations to this team that took 3
rd
place in the Visitation tournament on 9/28! Their record does not show how much improvement this team has had. Even if they aren’t winning the match, they are winning sets or keeping the score close. With the 6
th
graders and coach gone at Wolf Ridge this past week, they had to reschedule some matches. So, they have 3 matches left before playoffs begin.
Remaining Schedule:
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Cross Country
Good luck to all of the students participating in the annual CAA 1 Mile Cross Country Meet, tomorrow Saturday, October 12
th
! Stay warm and have fun!
WINTER SPORTS
It’s hard to believe we are already thinking about winter sports. But, in order to plan out teams, we have to get registration going. CAA offers hockey, boys basketball, girls basketball, and swimming for their winter sports. Basketball and hockey are open to 5
th
-8
th
graders who would like to participate. Swimming is open to K-8.
If you are interested in either hockey or basketball, please sign-up via the link below so we can make decisions on teams.
A link for swimming will come out at a later date.
We participate in the Catholic Athletic Association. For the most current schedules and locations, please refer to their website at:
http://www.stpaulcaa.org/index
.
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Preschool - boys underwear and clothing size 3t-5t
Kindergarten - stickers of any shape and color
Library - clear book tape or clear packing tape
Please bring donations to the school office with a note labeling who they are for. Thank you!
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Curious about the latest news and events at Presentation Parish? See the most recent Parish Newsletter
here
.
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Our Mission: The purpose of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary School is to provide a Catholic community that fosters the religious and academic development of the individual student in a safe and welcoming learning environment.
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Our Philosophy: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary School creates a supportive Catholic community committed to the Gospel message that calls us to faith, service, and worship. An environment of respect, peace and justice fosters an appreciation of God’s gift of life in all people. Each student is empowered to develop their own potential, which will lead to excellence in academics, athletic activities and the fine arts.
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