Proud of Our Students and Faculty
I must say how proud our administrators and I have been of our faculty and student body for their cooperation and spirit of good will regarding the mitigation strategies our Re-Opening Committee established for our school. I have seen extremely good compliance with mask-wearing, hand-washing, regular cleaning of desks and other items, staying home when sick with COVID-19 symptoms, etc. We are all so glad to be back in school; please let us not grow weary of doing all we must do to stay in school this year!
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Cardinal Virtue for the 2020-21 School Year
As a school, we have chosen to focus on the Cardinal virtue of Justice this year. Fr. Moriarty preached this past week at masses on our first obligation in Justice—namely, Justice to God. We do owe God everything, so going to Church on Sundays and praying are obligations we have to God. This week, Fr. Moriarty will preach on justice toward all human beings. As a prelude to his homily for students, this summer he preached on the injustice of racism. Feel free to read his bulletin article here.
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MCC Virtual Event: "Open Wide Your Hearts: The Catholic Church Confronts Racism"
The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Church in Minnesota, will host a virtual event on Zoom this Wednesday from 10 AM until 12:00 PM. Speakers include: Bishop Shelton Fabre, Chair of USCCB Committee Against Racism; Damon Owens, Speaker & Evangelist; Loralean Jordan, member of St. Peter Claver parish; and Lannette Turicchi, Catholic convert and Speaker. Register and learn more about the event at this link.
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Lafond Avenue Traffic, City Progress Update
First, let me thank you for honoring our use of Lafond as a one-way from West to East each morning and afternoon. Almost all of our families are dropping off on the school side of Lafond. In addition, we have made some progress with the city over the past several months. Sometime this fall, crosswalks will be painted on the pavement on the North side of Lafond Avenue at the corners of Kent Street and Mackubin Street. The cutouts and concrete walkway for the crosswalk opposite door 3 will not be finished “until spring 2021 due to COVID-19” constraints at the city of St. Paul.
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Security presence
We have increased our security presence on campus this year to coverage from 7:30 to 3:30 every school day. You may have noticed that Mr. Ishmael Vega from Twin City Security has been here earlier each morning, starting at 7:30 AM and going until 11:30 AM. Then, from 11:30 AM until 3:30 PM, an off-duty St. Paul Police officer manages afternoon security. Feel free to greet them and thank them for their service in keeping our kids and employees safe!
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Mask Supply
I hope you had a nice reprieve from mask-wearing at home this weekend! Thank you to all students (and parents) who have (helped their students) diligently remembered their masks each day. Saint Agnes has a limited supply of masks. We ask that parents and students do their best to remember to bring their own masks to school each day. At some point in the not so distant future, we will have to start charging for masks when people forget.
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Senior Elections!
Tuesday, September 1 our senior students gave inspiring speeches to their fellow Aggies. We are excited to see which President, Vice President team will lead us this 2020-2021 school year! Now, it's time to vote, stay tuned for results!
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COVID Assistance Fund
Thank you for all your support of the Coronavirus assistance fund! We are happy to announce that we and exceeded our $35,000 challenge grant from the Richard Schulze foundation before the August 31st deadline. Over 360 donors stepped up raising over $158,000. With these funds, we have awarded $135,000 in tuition assistance and $7,500 in grocery gift cards to our families most effected by the coronavirus pandemic through job loss, pay reductions, illness and more.
If you find yourself in need of assistance due to COVID-19, please contact Mr. Bob Collett in the business office at 651-925-8801.
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Duel-Enrollment Partnership with University of Mary
Dual Enrollment Program – Earn College Credits at Saint Agnes!
You have a unique opportunity to register your student's classes as "Dual-Enrollment" and earn 3 college credits through University of Mary - credits that are transferable to other colleges and universities!
Please see the attached flier, FAQs, and registration forms. Cost per course is $95. Deadline for payment is 11:59 PM on Monday, September 14; forms must be in the Main Office by end of the day 9/14. The attached flier was emailed to parents and printed copies distributed last week to students.
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Volunteer in the Lower School (Preschool - 6)
Dear parents of Lower School students,
We are in extra need this year to support our teachers with all of the new protocols and hybrid learning demands! We would immensely appreciate it if you could commit some time to sign up for a weekly opportunity. Check out the links below for how you can help; this is a great way to get involved and support the school:
Your volunteer work ensures that our Preschool – grade 6 teachers have more preparation time to plan and support students during the day. Thank you in advance! Note: all volunteers will need to complete Virtus/E3 training.
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Short-Term Illness & Hybrid Learning
If your son or daughter has a non-COVID related illness that is short-term, or your student will be absent for another reason for 3 days or less, we will not be issuing Hybrid Learning accounts. Hybrid Learning is reserved only for those who've elected to do it for COVID concerns or those with COVID symptoms and/or are in quarantine. Please contact your student's Division Director if you have questions: Mr. Adkins for Lower School and Mr. Hendrickson for Upper School. |
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Urgency Room - 20 Min. Rapid Testing
If you believe your student or anyone in your family has been exposed to COVID, or is experiencing COVID symptoms, we encourage you to schedule a rapid test at one of the three Urgency Room locations. This will provide you with a quick result and offer you quick peace of mind if you are wondering about symptoms or exposure. Check the Urgency Room website for more information. |
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Sports Schedule
Check this week's Aggie sports schedule for game times for Cross Country, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, and Swim & Dive. |
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Past News and Quick Links |
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Upper School Strings Ensemble
Any student grades 7-12 interested in playing in the upper school string ensemble please see Mr. Peters in the music office after school any day of the week. The ensemble will meet on Wednesdays after school from 3:05-4:05 PM. The first rehearsal will be on Wednesday, September 23.
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Help Wanted
Nurse's Office
We are in need of parents with medical backgrounds to staff our nurse’s office on individual days to supplement our SPPS nurse/aide, who will be available virtually only until SPPS resumes in-person learning.
Classroom Substitutes
We also anticipate an additional need for teacher substitutes. If you are available to help in either of these areas, please contact Mrs. Becca DeMarais in the main office as soon as possible (651-925-8700). |
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School Masses for Students, Faculty & Staff Only
With the start of the new school year, our school Masses will also begin. As stated last week, we are not able to invite others to join us for school masses due to COVID restrictions. Our students and teachers attending each of the Masses will cause us to reach our maximum for attendance in the Upper church.
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Apply Now for Free/Reduced Meals
Did you know? Once you qualify for Free or Reduced priced meals it is good for the entire school year. Many households have had changes to their income in the past few months. You may want to review the income chart on the application to see if you now qualify. Qualification is based on the number of people living in the household and the current income. Applications for Free / Reduced price meals are on the school website. Contact Sandy Veal 651-925-8815 for assistance |
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Forming Catholic Hearts & Minds in Faith, Reason, & Virtue |
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