“The Church acknowledges the indispensable contribution which women make to society through sensitivity, intuition and other distinctive skill sets which they, more than men, tend to possess. I think for example, of the special concern which women show to others which finds a particular, even if not exclusive expression in motherhood.”

- Pope Francis

MARCH 2024

The month of March is International Women’s Month which is a month-long commemoration of the achievements and contributions of women in various fields. It is observed in March in many countries to coincide with International Women’s Day celebrated on March 8th. The origin of this celebration can be traced back to Women’s History Day in 1978. To honor all women and their various contributions and sacrifices to our country, we are devoting our March Purple Star Bulletin to the invaluable women of our community.

We pray in a special way for the women who hold down the home front and those who serve abroad to protect our freedoms. May you know how much we admire your strength and dedication to the families you serve and our community.

Rosie the Riveter Day

Did you know that March 19th is Rosie the Riveter Day? This day is an observation honoring the hard work and sacrifices American women made in the workplace during World War II. It was during this time that women from across the nation traded their pre-war lives for work in factories, welding, and many other industries to support the war effort. It is reported that some five million civilian women took over what was stereotypically coined as "man's work" joining some 350,000 women who joined the work force in America's time of need.

In honor of Rosie, two military spouses took the mission to another level and created R. Riveter, a company that only employs military spouses. They feel that, "She {Rosie}, symbolizes patriotism, strength, and the hustle and grit we believe in here at R. Riveter. We honor her legacy by creating handbags to employ military spouses, nit to find military spouses to make handbags. We believe in being a company and women who work hard to solve a problem like Rosie."

This May 10th, the ladies of our school community are invited to join us for Designer Bag Bingo, an evening devoted to the women we love and admire. We are grateful for the bag donations we have received from our greater community, and one fo those being R. Riveter. They are donating a bag from their new spring line! Follow the link to see their mission, and check out their beautiful handmade bags!

Women's History Month Walking Tour, March 22, 11am

"The Civil War Nurses of Arlington National Cemetery"

On Friday, March 22, 2024, join the Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) History Office for a special new walking tour focused on the pioneering female Civil War nurses buried in Section 1 of the cemetery. Visit their graves and honor their contributions to the military during Women’s History Month. The tour will explain how women became involved in Civil War soldiers’ medical care, the locations and conditions under which nurses served, and the long-term impact of their service on their own health. It will also highlight their postwar careers and impact on society, including their participation in patriotic and veterans’ organizations. These Civil War nurses’ contributions to the U.S. Army paved the way for subsequent generations of military nurses to be buried and commemorated at ANC.

This public walking tour will be approximately 60 minutes long. It is free and no pre-registration is required. The tour will include a brief history of the cemetery, the importance of Decoration Day, the establishment of Section 1, and a discussion of how and why these pioneering nurses came to be interred at ANC.

Arlington National Cemetery's Flowers of Remembrance Day

On May 26th, visit Arlington National Cemetery for an opportunity to place a flower (provided) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to pay homage to the first official Decoration Day.

At 10 a.m. you will have the opportunity to join the Historians of ANC for a talk in the Memorial Amphitheater. More information will be provided closer to the event.

Sesame Street for Military Families

Save the date! Deadline is THIS FRIDAY!

If you’ve ever dreamed of meeting Elmo, Rosita or Big Bird, your chance is here. Sesame Street for Military Families is holding an online casting call now to shoot video and photo images of military families interacting with each other and with these beloved Muppet cast members right here at Fort Belvoir. Submit your entry for consideration by the Sesame Street team. The photo shoot will take place in May. Get your family together and show the production team how your Military Family spirit flourishes at Fort Belvoir. 

March 15

Sesame Street for Military Families Deadline

March 22

Women's History Montth Walking Tour, Arlington National Cemetery

April 15

Purple Up! Day

April 15-19

Military Child Appreciation Week @ St. Louis (stay tuned for more information)

May 10

Designer Bag Bingo @ St. Louis (ladies only event)

May 26

Arlington National Cemetery "Flowers of Remembrance Day"

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

In 1995, Dolly Parton launched an exciting program in an effort to benefit children of her home county in east Tennessee called “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library." Dolly’s mission was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families by giving each child one free, age-appropriate book per month from birth to age 5. The program has grown to over 200 million free books delivered throughout 5 countries. Through the generosity of Dolly Parton all children have access to a book! Sign up for this free monthly gifting program today!

Our annual St. Louis Kids Serve Too social media campaign will run throughout the month of April. To participate, please send a photo of your child and military branch served to Mrs. Matheis,

development@stlouisschool.org.

Purple Up!

April is The Month of the Military Child. As a Purple Star School we invite you to Purple Up! with us as we celebrate our military-connected active duty students from April 15th-19th.

Why purple? The color purple was chosen because it symbolizes all branches of the military, it is a combination of Army green, Marine Corps scarlet, and Coast Guard, Air Force, and Navy blue. We will be hosting various events throughout the week, we will recognize the various branches of our military within our school, as well as run a social media campaign to raise awareness. Join us in celebrating these brave military kids, as they serve too!