Parent Bulletin
February 18, 2021
MR. FITZ'S BLOG
Although the parish's Eucharistic Adoration services have been reduced this year due to COVID-precautions, we are happy that many of your children will be able to participate in Adoration in two weeks. Father Carlos will be leading the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament on March 5, at 1:30, and then benediction at 2:30. In between, our grade 2-8 classes will each spend about 30 minutes in the church in silent prayer. (This won't be open to the public; it's purely a reverent time that our priests have set up for our school. Thank you, Father Gary and Father Carlos!)
 
Eucharistic Adoration, also called Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, is a form of worship that is offered to the Lord through His most Blessed Sacrament – the Body of Christ as we see in the Eucharist/bread. People have their own way of praying before the Blessed Sacrament. Often, silent prayers during Eucharistic Adoration will last an hour, in connection with when Jesus told the Apostles in the garden of Gethsemane during His Passion, “Could you not spend one hour with me?” However, one can visit the Lord in the presence of His most Blessed Sacrament for as short as a few minutes, or in the case of our students on March 5, for 30 minutes.
 
What is more important than the quantity of time spent is the quality. When adoring the Blessed Sacrament, one should be acknowledging Jesus deeply as our almighty God and loving Savior, praising and adoring Him. Indeed, the Lord is Himself present in the Blessed Sacrament, and the host that we gaze upon is the Lord Himself! We keep Him company (as he asked his apostles to do in the garden), and we do homage to Him by our very presence.

When St. Louise Parish and more churches open up their Adoration Chapels in the coming months, please consider going to Adoration as a family. It's a beautiful way to step away from the noisy, busy world and spend quiet time with Jesus.

* * * * *

Thanks for all of the school re-enrollment forms coming through our office computer! We are looking forward to healthy school enrollment numbers for 2021-22! Along with you re-upping, we are seeing unbelievably strong numbers of prospective new school families wanting to enroll at St. Louise.

There are two fundamental reasons why we are seeing this rise in interest. Parents are craving to see two things in school these days:

1) KIDS!
It is so sad and frustrating to realize most students in public schools have not been in a school building for 11 months!

2) GOD!
Parents are seeing the rapidly increasing unsettledness of the secular culture and want to make sure their children are spending their days in a school culture grounded in morals and with a divine presence.

You're making a wise choice to invest in a Catholic education for your kids!
Please don't forget that the admissions season ends this Tuesday!

Blessings on your day!

MR. FITZ

p.s.
There is a rumor going around that Mr. Fuerte and I are willing to subject ourselves to THIS all in the interest of raising money for St. Louise. Now, who would have started this silly rumor ?! ;-) I started getting suspicious this could turn to reality when I noticed Julianne Read stockpiled 20-dozen cans of silly string in her office, in anticipation of many parents vowing to her that they will make sure every fellow parent in their grade level donates to the Annual Fund by March 15. For every grade level that comes through with their Annual Fund donations, their children will be handed these cans. Oh, boy! Perhaps what I thought was fiction is going to become fact! Mr. Fuerte and I are now officially worried.
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

Today
  • Virtual Open House; please have your friends and neighbors with upcoming 4-to-14-year-olds sign up HERE to receive the link for this evening's virtual, live presentation

Saturday, February 20
  • The Speech Team participates in a virtual tournament today

Monday, February 22
  • Addy and Dylan Ellis will be "Principals for the Day" - a benefit their parents purchased for them at last year's Auction; expect some fun surprises today with St. Louise's new bosses! The new Principals already made one executive decision - everyone gets a free dress this Monday! (Regular free dress rules apply, including no shorts my be worn by grade PK-6 students during the 2nd trimester.)

Tuesday, February 23 - Early Admissions Period Ends
  • Last chance to save $125
  • Get your STL window decal on your car for a chance to win Free Dress for your kids

Thursday, February 25 and Wednesday, March 3
  • 7th and 8th graders go to the Sacrament of Confession

Thursday, February 25 and Friday, February 26
  • Vehicles with STL-logo decals who are spotted by our volunteers in the parking lot at carpool time will have their children rewarded with a future free dress day.

Thursday, March 4
  • School Commission Meeting at 6:30PM; parents interested in joining the Commission for a 3-year term are encouraged to attend this meeting

Friday, March 5
  • Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; grades grades 2-8 attending in the afternoon
  • Second Trimester Ends; report cards to be distributed on March 25
  • Used Uniform Sale and Charger Gear Sale - in the St. Louise Room of the original school building from 2-4PM

Monday, March 8 - NOON DISMISSAL *new addition to the calendar

Tuesday, March 9
  • Stations of the Cross; students attending one of two prayer services today

Wednesday, March 10 and Thursday, March 25
  • 5th and 6th graders go to the Sacrament of Confession

Thursday and Friday, March 11 & 12 - NO-SCHOOL DAYS *revision to the calendar

Friday, March 19
  • Mass on the Feast of St. Joseph; grades 3-8 attending 9AM Mass; grades K-2 viewing livestream

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE SCHOOL CALENDAR HERE
Re-Enrollment Ends in 5 Days
The early re-enrollment process for you current school parents and the new application process for those families desiring to newly enroll in St. Louise School for 2021-22 ends this Tuesday, February 23.

If you are a current PreK-7th grade family and have yet to re-enroll, please note that all current families who re-enroll by the 23rd save $125 in their application fee. More importantly, please make sure you re-enroll by the 23rd because have so many prospective new families wanting to transfer out of the public school system and apply with us, that we will definitely have waiting lists in most grade levels for the fall. You get priority to guarantee roster spots for your kids - but only if you don't procrastinate.

If any current school family wishes to newly enroll a child for next school year who is not currently attending St. Louise (such as a new PreK or Kdg. student), please contact Mindy and Tracy in the school office now. Besides additional steps in enrollment, we'd ask all kindergarten applicants to sign up now for a March-date readiness assessment.


Re-Enrollment Checklist:
 
__ 2021-22 Parent Contract

This form was emailed to each family individually. There are two options for tuition payment: Pay in one lump sum by August, or make direct, monthly tuition payments from your checking or savings account – via electronic funds transfer (EFT). The EFT information needed for this process is completed within the contract. Please complete, sign, and submit the Parent Contract.
 

__ Application Fee

Please pay your non-refundable application fee at a special reduced price of $95. After February 23, the fee increases to $220.
 

__ 2021-22 Skyward Student Re-Enrollment

Complete the Student Re-enrollment form through the Skyward student management system. You must confirm that the student and family information we have in Skyward remains accurate heading into the new school year – such as your family’s address, phone numbers, email addresses, etc. To do this, please:
1) Go to Skyward and log-in as usual.
2) Once you log in, click on “Re-Enrollment for 2021-22,” and follow the steps to completion.
3) If you forgot your log-in ID and/or password, there is a link you can click to have it sent to you (or you may contact Mindy Morgan or Tracy Brown in the school office).
4) If you will be newly enrolling a child who has never attended St. Louise School, please click on the “New Student Online Enrollment” link on the left-side after you log into Skyward.
We'll Be Looking for Car Window Decals in the Parking Lot
Families who re-enroll for admissions for the 21-22 school year by this Tuesday, February 23, AND have a St. Louise decal on the back of their car (either the new version we sent home a few weeks ago or a prior year's version), will be honored with a Free Dress Day! The free dress date is TBA.

Then next Thursday and Friday, February 25th and 26th, we will have volunteers in the parking lot during both drop-off and pick-up times, collecting names of families with car-window decals. (We'll send a list out to confirm before the free dress day is awarded.)


Volunteers Needed!
On a not-completely-unrelated note, we need 5 volunteers to help walk the parking lot on 2/25 and 2/26 to help us find our stickered cars! If you are available from 8:00-8:30AM or 2:25-3:05PM next Thursday and/or Friday, please reach out to Julianne Read to sign up!

Thanks for sharing your Charger Spirit when you drive around the greater Eastside!
Mr. Fitz and Mr. Fuerte Agree To Be Silly-Stringed If You Support the Annual Fund by March 15th!
Thank you for thoughtfully considering how much you can give to the 2021 Annual Fund, which all school families commit to support each year. Please donate, or pledge by March 15th - Annual Fund Giving Day.

So many grades are getting so close to earning their silly string! As of this morning, 4th, 6th and 7th are closest to earning their silly string for the livestream event! Remember we need 100% of families in your grade to pledge or donate no later than March 15th to participate!

Want to make your donation now? Click the button below. Want to pledge now and pay later? Send a note to Angie Ogilvy to set up your pledge!

Thank you so much for your support of the Annual Fund! To learn more about how your contribution makes a difference, click here.
Note the Calendar Adjustments for March
The school calendar for March includes 2 Noon Dismissal Days and 2 No-School Days. Some of these changes will assist the teachers as they work at completing 2nd trimester report cards and assessing incoming new student applicants for next year. Thanks for your flexibility in finding childcare these days! (Note that our Kids' Club will be open for KC-enrolled families.)

To always have the most updated school calendar at your fingertips, please subscribe to the school calendar by going HERE and clicking on the "subscribe" link.
Join the Team
St. Louise School’s Parents’ Club Board is made up of school parents just like you who oversee fundraising and enrichment activities that help our children get the most from their St. Louise education.

There are currently some Board positions that are open for the 2021-22 school year. Parents’ Club members:
 
  • Attend one meeting every-other-month.
  • Decide where fundraising dollars are spent.
  • Brainstorm ideas for parent education classes and family social events.
 
Please feel free to ask any current member about their rewarding experience on the Board:
Paige Brown; Colleen Nowak; Pam Munar; Kelly Miller; Karen Reed; Juanita Diaz.
 
For more information, visit the Parents’ Club webpage, and contact Karen Reed.

ThankScripping Day Today and Tomorrow

Our first ThankScripping Day is here - a 2-day event both today and tomorrow! Families earn up to 19% with 60+ bonuses on eGift cards and reloaded gift cards. It’s a great opportunity for families to maximize their earnings and make a bigger impact on St. Louise's fund raising revenue.

You and your families get a sneak peek at bonuses — only in our mobile app, RaiseRight™. Check the app now. Families must have an online account to take advantage of these earnings. Sign up using the mobile app, RaiseRight, or on ShopWithScrip.com. Email chargercards@stlouiseschool.org for our St. Louise enrollment code. When you link your bank account or pay with a credit card, check out is seamless and eGift cards and reloaded money can be accessed immediately.
 


Friends and Family Can Purchase Charger Cards Online and Earn Rebate Credit for Your Family Account

If you have family or friends who use any of the 100s of stores that have ScripNow or RELOAD options, you can help them register with their OWN online account and their OWN PrestoPay/bank payment. Their purchases and rebates can be routed to your family account!

Don’t want to be the middle- man for Charger Card orders for your friends and family? Help them register for their own account and you won’t have to! Do you know a friend with a Starbucks habit? Their regular habit could accrue at 7% rebate towards your family account if you help direct them to purchase their Starbucks credit online with a Charger Cards online account.
 
Direct your family and friends to the Online Registration Direction found on the Charger Card home page: www.stlouiseschool.org/chargercards. Use the “Online Registration Directions” form to register to order cards online.



RELOAD Month Runs thru March 8

To reload a card, simply purchase a plastic gift card from the Charger Card office and later add funds to that same card, reusing it over and over each month! If you reload any Charger Card from February 8th through March 8th, your name will be entered for a chance to win a $25 card of your choice! Will your prize be $25 Nordstrom? $25 at Safeway? $25 on Amazon?

Each Reload is a chance to win! Enter as many times as you like! Once you set it up, you’ll see how easy it is to reload!
 
We all buy groceries and gas and other basics each month! Here is an example of one family’s monthly purchase using reloadable cards!

Reloadable
Cards                Rebate    Rebate earned                 
Shell                    2%   x   $100 =  $2.00
Safeway              4%   x   $200 =  $8.00
Starbucks            7%   x   $25  =  $1.75
amazon               2.2% x   $10  =  $2.20 
Dominoes.           8%   x   $25  =   $2.00
Target                 2.5% x   $50  =  $1.25
                                                       
TOTAL: $17.15  in rebates earned in 1 month just for monthly basics...and you can reload and start over the following month.

For more information on brands/cards available for purchase 24/7 please go to shopwithscrip.com.

For more information on Charger Cards and online ordering, please visit www.stlouiseschool.org/chargercards or email us at chargercards@stlouiseschool.org 

In-person sales every school-Friday from 8:15-9:00AM in the central hallway of the original school building.


Thank you for supporting St. Louise Charger Cards!
Which Spring Sports Would You Like Your Kids to Join?
Our St. Louise CYO Athletic Board is sharing the exciting news that the Seattle Archdiocesan CYO program will be offering some sporting options to interested parishes/schools. Beginning in the latter-half of April, there is a possibility, based on interest and enough volunteer coaches, of CYO teams created for grade K-3 Soccer, grade 4-8 Kickball, and grade 4-8 Track.

Stay tuned for upcoming information on how to enroll on a team and how to volunteer to be one of the coaches.
Archdiocese Is Surveying Parents
The Seattle Archdiocese is announcing the beginning of The Matthew Project: An Implementation Plan for Addressing the Needs of the Diverse Learner in the Archdiocese of Seattle. This project is a collaboration between the Archdiocese, the Andrew M. Greeley Center for Catholic Education at Loyola University Chicago, and the Fulcrum Foundation. This multi-phase project aims to use baseline data to develop a systemic plan or roadmap to advance efforts in meeting the needs of diverse learners in our Catholic schools over the next 3-5 years. Phase one of this project is to gather data about our current practices in meeting diverse learners’ needs. As part of this process, The Matthew Project is seeking the perspectives of school parents to help develop a comprehensive picture of current practices. If you would like to take their parent survey, please go HERE.
Parents Encouraged to Join a Lenten Video Series
In order to enhance adults' experience of Lent, St. Louise Parish is offering the following enrichment opportunity that connects with the three pillars of Lent on which our students focus for the 40-day season. It's a six-week video series on the topic of the "Eucharist in Scripture," presented through the Formed.org website, and St. Louise provides all of parishioners and school parents with access to this paid platform for free. The videos can be viewed from your home computer or mobile device at your convenience.

To participate in this Lenten faith formation opportunity on the Eucharist, simply complete the following steps:

  1. Go to StLouiseParish.flocknote.com/lent2021.
  2. Log in to Flocknote, and join the “Lent 2021” group.
  3. If you don’t have a Flocknote profile, just create one after you visit the web page.
 
If you have not yet registered for your free account with Formed.org:
  1. Go to formed.org/signup
  2. Select your parish (St. Louise)
  3.  Register with your name and email address
  4. Check your email for a link to begin using Formed
 
Beginning immediately, you will receive an email with a link to the video on the Eucharist scheduled for that week, as well a link to connect you with stories about where your money and prayers go if you participate in almsgiving with the Rice Bowl program. This faith-formation opportunity can enhance your Lenten experience by deepening your personal understanding of and relationship with God in the Eucharist as well as your experience of almsgiving.
 
If you have questions, please contact Katie O'Neill in the parish office.
Thursday's Theology: Lent Is a Time to Make Changes
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