St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter

September 10, 2021 Dear St. Louis families,   We began our morning with Bishop Burbidge’s statement on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our nation, a moment of silence, and St. Francis’ prayer for peace. As a school community, we remember and pray in a special way for all those who lost their lives in New York, Washington, DC, and at Shanksville, PA, and we pray for all first responders and service personnel who serve our country and defend our freedoms.   It was so nice to see so many of our parents in attendance at Back-to-School Night—thank you to those of you who took time to meet our fabulous team of educators and hear about the goals in place for our students this year. If you were unable to attend and have questions, please don’t hesitate to email your child’s teacher. You can also access information about your child’s class on their specific teacher Google site which can be found on our school website by clicking on the teacher's name.   Next week, we begin Scantron assessments for students in grades 2-7 and HMH Math and Reading inventory assessments for students in K-1st grade. By using these web-based adaptive online tests, teachers can get the diagnostic information they need to drive their instruction. The data from them will help teachers identify areas of strengths and weaknesses for individual students so we can design instruction to meet those needs. Please know these assessments are not intended to induce any anxiety or stress, they are simply a means for students to show what they know. For parents, the test data allows you to get a better sense of longitudinal growth over time. Teachers will be administering these content specific assessments through the remaining weeks of September. In addition, students in K-2 will also be administered the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALs) which helps us identify students experiencing difficulties in reading.   Earlier today families should have received the diocesan social media guidelines in a Constant Contact message. Please review them carefully and remember to be mindful as you post -- as a Catholic community, we fully believe in a strong partnership between home and family. There is an expectation that school and home will choose to engage in productive communication to address and facilitate a resolution to any issues.   September is our month for faith, and we are actively working on our virtue. With every new challenge we overcome, we recognize that we do so not as individuals but in partnership and community. Together, with faith, we can move mountains! #MountainMovers #strongertogether   On this 20th anniversary of 9/11, pray for peace. God Bless, Anne M. Dyke Principal

School Announcements

Coffee with the Principal, September 15, 8:30am Bring a chair and your coffee and join Mrs. Dyke for coffee and conversation "al fresco." Weather permitting, we will meet outside the school entrance.

ALL THINGS LUNCH... Lunch Time Help Needed!! Parent volunteers are needed to assist daily in the cafeteria kitchen - receiving, sorting and distributing Yay Lunches AND selling ice cream and snacks. This is a fun and easy volunteer opportunity, and it moves very quickly. Parents are asked to commit to a day on a weekly basis each month, as we do not have time to train a new group every day. It is a 2-hour block of time weekly. Grab a friend or two and sign up for a day today!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream, but please leave the $20 bills at home! We are unable to accept any denomination greater than a $5 bill for ice cream purchases in the cafeteria. Most options are in the 50-75 cent range. Please encourage your children to bring in loose change and not empty their piggy banks!

Yay Lunch! Orders are now open for the week of Mon. Sept 13 AND for the rest of the semester - so you can set it and forget it! Don't forget to place your weekly orders by midnight the Saturday before. And did you know...if your child is absent on a day lunch was ordered, email info@yaylunch.com before 9am that day for a refund.

Are You a St. Louis School Alum? It's our 65th birthday, and we're looking for St. Louis School alumni who are parents of current students to join us for Monday assemblies throughout the school year to share your memories of your time here at St. Louis. Interested? Please contact Mrs. Matheis, development@stlouisschool.org.

Nurse's Notes

Students and staff who are required to quarantine must do so for the full 14 days per Fairfax County Health Department. Negative COVID tests cannot shorten the quarantine period. St. Louis does not require a negative COVID test for a student or staff member to return to school after a the full 14-day quarantine has been observed. The daily health screening is a necessary layered mitigation to help keep our community safe. Should a student or staff member develop new symptoms that are not attributable to a chronic condition, such as allergies, migraines, etc., we will ask that student or staff member to be evaluated by a health professional and cleared in writing to return to school. St. Louis School follows the Virginia Department of Health algorithm for evaluating when or if a student or staff member may be in school. Parents must notify the school immediately if their child is confirmed positive for COVID-19 or has been identified in writing by the health department as a close contact of someone with COVID-19. Notification should be sent to Mrs. Aguilar, our school nurse at nurse@stlouisschool.org. For information on COVID testing in Fairfax County: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/sites/health/files/assets/documents/pdf/coronavirus/covid19_testing_fairfax.pdf For additional information, please see the St. Louis Reopening Plan For information about vaccination locations: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/novel-coronavirus/vaccine Thank you for continuing to fill out the wellness check on school pass during the week. This continues to be a helpful mitigation tool.

Hawk Happenings - Week of September 13, 2021

Saturday, September 11 Yay Lunch! order before midnight! Tuesday, September 14 Band Registration, 6:30-7:30pm Spirit Dinner @ El Paso, 4:30-9pm Wednesday, September 15 HAPPY 65th ST. LOUIS SCHOOL!! Coffee with the Principal, 8:30am Spirit Dinner @ El Paso, 4:30-9pm Thursday, September 16 Room Parent Meeting, 6:30pm PTO Meeting, 7-8pm FULL SCHOOL CALENDAR Did you know you can subscribe to our school calendar for real-time updates, convenient links to SUGs and flyers, and more? Subscribe to auto-populate your iCal, Outlook 2007+ or Google calendar

PTO

Round of Applause! Thank you, St. Louis Teachers and Staff, for all you do for our children. We are so very grateful for you!

PTO Meeting - September 16, 7pm We hope to see you all on September 16th at 7pm for the first PTO Meeting of the 2021-2022 school year (see flyer). ***Not only will you earn a volunteer hour for attending, but you will also earn a comfy clothes day for your kiddos. PLUS! You'll have the opportunity to bid on priority seating for Lessons and Carols.

Spirit Dinner @ El Paso Restaurant - September 14 &15 Join other St. Louis families at El Paso (Cooper Road) for the 1st Spirit Dinners of the year on either Tuesday, September 14 or Wednesday, September 15! See the attached flyer for details and be sure to present it when ordering to help raise funds for the PTO!

Used Uniform and Bake Sales, October 2 & 3 It is almost time for winter uniforms! The PTO will be hosting a Used Uniform and Bake sale on Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3. If you have any used uniforms you’d like to donate for the sale, they can be dropped off at the school office during school hours, or on Saturday, October 2 between 3 - 7p.m. in McClunn Hall. We are especially in need of youth small and medium shorts/sweatpants.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATORS Jannette Amedome jeawills2@gmail.com Juliette Theroux jmarchioli@yahoo.com

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Used Uniform Sale Volunteers VIRTUS not required. Sign up here. Bake Sale Bakers VIRTUS not required. Sign up here. Bake Sale Volunteers VIRTUS not required. Sign up here. Cafeteria Helpers Parent volunteers are needed to assist with receiving, sorting and distributing Yay Lunches AND selling ice cream and snacks. This is a 2-hour a week commitment from 11:15am-1:15pm. VIRTUS required. Sign up HERE.

Extracurriculars & CYO

Band Registration Night - September 14 The band program at St. Louis School for 4th-8th graders is part of the Garwood Whaley Music Program, the instrumental music program for the schools in the Diocese of Arlington. Band registration night is on September 14, 6:30pm in the school cafeteria.

Tennis Anyone? St. Louis will be participating in CYO Fall 2021 Tennis. Grades 3-8 are welcome, but matches are limited to grades 4-8. See flyer for more information. If your child is interested, please email Marcy Grzadzinski, gatorlady10@yahoo.com.

Hawks Cheerleading Cheerleading is open to all boys and girls in grades 4 and up and practices will start on Friday, Sept. 17. If your child is interested in being on the team, please contact Judy Conti at jconti@nelp.org ASAP for more information.

CYO Spiritwear Orders for the first round have closed, but we will offer another round of ordering in November. If you placed an order, it will be ready in the next few weeks and Judy Conti will be intouch with you about distribution. If you have any questions, you can contact her at jconti@nelp.org.

Odyssey of the Mind Come join us for Odyssey of the Mind, where the problem-solving of STEM meets the creativity of fine arts! Students of all ages, skill levels and interests are welcome. Look for a flyer going home soon in your Friday folder with more information. Contact Lauren McCarthy, laurenp317@hotmail.com, if you're interested in joining or have any questions.

Parish & Community

Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge The Knights of COlumbus will be hosting their soccer challenge during PE classes, Sept. 15-17 for students age 9-14. If your child would like to participate, please fill out and send in the attached entry form.

Bishop Ireton Prospective Families Events Prospective Bishop Ireton Students! We invite you and your family to join us for a variety of admissions events to get to know our school community. Click on the links below to RSVP or Register and learn more accordingly.   Football Game and Ice Cream Social, 9/18/21 1pm - RSVP Here  STEM Day 10/2/21 8:45am-12:15pm- Click here to Register (Open to 6th - 8th graders, register by 9/13 and get a tshirt!) Open House 10/17/21 1-4pm - RSVP Here   Stay tuned to our website for other opportunities. They will be listed here as they are scheduled throughout the year. Should you have any questions about these events or admissions, please email Nicole Mahon, Director of Admissions, nicole.mahon@bishopireton.org.

Bishop O'Connell Admissions Information Bishop O'Connell High School is offering individual family tours by appointment and shadow days for 8th graders. Sign up for either or both here. Open House is October 3, 1-3pm.

Saint John Paul the Great Soccer and Volleyball Clinics Register today!! John Paul is hosting a Boys Soccer Clinic (open to 4-8th graders) and Girls Volleyball Clinic (open to 4-8th graders) on September 25th, 9am-12pm! Participants will get to work with the JP Boys Soccer team and JP Girls Volleyball team respectively! Join us for the opportunity to develop your skills, meet new friends, and have fun! The cost is $25 per child. Parents - there will be a group tour opportunity shortly after the clinic has started! Click here to register today!

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