St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter |
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March 11, 2022
Dear St. Louis Families,
We enter into a long weekend for our families this weekend---remember that staff will be participating in diocesan-wide training Monday, March 14th so there will be no school for students. Please keep staff in your prayers as they work to learn new skills and a new digital learning platform. We also ended trimester 2 today, and report cards will be coming home next Friday with your student(s) in his/her Friday folder. It is hard to believe that we are 2/3 of the way through our school year. Time is flying, but in some ways not so much!
Our Lenten journey continues and so does our focus on mercy. In all classrooms students are working on giving mercy and receiving mercy---Blessed are the merciful, they shall obtain mercy ( Mt 5:7). Mercy is the desire to lessen the suffering of others; there is a beautiful message that comes with this! It is not only the words that we focus on, but also those saintly examples that offer witness to living a life of mercy. St. John Vianney who spent hours caring for gentle souls and giving mercy in the sacraments; St. Faustina who challenges us to practice mercy in our words and actions; and St. Teresa of Calcutta who helps us see Jesus in the distressing disguise of the poorest of poor while providing us the example of loving those who are hard to love. Each of these saints offers our students and staff a practical way to extend mercy.
We are two weeks from our re-accreditation visit! We are feeling everything that comes with putting your best foot forward as we meet with and welcome the visiting team of educators who will be sharing their expertise and insights with us over the course of their time on campus. The team will be onsite March 22-25. There will be a half day on Friday, March 25th to allow the team to meet with staff and share their final report. Please mark your calendars accordingly.
Wishing you all a peaceful weekend!
God bless,
Anne M. Dyke
Principal
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Stations of the Cross - Every Friday during Lent |
During Lent, parents are welcome to join St. Louis students at Stations of the Cross on Friday's at 2:30pm in St. Louis Church.
If you must sign your child out early on a Friday during Lent, please do so before 2:15pm. Our office staff will not interrupt Stations of the Cross to locate students for dismissal.
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The CDC/VDH/FCHD updated their guidance on quarantine, isolation and contact tracing recommendations three times between December 2021 and February 2022. Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding as we navigated through all the change. I know this has been challenging on many students in the community.
The current guidance from VDH regarding quarantine and isolation protocols can be found HERE.
The biggest change is that the algorithm starts with vaccination status rather than maskes when determing quarantine.
- A student who tests positive, regardless of vaccination status, will need to isolate at home for 5 days and may retrun to school Day 6 with a close-fitting mask through Day 10 if not symptomatic.
- A student who is vaccinated and a close contact/exposed does not need to quarantine but must wear a close-fitting mask for 10 days, monitor for syptoms, and it is strogly recommended he/she test Day 5 just in case asymptomatic.
- A student who is unvaccinated and a close contact/exposed will need to quarantine for 5 days and may return on Day 6 with a close-fitting mask through Day 10 if not symptomatic.
The Fairfax County Health Department no longer recommends contact tracing for isolated cases in the classroom setting in times of low transmissions. St. Louis School takes the health and safety of students and staff very seriously. When there is a positive case, administration will review classroom seating charts and vaccination status, and I will be in contact with you if your child is considered a close contact.
Thank you!
Mrs. Megan Aguilar
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Yearbook News!
The deadline for submitting pictures for the yearbook is March 16th. Please see the attached flyer for instructions on how to upload pictures and order your yearbook.
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40 Days 40 Acts
This Lenten season, students will perform daily acts of love with a school-wide participation in 40 Acts of Love and Kindness both in the classroom and at home. We will be sharing these acts of love and kindness as part of our Lenten social media campaign. Families are encouraged to send photos of your acts of love and kindness to development@stlouisschool.org between now and April 13th.
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Guest Speaker - March 31st
Building Children's Resilience and Confidence with Phyllis Fagell, LCPC
Please join us March 31st at St. Louis in the cafeteria. Through stories, research and professional experience, Ms. Fagell will offer parents practical strategies to benefit children and young adolescents and help them acquire the key skills they need to manage the social complexity, academic challenges and intense emotions that characterize these critical years. Her talk will also cover the added challenges inherent in raising our children through a pandemic, the influence of social media, and the increase in mental health issues.
Phyllis Fagell, LCPC is the school counselor at Sheridan School, an independent K-8 in Washington, DC; a therapist who works with kids and families in private practice; and an author and journalist. She's the author of “Middle School Matters” and a frequent contributor to the Washington Post. She also writes for Psychology Today, CNN, Working Mother, U.S. News & World Report and Your Teen, and her ideas have been shared in outlets including The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker and NPR.
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Food Drive for Christ House
Throughout Lent, St. Louis School is collecting food items for Christ House in Alexandria, VA. We encourage students to consider giving up something and using the money instead to purchase any of the food items needed for Christ House. Below is a list of food items the pantry is in need of:
- canned meats (chicken, corned beef, spam)
- peanut butter
- jelly
- tuna
- canned vegetables (corn, green beans - (regular and low sodium)
- individual fruit cups (low sugar)
- canned fruit (low sugar)
- cereal (low sugar)
- pasta (regular and gluten-free)
- instant potatoes
- macaroni & cheese kits
- coffee, cooking oil, flour, sugar
- Giant, Safeway and Walmart gift cards
Donations are being collected until April 8th. Baskets will be outside each classroom for students to place non-perishable items into.
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Hawk Happenings - Week of March 14, 2022 |
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Saturday, March 12
- Yay Lunch! order before midnight!
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Monday, March 14 - NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, March 16
Friday, March 18
- Stations of the Cross, 2:30pm
- Trimester 2 report cards
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Saturday, March 19
- Yay Lunch! order before midnight!
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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
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What a special treat to have Grammy Nominated Artist Christylez Bacon perform his Banjos to Beatbox for the children this week. Our Cultural Arts Chairs, Meghan Roberts and Natalie Salisbury have done it again! Thank you!!!
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Spirit Dinner @ Chipotle - March 16
Who said tacos are just for Tuesday? Treat the family to CHIPOTLE at Beacon Center on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 from 5 PM until 9 PM. All orders placed in store (with flyer) and online (with code XR7KMAX) will generate funds for the PTO! Don't forget to tell your friends too! Thank you for your support & Enjoy!
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2nd Annual Hawk’s Hippity-Hop Egg Hunt – Saturday, April 2, 2-4 PM
Mark your calendars to hop by the school on Saturday, April 2 for another EGGstra special event! The Easter Bunny will be leaving eggs on the school grounds again, and we need children to help collect them. Be sure to take a photo with the Easter Bunny! And don’t hop away before stopping by the Spring uniform and bake sale. Reservations will be required for the egg hunts and space is limited, so watch for the sign-up link in the March 18 newsletter.
In the meantime, we do need volunteers and donations to make this event special. Please consider signing up here to help!
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Spring Used Uniform & Bake Sales - April 2 & 3
Our Spring Bake Sale and Used Uniform Sale will be held in McClunn Hall on Saturday, April 2 and on Sunday, April 3rd. We are looking for volunteers and donations for both sales. See volunteer opportunities below for sign-ups.
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Used Uniform Sale - Hours: Saturday, April 2 from 2pm – 4pm & following the 5:30pm Mass and on Sunday, April 3 from 8am – 12pm
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Uniform Donations - If you have used uniforms that you’d like to donate, they can be dropped off anytime in the school office, or on Saturday, April 2 between 10:30am and 6:30pm in McClunn Hall. We are especially in need of youth small and medium PE uniforms.
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Bake Sale - Hours: Saturday, April 2 from 2pm – 7pm and Sunday, April 3 from 8am – 2pm and after 3pm
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Auction Items Needed!
The Silent Auction needs your help with donations! –
VACATION, TRAVEL, EXPERIENCE EDITION
We are looking for…
- Vacation Homes
- Theme Park Passes
- Airline Tickets
- or anything else Travel Related
Don't have any of these things, but still would like to donate?
- Consider purchasing theme park passes, airline tickets, rental car vouchers, or all-inclusive packages specifically to donate. Have another great idea, let us know!
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VOLUNTEER
COORDINATORS
Jannette Amedome
Juliette Theroux
Don't forget to log your volunteer hours!
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
NON-VIRTUS:
Egg Hunt - April 2
Donations and volunteers, sign up HERE.
Used Uniform Sale - April 2 & 3
Volunteers needed to help set up, during the sale, and tear down. Sign up HERE.
Bake Sale - April 2 & 3
Volunteer - set up, package, sell baked goods, or clean- up/tear down the sale. Sign up HERE
Donate Baked Goods - Sign up HERE
VIRTUS REQUIRED:
Cafeteria Helpers - March
We have a critical need for parent volunteers in the cafeteria in order to continue with hot lunch options. Parent volunteers are needed to assist with receiving, sorting and distributing Yay Lunches and selling ice cream on select days. Sign up HERE.
Recess Monitors - March & April
We are in need of recess monitors during outdoor recess in March and April. It includes supervising all grades from K-8 between 11:30am and 1:40pm daily. Fill out and send in the interest form.
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CYO Girls Volleyball
We’re working to form teams for volleyball. Volleyball is open to any girls in grades 3-8, no experience necessary! We’ll be having practices at St. Louis on Mondays, 6-8pm, starting March 14. Games will be at other diocesan school starting in early April. Contact Lauren McCarthy (LaurenP317@hotmail.com) for registration details.
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Bishop Ireton Summer Camps
Bishop Ireton High School is excited to offer 6 weeks of Summer Camps from June 13 - July 22, 2022. Come explore what Bishop Ireton has to offer! We’ve added new camps, expanding choices in the areas of Sports, Fine Arts and STEM! There are half day and full day programs all run by Bishop Ireton Coaches, Faculty and Staff. One registered nurse and one certified athletic trainer will be onsite each day. Lunch is available for purchase and before care is an option.
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