St. Louis Catholic School Newsletter | |
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February 22, 2024
Dear St. Louis School Families,
It is a joy to witness our school community come together in reflection, prayer, and acts of love during the Lenten season. Our spiritual theme, "Open Hearts, See Love," resonates strongly during this sacred time, guiding us on our Lenten journey. Please consider joining us for one of the 4 Fridays we will be attending Stations of the Cross: February 23, March 1, March 15, or March 22.
The 40 days of Lent offer us a unique opportunity for spiritual growth and reflection, and we invite each family to share the various ways you are walking this path with us. Whether it's through prayer, acts of kindness, or other meaningful practices, your stories inspire and strengthen our community. Consider sharing your experiences with us, send any photos to Mrs. Matheis at development@stlouisschool.org.
Our students in grades 5-7 will be participating in the Fairfax County Vaping program, "Catch My Breath," starting on February 27th. This program aims to educate our students about the dangers of vaping and inhalants through four informative sessions. We believe in equipping our students with knowledge that fosters healthy choices, and we appreciate your support in reinforcing these important lessons at home.
We will be sending home mid-year assessments for your children in K-7 this Friday in the weekly folder. Mid-year assessments provide valuable insights into your child's progress and growth. Two key reasons we use these assessments are:
- Identifying Strengths and Areas for Improvement: The mid-year assessments help us understand where each student excels and where they may need additional support. This information allows us to tailor our teaching strategies to meet the individual needs of each child.
- Monitoring Overall Academic Growth: By comparing mid-year results with the beginning-of-year assessments, we can track the overall academic growth of our students. This holistic view enables us to celebrate achievements and implement targeted interventions when necessary.
As we approach the weekend, I want to extend warm wishes to each and every one of our families. May this time of reflection and growth bring you closer together as a family.
Peace,
Anne Dyke
Principal
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Stations of the Cross - Fridays During Lent
A reminder that students will be attending Stations of the Cross Fridays, 2:30-3:00pm, during Lent. The front office staff will not interrupt Stations of the Cross to get students for early dismissal. If your child must leave early on a Friday afternoon, please plan to pick up before 2:30pm. Thank you for your cooperation.
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EDC Announcements
Please have your children keep their toys etc. at home. We don’t want to see them get lost or broken. This is to include footballs for the time being. EDC has a large supply of playthings to include games, puzzles, crafts, sports etc. for the children to use.
Please make sure that you are changing the “quantity” to reflect the number of students you are signing up.
For example, if two children will be coming, the quantity must be "2"; if three children are coming, the quantity must be “3” and so on.
We have specific student/teacher ratios that must be adhered to. Thank you for your attention to this.
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Catch My Breath Vaping Education Program
The Catch My Breath Vaping Education program will be starting up next week for grades 5th-7th.They will have weekly lessons for the next four weeks with Ms. Lauren Hitz, prevention specialist from Fairfax County. We highly recommend that you check out the details of the program and watch the videos so you are able to have well-informed discussions with your children at home. Here is the link. Please reach out to Mrs. Jennifer Cotnoir at jcotnoir@stlouisschool.org with any questions you may have.
Counselor's Coffee - March 5
Thank you to the parents who came out for our first "Coffee with the Counselor" event this week. Our next gathering will be on Tuesday March 5 from 8-9am at the Little Way Cafe. We will be reading chapter 3 of the book entitled Raising a Kid Who Can. The chapter is available for free on this website. Please join us in a follow-up discussion of the chapter which focuses on tolerating difficult feelings. ALL parents are welcome. Contact Mrs. Jennifer Cotnoir at jcotnoir@stlouisschool.org with any questions.
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Yearbook News
Be a part of our 2023-24 school yearbook! To order a yearbook or upload photos for the yearbook, visit buytheyearbook.pictavo.com. Use Google Chrome for best results. For more information about purchasing or contributing photos for the yearbook, please see the attached flyer. Questions about the yearbook may be sent to Mrs. Ferguson, cferguson@stlouisschool.org.
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Diocesan Day of Unplugging - March 1, 2024
Many of us can relate to being too attached to our digital devices. With everything from banking and fitness to email and games accessible on our phones, tablets, and laptops, these devices can become a distraction, or even an addiction. This has even more serious implications when it comes to social media. People spend more than two hours daily on social media, including platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, according to recent research. One-third of teens think they spend too much time on these platforms. These survey results beg the questions: Are we spending more time with our devices than with God? And are we investing more time on social media than on nurturing in-person relationships within our communities? Let this Lent be a time where we take these questions to prayer.
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2024-25 Re-Registration Important Dates
March 1, 2024 - Open spots released to new applicants.
March 13, 2024 - Financial aid applications due through FACTS. (Note, if you have a student enrolled in a diocesan high school, your financial aid deadline was January 5, 2024.)
April 1, 2024 - Last day for military families to notify the school of intent to stay or release spots being held. The non-refundable re-registration fee will be automatically posted to FACTS in April if we do not hear from you.
April 8, 2024 - Annual Parish Acknowledgement Form due from all current school families.
April 8, 2024 - Proof of Active Duty status due from military families wishing to be considered for a Catholic tuition rate.
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PAST DATES:
February 16, 2024 - Re-registration fee automatically posted to FACTS. Families that do not have auto-pay enabled must click on "PAY" to complete the registration payment process.
February 1, 2024 - Re-enrollment Opt-out/Hold Form due from families who will not be returning for the 2024-25 school year, or active duty military families who may be awaiting orders.
February 1, 2024 - Last day to contact Mrs. Fiesel (pfiesel@stlouisschool.org) with special re-registration payment requests.
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Hawk Happenings: Feb. 23 - March 1, 2024 | |
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Friday, February 23
- Lunch: Pizza
- Stations of the Cross, 2:30pm
- March Madness Sweet 16 Announced
Monday, February 26
- Lunch: Chicken Slider
- Parent Rosary
- MS Mass
Tuesday, February 27
- Lunch: Salisbury Steak
- Ice cream available
Wednesday, February 28
- Lunch: Chicken Tenders
- K-5 Mass
- Mrach lunch orders due 9pm
- March Madness Sweet 16 Round Ends
Thursday, February 29
- Lunch: Spaghetti
- Ice cream available
Friday, March 1
- Lunch: Pizza
- Stations of the Cross, 2:30pm
- Diocesan Day of Unplugging
- March Madness Elite 8 Announced
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FULL SCHOOL CALENDAR
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
*Hot lunch must be ordered monthly in advance.
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Order hot lunch HERE.
March lunch orders due
February 28, 9pm.
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Tickets may be pre-purchased to redeem for ice cream on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Order ice cream tickets HERE.
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March Lunch Bunch & Enrichment
Registration Ends February 26
March lunch bunch - sign up HERE
Enrichment Classes - sign up HERE
- "Hooray for Books" - Wednesdays
- "March Movement" - Tuesdays
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Extracurricular Activities | |
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Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole - Registration Ends February 27th!
We are happy to announce Girls on the Run (4th & 5th grade) will be back this year along with the middle school program which is called Heart & Soul. These programs are a 10-week positive youth development program. Participants will have fun, make friends, increase their physical activity, and learn important lessons to last a lifetime! There is a celebratory 5K event to end the season - open to friends and family! Practices will be after school on Tuesday's and Thursday's until 5pm. Practices will start March 5th. You can register online at www.gotrnova.org. Registration ends February 27th. Hope to see your girls there!
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Clay Art Enrichment Class - Grades 5-8
Miss Balough will be offering a 5-session class to introduce 5th-8th grade students to the ancient craft of working with clay. Under Miss Balough's instruction, students will experience hand-building techniques including pinch, coil, and slab. Wheel throwing is introduced with expectations for basic levels of achievement, including cylinder, bowl, and plate forms. Class will be held after school on Thursdays beginning March 14. Class size is limited to 10 students. For more information and to register, please click HERE.
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Youth Ministry Opportunities for 8th Graders
High School Hang Out Events:
- February 25 Christ House Meal Project (Students should bring boxes of elbow Macaroni, cans of Cream of Mushroom Soup, and cans of Tuna Fish) (1.5 Hours of Service)
- March 3 Visit to Paul Spring Nursing Home (1 hour of service)
Teen Talk Apologetics Group
St. Louis Youth Ministry is sponsoring a new group for 8th through 12th graders called "Teen Talk." Teen Talk will be held in the school library on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. This is an opportunity to explore questions about the Catholic faith in a safe and friendly environment.
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Youth Ministry Speaker Series - February 27
A presentation for parents on Mental Health of Teens on February 27 at 7 p.m. in the Cafeteria with St. Louis School Counselor Teresa Miller. All middle school parents are welcome to attend.
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Saint Louis Parish CYO Hawks Take the Court!
Come by McClunn Hall on Saturday, February 24th to cheer on our Hawks! The lineup:
- 7th grade boys: 12:15pm
- 7th grade girls: 1:30pm and 2:45pm
And good luck to the Hawks playing further from the nest this weekend too!
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