Parent Bulletin
April 15, 2021
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St. Louise School has seen more non-Catholic families join our school community than ever before. This good news is partially due to families searching for a school that actually lets God in its doors and recognizes that it is good to strengthen their children’s faith just as much as it’s good to strengthen their math skills, artistic skills, and social skills. We are so grateful for these non-Catholic parents trusting us in partnering with them in educating their children in a educational and faith community!
This increase in non-Catholic families in St. Louise has brought about a new reality for our teachers and me – that some of these students who are coming to us don’t have the same understanding of religion as our Catholic students, or if they are active Christians in another denomination, these families might not have a Catholic-faith knowledge. We would be doing them a disservice if we didn’t make it clear to our non-Catholic students - and their parents - what the true beliefs of Catholics are and what Christian/moral values a Catholic school teaches.
Our pastor, Father Gary Zender, has offered to write articles for our next eight upcoming Parent Bulletins that help to explain to ALL St. Louise parents - Catholic and non-Catholic - the who / what / why / how of Catholicism. Father's first article in his "Inspirations & Insights" series is directly below. I urge all St. Louise parents to read his article this week...and next week...and the weeks after... as he will be giving us great information and wonderful insights to ponder this April and May!
....oh...and there will NOT be a test after you read these, so the pressure is off!
Blessings on your day,
MR. FITZ
p.s.
If you attending the in-person Auction here this Saturday , please arrive at 6:00 (VIP registrants) and 6:20 (other registrants).
If you registered to receive dinner and wine, but are going to watch the Auction livestream from home this Saturday night, please come to the school lobby tomorrow between 2:00-4:00 to pick up your delicious catered dinner and drinks. You'll then join the livestream between 6:30 and 7:00.
Finally, if you did not register but chose to support the St. Louise Auction by simply watching and bidding during the livestream this Saturday night, you're on your own for food and beverage. But please tune in starting at 6:30 and not later than 7:00. You can support our school with your virtual bidding HERE.
But don't wait for Saturday night! Besides the above bidding being open right now, also open right now is the ability to purchase StL Glassy Babies, Black & White Photos, Raffle Tickets for a Trip to Mexico, and Group Parties! Go HERE for all these great items!
Being it's a James-Bond-theme Auction this year, regardless of which of the above ways you'll be joining the event, we expect you to dress the part Saturday night whether you're in your own kitchen or in a St. Louise classroom! HERE are your options. :-)
Thank you in advance for bidding and donating now through Saturday night!
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CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS
Today and Tomorrow
- Auction preview week is ending soon!
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Mobile-bidding for all parents is going on now at https://stlskyball.ggo.bid.
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You can also purchase Black & White Photos, Raffles Tickets for a Mexico Trip, and Group Parties HERE.
- At-home attendees who signed-up are to please come pick up dinner/drinks Friday afternoon from 2-4PM.
Saturday, April 17
- Auction!
- Charger VIPs arrive starting at 6:00
- Other in-person attendees arrive starting at 6:20
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Livestream begins for those at home at 6:30 at https://stlskyball.ggo.bid.
Monday, April 19
- Grades 6-7-8 do NOT have school today; teachers are preparing for daily return of students on the 20th
Tuesday, April 20
- Grades 6-7-8 return for DAILY in-person learning!
Friday, April 30
- Mass with Grandparents at 9AM.
- Only grade K-2 students are attending this Mass in-person due to space limitations, so only grandparents (or special relatives) of grade K-2 students are invited to join us in church.
- An RSVP signup will be forthcoming to grade K-2 families.
- All other grandparents are welcome to view the livestream of the Mass.
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If you have a jpeg photo of your child's grandparents (living or deceased), and you email it to Mr. Fuerte by April 25, we will show the photo in a collage of grandparent pics at the beginning of the livestream :-)
CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE SCHOOL CALENDAR HERE
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Inspiration & Insights from Father Gary |
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Dear St. Louise School Families,
Happy Easter!
Easter is a perfect time to kick off this series of eight weekly messages about the values that we teach at our school. If you are a Catholic, it is good to be reminded of those values. If you are not of the Catholic faith, first, WELCOME! I am glad that you are a part of our school family and I want you to know that we respect you and your faith journey. At the same time, I hope that you find these insights and perspectives from the Catholic and Christian tradition helpful as we strive to provide our children with the proper tools for their integral development.
Everything begins with Jesus.
This is true of every Christian tradition and it certainly is true for the Catholic faith. There is no one like Jesus who is both God and human. Jesus is God in every way that God the Father is God and the Holy Spirit is God. In the person of Jesus, we find God completely involved with creation, wanting to be known in a personal way by each one of us. For this reason, Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, begotten, not made, and shared in every human experience like us except sin. It is what we call the Incarnation. Jesus did this with one mission: to unite us all in God’s love, but because sin could not allow humanity to see this, something drastic had to happen. He willingly went to the cross for our sake, suffered, died and rose again so we could come to understand the depth of God’s love (John 3:16).
Of all the great world religions, the one person, and two natures, human and divine of Jesus Christ, is what makes Christianity unique.
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Christianity is not a way, and idea, or philosophy. Rather, we hold that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Once we have an encounter with him, everything changes.
I invite you to go deeper.
If you have not had a personal encounter with the Lord, you might try by asking him to become the center of your life. You may also read more about how the Church understands Jesus Christ here. We do know that because God became man in the person of Jesus, everything about out humanity changed, including our bodies. Through this reality, the Catholic Church draws its rich understanding on the human person in all its dimensions. We are made to “share in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” (Taken from the prayer the priest says silently as the water is mixed with the wine at Mass.)
Blessings to all!
Fr. Gary Zender
p.s.
Next week's article will build on who we understand Jesus to be in relation to the Bible.
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Auction Night This Saturday! |
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Saturday is our special spring-time Auction, and we are excited to be the first Archdiocesan school to hold this type of event in-person over the past 13 months!
We ask you to please note your respective timeframe on Saturday night, depending on how you'll be supporting the St. Louise Auction:
- If you registered to attend in-person, VIP-registrants are asked to arrive at school at 6:00 and all other registrants can arrive starting at 6:20.
- If you registered (and purchased a meal) to participate at home while enjoying our Auction-catered dinner and drinks, please come to school tomorrow (Friday) from 2:00-4:00 to pick up your meal, and then log-in to the livestream Saturday night beginning at 6:30.
- If you did not register for the Auction, you are still asked to log-in from home Saturday night between 6:30-7:00 to join the fun of the livestream and possibly bid on items.
- ALL PARENTS are eligible to bid on items starting TODAY!
Start your bidding at: https://stlskyball.ggo.bid/
And you may also find some great items to purchase here:
We would love to have parents earn some volunteer hours by helping with set up, clean up, or other support roles? Click here to sign up to help! Thank you!
For any auction-related questions, please reach out to the auction team or visit the SKYBALL page on our website!
We are always so grateful for the support of our generous and awesome families. We look forward to celebrating with you this Saturday night!
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Our 3rd graders portrayed the 12 Apostles, with Father Gary portraying Jesus, as they reenacted the Last Supper at the Holy Thursday Prayer Service. |
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Please Consider Volunteering |
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There are two current needs for St. Louise parents to step forward and offer to volunteer: Recess Supervision and the Emergency Preparedness Committee.
FIRST...
We are looking for a few more parents to work with fellow parents and school faculty in co-supervising the grade 6-8 recesses. There is a need for one more Wednesday supervisor from 11:00-11:45. No experience is necessary. Please contact Ann Marie Sweeney if you can commit to one Wednesday a week for 45 minutes.
SECOND...
Our Emergency Preparedness Committee is seeking new parent members to join us in maintaining a safe, secure, and prepared school campus.
The purpose of the Emergency Preparedness Committee (EPC) is to ensure the safety of students, staff, and school visitors on the St Louise Campus. This includes reviewing and updating safety protocols, maintaining the necessary inventory and supplies, and preparing the school community to respond to possible threats such as intruders and lockdowns, earthquakes, fires, or other acts of God, through regular training and evaluation of our procedures.
The EPC requires individuals of varying talents that will meet quarterly (once per trimester and once in the summer, dates TBD by committee members). Below is a list of duties that require parent volunteers to lead or support.
Take a look at the list to see where your unique skillset, background, and interests can be of service:
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Campus Inventory Managers (for parents who are organized, forward-thinking, and good with logistics to ensure we are equipped to handle an emergency situation. Any preppers out there??)
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Security Managers (for parents who can identify threats, plan appropriate responses, and help train teachers, students, and staff in procedures)
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Classroom and Student Inventory Managers (for parents who can support preparing the emergency backpacks with supplies, name tags, Letters of Reassurance, etc.)
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Drill Preparedness Support (for parents who are unable to commit fully to the committee but are able to serve as actors, observers, or evaluators of our response to an emergency in staged drills such as Fire, Earthquake, and Lock Down drills)
The more eyes, ears, and minds we have committed to keeping St Louise safe the more prepared our community can be. Much of the groundwork for our Emergency Preparedness is already in place but this work requires frequent and deliberate attention. Thank you for your consideration and your continued commitment to the safety and security of our community.
We look forward to hearing from you! Please contact Andrew Weiss to volunteer or for more information on the EPC.
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Track Athletes, Take Your Marks |
The St. Louise Parish Athletic Board recently announced that CYO Track for grades 4-8 will take place this spring. The deadline to register is May 6, with the $55 per student fee including a new team shirt.
- Track practices will begin on April 29th, and will be every Tuesday and Thursday from 5:00-6:30pm at Highland Middle School in Bellevue through June 3.
- The CYO track season is virtual this year, so there will be no large track meets with other schools; instead, we will be having our own St. Louise track meet on Thursdays during our practice time.
- All races will be timed and field events will be measured and turned into CYO, who will post results from all schools on Athletic.net.
- The exception is the 8th Grade Pentathlon, which will be held in-person at West Seattle Stadium on Sunday, May 23rd
- St. Louise track meets at Highland Middle School will be:
- Qualifying Meet 1: Thursday, May 6th.
- Qualifying Meet 2: Thursday, May 13th.
- Qualifying Meet 3: Thursday, May 20th.
- Championship Meet: Thursday, June 3rd
The track program will need many volunteers to help with track practices and meets! To sign up you child and to offer your volunteer help, please visit: https://www.stlouise.org/cyo-sports.
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Congratulations to 8th grader Kate Perreault for winning the Yearbook Cover Design Contest, that all 4th-8th graders participated in during Art Classes. Kate's design - shown above - will grace the front cover of the school Yearbook, to be published in June. Kate also wins a free Yearbook. |
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Congratulations to 7th grader Aliana Cruz for being the runner-up in the Yearbook Design Cover Contest. Aliana's design - shown below - will be on the back cover of the school Yearbook. Aliana also wins a free Yearbook.
The covers of all the finalists in the Cover Design Contest are on display in the lobby window. What talented artists we have at St. Louise! Our finalists were:
Alex Wilken; Mary Salmon; Joila Olayao; Camila Soto; Ellie Nightingale; Emmanuel Vimal; Gunnar Dark; Annie Wilken; Eliana Estrada; Anna DeBord.
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Thanks to these school families for volunteering at our last Saturday Spruce-Up, doing yardwork around campus to make it look nice for Easter:
- Gonzalez/Perez
- Mineiro
- Kincaid
- Sturgill
- Wilhelm
- Sackmann
- Minotte
- Cardona
- Do
- Higashi
The next opportunities to earn volunteer hours and give service to St. Louise in the form of weeding, raking, and shoveling bark are the following two Saturdays from 8-11AM: May 1 and June 5.
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Excited for the Daily Return of our Middle Schoolers |
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All our grade 6-8 students who currently are attending in-person schooling 2-days-per-week will be coming to school all 5-days each week beginning this Tuesday, April 20. (Some of our 6th-8th graders are learning remotely every day, and these students will continue with that distance-learning option.)
This Monday the 19th will be a no-school day only for grade 6-8 students, as their teachers spend the day preparing for all middle schoolers to return the next day.
Re-opening our school in various stages and grade levels throughout this 2020-21 school year - to where we finally have all grade levels learning in-person daily - was able to take place because of the trust and collaboration from parents and the extensive work and diligent planning of teachers and school staff.
Way to go, Chargers!
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Last Chance for Higher Starbucks Rebates and Select 20% Rebates
Starbucks' rebates are dropping to 4.75% from the current 7% level. Today is the last day to stock up on Starbucks cards and earn the higher 7% rebate! Please place your order online by 12pm today.
Do you need to catch up on rebates? Are you working towards tuition credit for next year? Charger Cards has a number of cards available at 20% rebate! These cards are limited while supplies last so get yours now at the high 20% level!
· Bai Tong
· Daniel's Broiler
· Tom Douglas
· Wild Fin
· Wild Ginger
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Auction Night Is this Saturday!
Have you bought your Charger Cards for the weekend?
· Gene Juarez – 10% rebate
· Nordstrom – 4% rebate
· Pizza – order pizza for your kids at home while you are out: Pizza Hut, Dominos, Papa John’s, Papa Murphy’s, Little Caesar’s
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Be Looking for Your Rebate Report
Rebate reports are coming home today in the Red Envelopes. Please contact Charger Cards if you have any questions or concerns.
Reminder: By the end of the school year in early June, all families must have purchased enough Charger Cards to earn the minimum required rebate/profit amount (or opted out and paid the fee). If you have questions about your Participation Requirement, please contact Marsha, Erica, or Tiffany in the Charger Cards office.
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In-person sales every school-Friday from 8:15-9:00AM in the central hallway of the original school building. Orders made online or drop-off forms received at the school office by 9am Monday will be delivered Friday of that week.
For more information on brands/cards available for purchase 24/7 please go to shopwithscrip.com.
Please return Charger Card plastic envelopes to the main school office once you have received your Charger Card order.
Thank you for supporting St. Louise Charger Cards!
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The Walk-a-Thon Takes Its First Step One Week from Today |
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We are holding our Walk-a-Thon on Friday, May 7, and we are returning this year to an in-person event, after having to hold a "virtual" walk last year!
In next Thursday's red envelope, you will be receiving information on how to start collecting pledges/donations for the Walk-a-Thon for a two-week period of April 22 through May 7. We will be expecting each school family to procure minimum donations in the amounts of:
· $95 for 1-student families;
· $190 for 2-or-more-students families.
Pledge-collecting of donations will be handled electronically, so you and your kids can easily email grandparents, aunts & uncles, and family friends, asking for their support. One week from today, you can start spreading the word and sharing the online-giving link for the St. Louise Walk-a-Thon.
There will be Walk-a-Thon prizes given for both individual students and grade levels who bring in the most donations as well as run the most laps on May 7. Earlier that week will be Walk-a-Thon-Spirit Week, with fun activities and free dress days, as we all get hyped for the big day!
This year, we will be using electronic tracking of laps, so there will not be a need for parent volunteers/spectators to be around the track. This is being done out of covid-precautions for adults. However, we still need help with some of the organizational and clerical needs of helping with prizes and help with setup/takedown of the course on May 7. Please email Walk-a-Thon chairperson, Jim Britt, if you can help.
Please note: following the latest state guidelines for children participating in athletic events such as cross country and track meets, students will not be required to wear facial coverings when participating in the Walk-a-Thon. As long as they are outdoors and actively walking/jogging, students have the option of removing their face masks.
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Thursday's Theology:
The Paschal candle - or Easter candle - is the giant candle near the altar that is blessed during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night by the priest and inscribed in it the current year. The Easter candle is lit each day during Mass throughout the Paschal season until Ascension Thursday.
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