Cougar Connection
The mission of Corpus Christi Catholic School is to nurture every child by providing the opportunities to grow in faith, achieve academic success, and serve others as disciples of Jesus
August 19, 2019
Dear Parents, 

What an exciting first few days we have had at Corpus Christi Catholic School! We are committed to working with our parents in a partnership to carry out the mission of our school, and parent communication is an aspect of this partnership. The school's primary way to communicate with parents is through our “Cougar Connection’’ electronic newsletter. This newsletter is sent electronically on a biweekly basis. You also can find archived links on our school website.
Bible Verse of the Month
Each month students learn a bible verse. We recite it together during our morning prayers. We also pray a particular prayer together each month.

During the month of August our bible verse is Psalm 119:105:   

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” 

Our prayer focus is the Our Father

We would love for you to practice the verse with your children at home.
School Mass and Classroom Blessings
Last Thursday we celebrated our first school mass together as we celebrated the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a beautiful morning. Parents are always welcome at our school Masses, which are held every Tuesday at 8:15. This Tuesday following Mass, Father Zoghby and Father Boudreaux will visit each classroom and offer a blessing for this new school year.
Birthdays
In keeping with the Catholic social justice theme of the Life and Dignity of the Human Person, we believe that every life is precious. We will continue to celebrate that by honoring our students' birthdays every week after Mass. Students will be called to the front and we will sing Happy Birthday to the group. This week we will recognize students celebrating birthdays August 1- August 24. If your student has a June or July birthday, no worries! They will be recognized before the school year is over.
Awards Mass
On August 27 we will recognize students who received academic honors during the 4th quarter of the last school year. Students maintaining the status of principal list all four quarters of last year will also receive special recognition. 
Parent-Teacher Open House
Our Back to School Open House is scheduled for next Tuesday, August 27. It will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Banquet Hall with an introductory meeting. The rest of the night will be divided into two 30 minute periods. 

Period 1: After the group meeting, you will be able to visit your child’s classroom for a brief meeting with the teachers. Teachers will provide you with information concerning class policies and procedures. Middle School parents will remain in the community center for the first period, and will have a presentation together. Middle School teachers will only present this information during the first session, as they will be in their classrooms during the second session. 

Period 2: After 30 minutes, the bell will ring and if you have more than one child, you may visit the next teacher. Teachers will repeat information from the first session. Middle School teachers will be available in their classrooms for parents to visit.
New Email Domain
As we work to fully utilize GSuite for Education by Google, we have a new domain for our school emails. You may now reach all of our teachers using @ccscatholic.com as opposed to @corpuschristiparish.com. For example, my former email was kmartin@corpuschristiparish.com. Now you may reach me at kmartin@ccscatholic.com. Of course, emails will be forwarded from the corpuschristiparish.com to the new domain. 
School Calendar/Student Information System 
Rediker is the student management system that is used by all Archdiocesan elementary schools. You can access Rediker to see your student’s grades and other important information. An electronic calendar can be found on the Rediker home page. Please refer to it for any upcoming important dates and events. If you have not received your Rediker login information, or need assistance with your login, you may email me at kmartin@ccscatholic.com and I will be glad to assist you.
BYOD and Acceptable Use Policy
Please see the attached BYOD Policy for students in grades 5-8. Also, ALL students in Grades 1-8 must sign and return the attached Acceptable Use Policy in order to utilize technology within our school.  The deadline to return the signed form is September 6th. 
Lunch and Breakfast Information
Our cafeteria is managed by Valley Food Services, and this year we have two new faces in our cafeteria. We are glad to welcome Chef Alexis Davis and Chef Jerome White to our school. All students at Corpus Christi are assigned a lunch account number. You may ask your child's teacher to tell you his/her lunch number or you may email alexis.davis@valleyinc.com or elisabeth.rodriguez@valleyinc.com for more information. Once you know your child’s account number, I encourage you to visit www.mypaymentsplus.com to create an online account to manage payments on your child’s account. You also can view purchase history, set buying limitations, and more. Please see the attached letter below for more information. Parents are welcome to come and eat lunch with their student. Just remember to sign in at the office before you go to the Banquet Hall. Our lunch waves are scheduled as follows: 

6-8 grades: 11:00-11:45
3-5 grades: 11:45-12:30
K-2 grades: 12:30-1:15
Our preschool lunch schedule varies by teacher, as they eat in their classrooms. 

Breakfast
Valley will also be providing breakfast options for the students each morning in the cafeteria beginning at 7:00 a.m. Prices are as follows:
Eggs: $1.25
Grits: $1.19
Hash Browns: $1.50
Bacon (2): $1.60
Sausage: $1.75
Breakfast Sandwich: $2.25
Crispito: $1.60
Biscuit with Jelly: $.89
Biscuit with Gravy: $1.60
Muffin: $1.85
Pancakes:$ 1.00

Kona Ice
Kona Ice will be on campus Wednesday and students will be able to visit with their class during lunch waves. A portion of the proceeds are donated to our school library.
A is for Africa--Just 25
We will once again partner with A is for Africa in support of the Matim Primary School. Students are encouraged to bring in .25 cents on the 25th (or weekday closest to the 25th) of each month. Our first Just 25 date will be next Monday, August 26.
Blessings in a Backpack Ministry
Our school will once again participate in the Blessings in a Backpack program. Through this ministry, we will help provide meals for students in need on the weekends. Students are asked to bring in donations on the first Friday of each month. Our first Food Pantry Friday of the new school year will be Friday, September 6. The donations are distributed through the direction of our St. Vincent de Paul society. This year, students who donate items may wear their CCS spirit shirt with jeans or shorts (no shorts or athletic pants in Middle School) The following items are requested for the September Collection: 

K3-2 instant oatmeal, instant grits
3-5 granola bars, snack crackers
6-8 fruit cups, applesauce cups 

If you have not yet ordered a spirit shirt, you may do so in the office.
Office of Protection of Minors and Adults (OPMA) Child Protection Training
All adults who plan to volunteer in any capacity at Corpus Christi Catholic School or Parish must receive training in the Archdiocesan Child and Adolescent Training Program. We will offer this training on Monday, September 10 at 6:00 pm. The class will be held in the adult education room in the Community Center. If you are unable to attend the September 10th session, monthly sessions are held at St. Dominic Catholic School on the fourth Wednesday of each month. For parents who were trained in previous years, the renewal process is a little different this year. 

All individuals wishing to renew must have an account with CMGConnect online. If you have attended a training in the past, an account has been set up for you. Please see the attached document with instructions for renewal. You may click here when you are ready to renew: CMGConnect

Archbishop Rodi
Archbishop Rodi will be on campus for his annual school visit on September 17. The day will begin with Mass and he will then visit the students in their classrooms. As always, parents are welcome to join us at Mass.
Grandparents Day
We will celebrate Grandparents Day on Tuesday, September 24th. We will begin with our school Mass at 8:30, followed by a reception in the banquet hall. After the reception, grandparents are welcome to tour the school and visit their grandchild’s classroom. We look forward to seeing all of our Grandparents and Grandfriends on this day.
Weather 
In the event of the threat of severe weather that could lead to an early dismissal, please monitor the local news. It is important to remember that Catholic schools do not always do the same thing as public schools. If a decision is made for our schools, please know that you will get a phone call, email, and a text message through our student management program. Let’s pray that severe weather will not be a threat to us this school year. 
School Calendar
Remember that you can always access our online school calendar via this link from our website:


Once on the page, you will need to scroll to the bottom to access the online calendar.
Upcoming Dates to Remember
August 26
Just 25 - A is for Africa

August 27
Award’s Mass (8:15)
Open House for K-8 (6:00)

August 28
Scout Round Up in Banquet Hall (6:30)

September 2
Labor Day Holiday-No School

September 3
SAC Meeting (6:00)

September 6
Food Pantry Friday 
Corpus Christi Parish News
A new program: Kids-2-Kids
Starting Wednesday, Sept. 11!
Monthly VBS All Year Long!
2nd Wednesday of the Month — 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Come Sing Praise, Make a Craft, Support a Charity,
Eat a Snack, and Grow in Faith!
PreK-5th Grade Participants & 6th-8th Grade Leaders
Sign up Today for September 11! — $5.00 per Child — RSVP at
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4fa4af2ea6f85-september
Diane Stoyka — dianestoka@yahoo.com
Stephanie Smith — zitoste@yahoo.com
2019-2020 Sacramental Dates for
2nd Graders
Mon Sep 23: First Reconciliation Parent Mtg, 6:30pm Adult Ed Rm.
Mon Dec 2: First Reconciliation Service, 7 pm, Church.
Mon, Feb 3, 2020: 1st Eucharist Parent Mtg, 6:30pm Adult Ed Rm.
Sun, Feb 9: 1st Eucharist Enrollment Mass & Mini Retreat, 9am-12pm.
Sat, May 2, 2020: First Eucharist Practice, 10 am, Church.
Sun, May 3, 2020: First Eucharist Mass, 1 pm
2019-2020 Sacramental Dates for H.S. Confirmation
2021 Class: Sep 15, Spirit Day w/sponsors, 2-6:30 p.m., Lesson 8.
2021 Class: (Date TBA) Confirmation Luncheon,12-2 p.m.
2021 Class: (Date TBA), Confirmation Practice 2-3 pm
2021 Class: (Date TBA), Confirmation Mass, 6 pm.
2022 Class: Nov 17, Spirit Day, 2-6:30 pm
2022 Class: Jan 25, Visitation Monastery Retreat, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Lessons 2/3.4
2023 Class: Aug 26, 2019, Parent Mtg., 6:30 pm.
2023 Class: Oct 20, 2019, Spirit Day, 2-6:30 pm, Lesson 1.
2023 Class: Feb 16, 2020, Spirit Day, 2-6:30 pm, Lessons 5 & 7.
Info: DianeStoyka@yahoo.com or 342-5474, ext 7