Parent Bulletin
March 11, 2020
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Our teachers are taking a 5-hour-long seminar tomorrow on the Catholic faith. Using the
Augustine Institute's
curriculum -
Symbolon
- the teachers, Mr. Fuerte, and I will be viewing videos from over 25 of the nation’s top Catholic theology experts who clearly and comprehensively explain the Catholic Faith in a way that helps us know it, live it, and articulate it to others. In Part 1 of this program, which we begin tomorrow, we journey through the core teachings of the Catholic Church traced out in the Creed and Catechism, with the goal of knowing the faith. Topics include: Divine Revelation; The Bible; The Story of Salvation; Who Is Jesus?
Our faculty will continue studying this curriculum over the summer and into next year, as we become more informed about our faith - something all adult Christians should feel called to do, even if their job isn't to be a faith formation teacher, but to take on the even bigger task of being a parent.
Nancy Danforth, one of our 4th grade teachers, announced her retirement, effective after this school year ends in June. Mrs. Danforth has been teaching here for 20 years, and her three children are St. Louise alums. Needless to say, it will be sad to say goodbye to such an important part of our school community. And needless to say, I'm jealous she gets to retire so young! ;-)
Here is what Nancy would like to say to the school community:
Dear Parents,
I am writing to let you know I will be retiring from St. Louise at the end of this school year. This decision did not come easy for me. There was much discernment and quite a bit of prayer.
We never know the journey that God has called us to. All we know is that as disciples of Christ our response to His call should be “yes”. For the past year I have felt God call me to begin a new journey. A journey that will focus on volunteering, and family. It is a bit scary to leave my “teaching hat behind”, but I am confident the adventures ahead will be exciting.
Who knew that 20 years ago when I was asked to sub for a few weeks in a second grade classroom, that I would still be here at St. Louise. Each year has brought new faces with curiosity, humor, and enjoyment for life. Every day has been a joy to watch your children learn something new. I found much joy when that sparkle in their eye would light up, as they finally understood a difficult concept. As your children have come into my life, I have gotten to know many families and shared many of life’s experiences with you. I will cherish these memories. I have loved teaching each child and trying to open their personal gifts and letting them glimpse God through my eyes.
I feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful community. St. Louise is in my heart and will always be home to me.
With a grateful heart,
Nancy Danforth
Along with our current ad for a new kindergarten teacher, we'll now start advertising for
a 4th grade teacher. Please share the job opening announcement you'll find below with any teachers you know.
Remember, that our school secretary, Lola Bazan, is retiring on March 25. If you'd like to join the time when your children will be saying farewell and thank-you to Mrs. Bazan, we plan to get together that morning at 10:00. (We'll say farewell to Mrs. Danforth and Mrs. Samson on the last day of school in June.)
Enjoy God's blessings today,
MR. FITZ
p.s.
It's already time to start planning for our 2020 School Auction! How exciting! Next Saturday the 21st we'll be unveiling the theme and logo for the November 14th Auction. The AUCTION LAUNCH PARTY is being held in the school lobby at 6PM next Saturday. It's for adults only, and will consist of food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, and fun camaraderie with fellow St. Louise parents. Please RSVP with
Julianne Read
.
LENTEN RESOLUTION: GIVE UP WORRYING
"Pray, hope, don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayers.”
~ Saint Padre Pio
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CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
Tomorrow 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
Tuesday, March 17
- Fun-Dress Day for all students and staff - as long as there is GREEN being worn in honor of Saint Patrick; since we're in the 3rd trimester, shorts may be worn on free-dress/fun-dress days
Thursday, March 19
- Parents' Club Meeting, 6:30 pm in the faculty room; parents invited
Saturday, March 21
- Auction Launch Party! Come to the school lobby at 6:00 pm and find out the 2020 Auction theme and buy your November 14 tickets early to save $$! Please RSVP HERE.
Monday, March 23
- Today is the deadline to RSVP to the Mother/Son Bowling Event - to be held on March 29. Go HERE to sign-up mom and her son(s) for this fun, annual event!
Wednesday, March 25
- Farewell to Lola Bazan after 25 years as our school secretary - 10AM in the school lobby.
CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE SCHOOL CALENDAR
HERE
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Job Openings at St. Louise
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Thank you for sharing these job postings with those you know who are looking for a job in a school and fit the following qualifications...
A full-time 4TH GRADE 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 4th grade classrooms, with each of the homeroom teachers having a small class size of approximately 15 students, with the part-time aid of an instructional assistant. The position closes on April 3.
For a job description and qualifications for this newly-listed job opening, or for our other open positions of a
full-time KINDERGARTEN TEACHER
and a
full-time INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT
,
please go
here
.
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The Unveiling of the 2020 Auction Logo and Theme Is One Week from Saturday...and You're Invited to the Fun
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Join us for a very special Auction Launch event next Saturday night!
DJ Sean will be spinning thematically-correct tunes, while you are there for the moment when we reveal the 2020 theme! (Spoiler Alert - it's NOT the Roaring 20s!)
Complimentary, fabulous appetizers will be served from
Ascend Hospitality Group
and there will be complimentary, adult beverages.
Additionally, if you attend the Auction Launch event, you'll be able to purchase your November Auction tickets at a discount! We'll even have a few things for sale and up for bid...did you miss out on your Black & White photo, or after-auction wine bottle? No problem, it will be there on the 21st!
Finally, we are featuring a fun video to help kick things off; you won't want to miss it!
It's all happening next Saturday, March 21, in the school lobby from 6-8pm!
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Suggestions Provided for Summer Camps and Summer Activities
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As you plan for all the fun and exciting adventures your children will be having over the summer in just a few months, please keep in mind that summer is also an excellent opportunity to keep inquisitive minds active and engaged! Research shows that summer learning loss equals at least one month of instruction. Knowing this causes parents and teachers to think about how to best keep academic skills sharp over the summer while also using the time to improve upon or master some lagging academic skills.
Please go
HERE
to find our latest update to our
Summer Programs and Camps
document. This is a list of opportunities for enriching summer learning and fun for grades Pre-K through 12. Please take a moment now to explore the possibilities, because many summer camps and programs fill up with pre-registration by the spring.
Please note that St. Louise School is not necessarily "endorsing" these camps and programs (other than our own
Chargers' Adventure Summer Camp
right here on the St. Louise campus); we offer the list as a helpful guide for parents to then investigate.
Gone are the days when summer learning was dreaded and boring. Summer programs in the 21
st
century offer enriching, engaging, and exciting topics. If you have any questions, please contact our student support teacher,
Melissa Cantu.
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Track and Field Sign-Ups Begin
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Registration is now open
HERE
for all 4th-8th graders to sign up for CYO Track and Field. The St. Louise Track Team is known for setting records and generating fun and camaraderie among the student-athletes and their parents. It's a terrific program for kids of all athletic abilities!
If you need to order a St. Louise Track Team t-shirt, please mark the applicable box when registering. The t-shirts are $11 and are required. These are the same shirts as the last couple of years, so if you already have one that fits, you don’t need to purchase another one.
Track practices will begin on Tuesday, April 21st and will be from 5:00-6:30pm every Tuesday and Thursday at International School in Bellevue (445 128th Ave. SE).
Track Meets are held on the following weekends:
- Preliminary: Saturday, May 2nd at 10am
- Relay Meet: Saturday, May 9th
- Qualifying: Saturday, May 16th at 10am
- 8th Grade Pentathlon: Sunday, May 17th
- Championship: Saturday, May 30th at 12pm
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March Madness in Full Swing
Through March 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.
We're Open This Morning
With no school on Thursday and Friday, Charger Cards will have window-sales this morning from 8:15-9:00am. Come inside the original school to participate in March Madness.
Where Will You Be Staying on Easter Vacation?
Charger Cards carries many cards useful for STAYCATION or out-of-the-area travel! Where will you be during your family's spring break?
- Hotels – Best Western, Clarion Hotels, Comfort Inn, Econo Lodge, Quality Inn, Fairmont, Sleep Inn
- Air – Delta, Southwest
- Staycation - Flying Circus, Chuck E Cheese, Red Robin. Dominos, Trophy Cupcakes
- Restaurants @ 20% Rebates - Bai Tong, John Howie, Pomegranate Bistro, Purple, Wild Ginger, SeaStar, El Gaucho, Daniel Broilers.
- Travel – Disney
- Gas & Auto – Chevron, Shell, 76, Arco, Safeway, Jiffy Lube
Buy Charger Cards for Your Business and Pay by Company Credit Card!
If your company uses gift cards, buy them from St. Louise! Several school families purchase gift cards from the Charger Card program for their company. This month, pay by credit card and there are no extra credit card fees! Contact the Charger Card program if you need a large quantity of gift cards for a promotion or employee program. In the past, we’ve had families order:
- 300 x $25 Amazon
- 250 x $10 Subway
- 200 x $25 QFC
- 80 x $10 Starbucks
- 40 x $50 Daniel’s Broiler
We can provide an invoice for easy check request or expense purposes. Please contact us with any questions.
Use March Madness to benefit your family and your child's school!
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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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Remember that school is closed tomorrow and Friday, with no Kids' Club. On Thursday, grade K-8 students will be given online-learning assignments. Depending on your child's grade level, these assignments could take 2-5 hours to complete. Thanks, parents, for overseeing your child's completion and then having the completed assignments returned as the teacher asks - either via email or through a hard copy handed in on Monday.
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Make Space for God this Lent
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These 40 days of Lent 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.
The latest purple-colored sheet to help families "MAKE SPACE FOR GOD" during Lent 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.
These sheets are compliments of the Seattle Archdiocese's
Office of Marriage and Family Life.
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.
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ASGC Pledges Are Past Due
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Our Annual School Gift Campaign (ASGC) began in January, and we asked all school parents to turn in at least their initial pledge by the end of February.
As the graph above shows, only 42% of school families have so far turned in their total donation or initial pledge, so we're calling on the other 58% of you to please do so within a week.
School parents who have not turned in a pledge form or made their initial donation by next Friday, March 20, will be receiving a phone call from our Development Office.
We are making steady progress towards our goal of raising $190,000 during 2020. If all you are able to give at this time is your “pledge” to the ASGC (i.e. the amount you “intend” to give later this spring), that is fine. We hope to reach the necessary 100% parent participation total by the end of the school year in June.
Remember, by signing your parent contract, you have agreed to participate in this vital fundraiser. Proceeds help our school budget be able to increase teachers' salaries, among other needs.
Please save yourself and our office from a call by donating
online here
, or sending in a check, or contacting
Cindy Wagner
to make arrangements. Thank you for your generosity!
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Looking for volunteer hours?
Mrs. Reynolds, our school nurse, needs five volunteers to help her with the vision and hearing scree
nings of students taking place on Tuesday, April 21. Volunteers are needed from 9am-3pm, and no experience is needed. Contact
Jane Reynolds
if interested.
Our Charger Cards program needs volunteers to help weekly on Friday mornings or every-other-week on Sunday mornings. W
hether you want to start soon with joining the Charger Cards team, or if you just want to learn more and possibly start volunteering in the fall, Marsha Rampersad-Zope would love to talk to you. Please
contact Marsha
or find her on Friday mornings from 8:15-9:00 in the Charger Card sales office in the original school building. You don't need experience to work on the Charger Cards team; you just need a desire to want to help your child's school.
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One Trimester Left to Log-In Volunteer Hours
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The school faculty and students are so appreciative of the dozens of hours each school family puts into volunteering at and for St. Louise! Without our involved and dedicated parents, kids know that many school programs - from sports to chess club - would go away, and teachers know that many things they try to get done in the week wouldn't get done.
With that, we appreciate the volunteer hours parents log-in each trimester, and this week you should have received one type of email:
- An email thanking you for already completing the minimum 40 hours of volunteering at and for St. Louise this school year; (note: if you completed 40 at the end of trimester 1, you would have received this type of email in December, and won't be getting another one now);
- An email thanking you for the hours you've already put in (under 40) and reminding you that we'd appreciate you reaching at least 40 by June;
- An email informing you that we have no record of any volunteer hours being logged-in, so please log-in those hours now, and start looking for ways to get 40 hours completed by June.
For more information on logging-in volunteer hours, please go
HERE
. If you have questions, please talk to
Jen Sharp
, the Parents' Club's volunteer coordinator.
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Saint of the Week
please read this with your kids
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