St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter
AUGUST 9, 2019
A Message from the Principal...
Dear St. Louis Families,

Happy August! It is hard to believe that in a few short weeks we will be welcoming our students back to school. Whatever your summer plans were, I hope you found time to enjoy family, get some rest, and re-charge. I am ready for the teachers who will join me the week of August 19th as they will begin the process of setting up classrooms and planning for the new year. The school has been quiet, but it is almost ready for the students.

In this newsletter you will find important links and information for our wonderful PTO. The PTO is a valuable part of St. Louis because it embraces the partnership between parents and teachers who work together to provide for the good of our school and our educational programs. The work of the PTO enriches our students’ lives. Please take a moment to read through the volunteer descriptions and choose an activity or an event that best fits into your interests or schedules. St. Louis thrives because of the huge commitment of our parents and the willingness to make our school a better place.

I am so grateful and blessed to have such a dynamic community that seeks to serve as Jesus served - humbly and with love! If your work schedule precludes you from taking on an event or activity, there are still other ways for you to get involved. We encourage you to reach out to any of the board members or committee chairs to learn more about the PTO opportunities.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the Back to School Coffee August 18th after each of the Masses - join us for some baked goods, some coffee, to take advantage of the used uniform sale, and to meet current and new families. I ask that you pray for me and my family and know that I am always praying for each of you.

God bless,
Anne M. Dyke
Principal
School Announcements
REMINDER: Power School Updates & Health Forms
Please remember to have the following forms completed so that you child may start school on August 26th:

DUE DATE: Friday, August 23rd
The demographics, emergency contact and media release sections must be completed under "Demographic Change/Update" for each student prior to the first day of school. Your child  may not  start school on August 26th if their Power School profile has not been completed.

Virginia Health Forms & Immunization Records
DUE DATE: Friday, August 16th
The following students must submit their completed  Virginia Health Form and Immunization Records . Your child  may not  start school on August 26th if their health records are not submitted:
  • All Kindergarten and new 1st-8th Grade students must submit their completed health form and immunization records
  • All 6th Grade students must submit proof of receiving the HPV vaccine or an exemption
  • All 7th Grade students must submit proof of receiving the Tdap booster
Please join us for a Dessert Social to welcome our new administration team!

Sunday, August 18th
7-8:30pm
McClunn Hall

RSVP today:

Adults only please.
Order September Lunch Today
The September lunch ordering period is now open. All orders must be submitted online by Tuesday, August 20th. Please follow this link to the online order form.
PTO
Welcome to the 2019-20 School Year!
During the last school year, the PTO:
  • Promoted health & wellness at the 5th Annual Hawks 5K & Hawks Day Celebration
  • Supported faith formation through 2nd & 8th grade sacramental preparation retreats
  • Continued traditions of community service through partnership with:
  • St. Lucy Project food drive at Hawks Day
  • The Mariah Center & UCM during Catholic Schools Week collecting needed diapers, formula, clothes, food & books
  • Enjoyed Family Fellowship while raising over $2400 at 16 Spirit Dinners
  • Aided teachers by providing funds for supplemental classroom resources
  • Improved the school kitchen by purchasing a new stove
  • Improved the school safety by contributing fundraising surplus to the Annual Fund’s project to install new classroom doors and locks 
  • Provided field trip funds to supplement curriculum for all students in grades K-8 
PTO Welcome Back Coffee - August 18th
Join us for our WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL event on Sunday, August 18 - 8:00 am until 12:00 pm in McClunn Hall to meet the school administration and faculty. Shop at the PTO Bake Sale, Kinder Nap Mats, Used Uniform & Boosters Sale. Sign up for volunteer activities, say hello to old friends and make new ones too! EDC registration will also be available.
PTO Sign Up Genius Email Form
Our larger event committee chairs often use Sign Up Genius to request donations and volunteers. The links are shared with the school community through weekly Friday newsletter. To receive the sign-up genius emails and the reminders, please add your email address here .
Spirit Dinner - September 9 & 10
The first Spirit Dinner of the new school year! New to St Louis? About once a month we will pick a nearby restaurant that will donate a percentage of sales to our supporters in a designated date and time frame. It is a great way to connect with the school community outside the school and the proceeds benefit the PTO. It is a win all around!

Come to McAlisters Deli in the Mt Vernon plaza September 9 or 10 from 4-8PM. Lots of sandwiches, soups, stuff baked potatoes, salads and more! Check out their menu:  https://www.mcalistersdeli.com/menu  The PTO will receive 20% of sales. Come see your friends you missed over the summer and meet some new ones too!
Hawks 5K & Fun Run - October 19, 2019
Register online today for the 6th Annual Hawks 5K & 1.5 Mile Fun Run!

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please see the flyer for more information.
Calling All Crafters for the Hawks Day Celebration!
The Hawks Day Celebration following the 5K on October 19th includes an Arts & Crafts Fair. Please see the flyer for more information and to reserve your space.
Save the Date! PTO Meeting & K-5 Back-to-School Night Sept. 17th
Attend the first PTO meeting and Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 17, 7:00 pm in McClunn Hall. Mrs. Dyke will provide a “State of the School” address and parents will meet teachers and visit classrooms K-5. Learn about Hawks Day (October 19, 2019) and the Silent Auction (February 22, 2020). Additionally, we will conduct our PTO business meeting to approve our annual budget.
Volunteer Opportunities
PTO Volunteer Opportunities for 2019-2020
Service, particularly within and for the school community, is an important part of the St. Louis School mission. As such, school families are expected to volunteer as part of their involvement with the school. The requirement for the 2019-20 school year is for each two-parent family to complete 20 hours and single parent families to complete 10 hours .

Please review the new Volunteer Opportunities Guide for positions that fit your interests and availability. Select the opportunities you’re interested in and complete the Volunteer Interest Form no later than September 15th.  Your volunteer interests will be shared with committee chairs for follow up.  

Items donated to events such as the auction, a class party or bake sale can be counted for volunteer hours, (1 hour = $25 of donated items). Several positions can accommodate working parents and do not require VIRTUS training. Your participation is always welcome & appreciated!  

Check out the volunteer opportunities below to get a jump start on your 2019-20 hours!
Don't forget!
 Individual families are required to track their volunteer hours throughout the school year and to submit them to the PTO Volunteer Coordinators for credit.

VIRTUS REQUIRED
Volunteers must have completed the VIRTUS training seminar AND have a background check clearance to participate in these volunteer opportunities.

Call for Room Parents!
Please fill out the Room Parent Interest Form by Sept. 6th

Catholic Schools Week Volunteers
Please see the flyer for more info.
NON-VIRTUS

Bake Sale - August 18th
Sign Up Genius here

Used Uniform Sale - August 18th
Sign Up Genius here

Hawks 5K & Hawks Day - Oct. 19th
Please see the flyer for more info.
Questions regarding volunteering? Contact Vanessa Milewski ( vanessamilewski@yahoo.com ) and Elizabeth Moncher ( efdmoncher@gmail.com )
Volunteer Opt-out
There is an option to opt-out of volunteer hours at the beginning of the school year by paying $500 for two-parent families or $250 for single parent families. If you choose this option, please print this form and return it with a check made payable to St. Louis PTO by September 6 , 201 9 . Please note, the decision to opt-out must be made at the beginning of the year. If a family fails to meet the volunteer hour requirement by the end of the school year, that family will be required to pay the school a penalty fee of $525 for two parent families and $275 for single parent families. If a family completes some, but not all hours, the fee will be prorated based on the hours completed.
Extracurricular Activities & CYO
CYO Sports
St. Louis CYO is a Parish organization, open to all students and parishioners in grades 3 – 8. Click here for an overview of the sport programs offered at St. Louis.
Hawks CYO Spirit Wear T-Shirts Available for Order!
We are making our first offering of CYO Spirit Wear available for order. These t-shirts are sanctioned for wearing on PE days with the rest of the gym uniform, and kids need not be on any CYO team in order to buy and wear one. There are shirts specific to basketball and cheerleading, a generic Hawks shirt not specific to any team, and there is a performance wear t-shirt that track team members should buy, but anyone can purchase any one of these shirts and show your Hawks spirit. 
 
Shirts can be ordered directly from Sew n’ Luv, a local independent business, at this link: https://www.sewnluv.com/st-louis.  

The deadline for orders will be midnight on Saturday, September 7th, and we hope to deliver shirts to the kids about 2 weeks later. 
 
If you have any questions, please contact Judy Conti at  jconti@nelp.org .
Band Parent Volunteers!
Band is offered to St. Louis students in grades 4-8 and parents are needed to help out with a variety of band needs. Please see the flyer for more information.
Parish & Community
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus offer a number of youth activities throughout the school year. Please see the flyer for more information.
Upcoming Calendar Events
August 2019
Sun., Aug. 18 - PTO Used Uniform and Bake Sales, 8am-noon, McClunn Hall
Sun., Aug. 18 - Meet the Administration Dessert Social (Parents only), 7pm, McClunn Hall
Thurs., Aug. 22 - Kindergarten & New Families Orientation (Parents only), 10am, Cafeteria
Mon., Aug. 26 - First Day of School, 8am