Dear St. Louise Parish School Families,
The 2021-2022 school year is coming to a close and I would like to thank everyone for all of their support since the beginning of the year. I remember what I wrote to all the school community in October when I became Interim Principal, and I would like to reflect on Jesus’ teaching, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 I truly believe that my faith, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit helped guide me in successfully leading the school for the past 8 months.
We are so Blessed to have caring faculty, staff, teachers, families, and students at St. Louise Parish School. After we dismiss at noon today and enjoy the school picnic and say goodbyes to our families and friends, I look forward to the summer and the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. I am looking forward to working with you and the faculty and staff to ensure that St. Louise continues its tradition of excellence and that your children will enjoy going to school each day and love learning. Our goal is to continue to assist families in the formation of their children as faith-filled people. We are a diverse community, and we celebrate the whole child recognizing that each person has a role in the Kingdom of God. As our school philosophy says, “We strive to form a community in which the presence of God is deeply experienced and to promote serving others as modeled by Jesus.”
To plan for what’s ahead for the new school year, especially as it relates to any summer happenings and fall engagements, I’d ask you returning parents to please spend time now to familiarize yourself with the information that was given in your red envelope last week. In addition, I’ll be emailing you a few times in August, and Mindy and Tracy in the school office will be postal mailing you a packet of materials in late summer to update you on summer news and remind you of upcoming deadlines. Please email me or office@stlouiseschool.org if you have any questions. Have a wonderful, restful, and safe summer!
God Bless!
Mr. Mike Fuerte
Principal
St. Louise Parish School
Final School Days Will include Liturgy, Yearbooks, and Farewell Gifts
The end of the school year is today, Thursday, June 16th, 2022 being our final day! On this last day, we annually hold an end-of-year liturgy, followed by an all-school picnic. We are going to have a picnic this year with a special surprise of a taco truck, ready to take your orders between 11:30am-1:00pm. Please see your insert from your red envelope last week.
For the end-of-year liturgy earlier that morning, we are going to come together in church and announce surprise recipients of student awards. We will also say goodbye to departing students and families as well as teachers, staff, and Fr. Ben. All parents are welcome to join us during our morning liturgy.
What we need ALL parents to do on this last day of the school year is to be aware school dismisses right after the liturgy! Your children will be bringing home their yearbooks (if you ordered them) and all their school supplies. Clear space in your vehicles! Then head out to your favorite picnic spot on the green lawn or if the weather is not great, we will open up the Parish Hall!
If you would like to send your own "best wishes" to the departing teachers, you may drop off cards to the school office or directly email them. If you have any end-of-year gifts for your children's teachers and other faculty members, you may drop off them at the office too. You can also find their Charger Cards wish list HERE.
THANK YOU FOR FULFILLING YOUR ANNUAL FAMILY COMMITMENTS
- 40 hours of volunteering or payment of $21 per hour
- Donation to the Annual Fund
- Procure or donate $250 to the Auction
- Bring in $125 in rebates from your Charger Card Purchases – or opt out of the program for $250
- Procure or donate to the Walk-A-Thon - $95 for one child or $190 for families with 2+ children
Please note that if your annual commitments are not completed, your child/children’s report card will be held until your family is up to date with them. If you are unsure of your status, or have a concern about your ability to complete these commitments, please call or email me directly, ASAP.
Returning Students Have Summer Learning in June/July/August
As you plan for all the fun adventures and exciting family trips your children will be having over the summer, please keep in mind that summer is also an excellent opportunity to keep inquisitive minds active and engaged! Research shows that summer learning loss equals at least one month of instruction. Knowing this causes parents and teachers to think about how to best keep academic skills sharp over the summer while also using the time to improve upon or master some lagging academic skills.
St. Louise Parish School RECOMMENDS certain academic work be completed on a regular/daily basis over summer vacation, and in some specific grade levels and/or subject matter we REQUIRE this work over summer vacation.
Please go to our SUMMER LEARNING page and click on the various topics on the righthand column to see what your child SHOULD or MUST complete throughout June, July, and August. You will also receive information in your red envelope today. Thank you for your support!
Our School Calendar for Next Year Has Been Finalized
The school calendar for 2022-23 has been finalized, with a September 6, 2022, start date and a June 16, 2023 end date. All the school events, Masses, concerts, teacher conference days, and school holidays in between these two dates are now listed HERE.
We appreciate school families setting up their family vacation based on the school calendar.
If you subscribe to our virtual calendar, you'll have every school event handily in your smartphone's/computer's calendar. Simply hit the “Subscribe” link on our Events/Calendar page: http://www.stlouiseschool.org/apps/events/.
If you would like to print out a hard copy of each individual month from August 2022 to June 2023, there are easy steps:
1) Click on “Calendar View" on the right side of this page;
2) Click on “Print” for each calendar month you scroll to using the arrows in the upper left corner.
Announcement of Additional Faculty and Kids Club change
Today, I would like to announce two more additions to our school faculty. First, I would like to announce our new 3rd Grade Teacher joining Mrs. Berlin and her name is Joanna Bean. Joanna has been working as a second-grade teacher over the last couple years at St. Joseph Parish School in Issaquah/Snoqualmie. She is originally from southern Illinois and received her Bachelor of Science in speech-language therapy from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Joanna then decided she wanted her own classroom, so she obtained a Master of Teaching from Kansas State University, and it was the best decision she has ever made. According to Joanna, “My students bring me so much joy, and I truly feel it is my calling to teach. My goal is to always create a classroom where students feel comfortable, enjoy learning, and treat each other with respect and kindness. I can’t wait to share my knowledge with your children and learn from them too. We are going to have a great year!”
Kati Fitzgerald will be our new 6th grade teacher. She was raised in the Chicago suburbs and has been living in Washington for four years where she has taught STEM in early, education, 1st grade and worked with English language learners at Mercer Island High School before teaching 6th and 7th grade social studies in Renton. Before coming to Washington, she lived in Italy where she was active in her church, and taught English in the Tuscan public school system working with a range of students from preschool through high school. Her focus was exam preparation. Kati is married and has a son, Francesco, who is starting 6th grade. She has a passion for teaching and building strong relationships with students, staff and families. Mrs. Fitzgerald and her family have been parishioners at St. Louise for the last three years and the transition to teaching for the school is a happy one. She looks forward to welcoming her new students this September and wishes all students and their families a restful summer after a hard years' work.
One final announcement is our new staff for Kids’ Club Before and After School Program. Our new Kids’ Club Director and Pre-K Instructional Assistant will be Marilu De La Torre. Marilu has been working at Kids’ Club for numerous years under Maria Zambrano and this year has helped the Pre-K Extended Day as well as helping as an Instructional Assistant in the primary grades. Joining Marilu De La Torre as our Assistant Kids’ Club Director and Pre-K Instructional Assistant is current St. Louise parent Lavina Goveas. Lavina has experience working with children she has helped in Kids’ Club and in Pre-K throughout the year. To round out the staff in Kids’ Club next year will be Jesus Cruz. Jesus has worked for the Parish in various roles from maintenance work to working with students in the Spanish Youth Group. He has also been a Catechist for both First Communion and Confirmation. Maria Zambrano will still be at St. Louise as she will be transitioning into her new role as our SEL Specialist, Afternoon Pre-K Lead Teacher, and Director of Extracurricular Activities.
