Dear Parents:
The
Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Penance) has three
elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we find God's
unconditional forgiveness; as a result we are called to forgive others. The
peace of mind and soul which this sacrament imparts to us is one for which
there is no substitute. It is a peace that flows from a certainty that our sins have been forgiven and that we are right
with God. Congratulations to the students
who celebrated the sacrament of Reconciliation along with their parents today. Their
journey as young Catholics will continue when they receive the sacrament of
First Communion at 10:00am on Saturday, April 20th.
The seventh graders will be receiving Confirmation on
Friday, April 26th, and will attend an all day retreat to prepare
them for this important and special occasion. Please keep both classes in your
prayers during this important time as they continue on their spiritual journey
over the next few months.
Did you notice some extra adults supervising dismissal after
school yesterday? These five visitors are members of the accreditation team
that will be visiting our school for three days towards the end of February.
They are already very impressed with the students they met yesterday and with
our great school. We look forward to their return and the opportunity for them
to meet some of our parents on their next visit.
National Catholic Schools Week is well
underway. We have many visitors for which we are very grateful. We are hoping
that all of you will join us for Sunday’s concluding activities. We’ll begin
with the 10:00 Mass planned by the kindergarten students and their
families. We
have inserted in your Envelope an offertory envelope for you to use at
Sunday’s Mass. Contributions made in those envelopes will be forwarded to the
school. Immediately after Mass, please come to our
Open House, feel free to stop by the Book Fair in the library and visit
the classrooms, as the teachers will be in their rooms welcoming one and all.
By
the way, you are welcome to visit the Book Fair any morning this week
before school begins or right after dismissal. Just go straight to the library
where Joan Cuddihy and her crew of booksellers will be there to
assist you. Check out the wish lists the teachers have prepared of books they
would like to have in their classroom libraries. Consider donating a book to
your child’s classroom.
Tomorrow is Grandparents and Special Friends Day!
Thank you to the 150 special guests who have RSVP’d for this fun event. The
children are really excited to have them come and visit their school. They are
so lucky to have such special people in their lives. We are still looking for
some volunteers to help with setting up and preparing the FREE pasta lunch for
everyone (including all K-8 students). If you are available to help any time
after 10:00am, please just drop by the office and we will put you to work.
SPELLING BEE/ACADEMIC AWARDS: We invite
everyone to join us for our annual Spelling Bee on Friday beginning at 1:10pm
in Carroll Hall. Following this fun event, we will hold our Academic Awards
ceremony, which will begin at approximately 1:45pm.
SCHOOL HOLIDAY: Be prepared! Friday, February 8th
is a school holiday for the students. Teachers and administrators from
all the Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese will be attending an all day
in-service at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
STUDENT ILLNESS: We are
happy to report that our number of ill students has significantly dropped from
last week. The average number of students absent due to illness in the past two
days has been around 30. We remind you again that your child MUST be fever free
for at least 24 hours before returning to school.
We are thankful that by allowing the
student body an additional day off this past Monday, those who have been sick
were able to have one more day of rest. Because of this unscheduled holiday, we
need to make up the day, as per Archdiocesan regulations. We will be giving up
our planned local holiday on March 18th in
order to fulfill this requirement.
CIOPPINO
2013:
Work continues in preparation for our annual Cioppino Dinner on Saturday,
February 23rd. Thank you for the many donations that have
come through the school office for our Cioppino baskets and auction items –
keep them coming! Reservations are trickling in. This event is a
lot of fun. Remember, childcare is available for a nominal fee. Please respond
as soon as possible as we believe this will be a sell out event again this
year.
USF PROGRAM: There are still a couple of spaces
available in the Digital Media and Learning program at USF for 7th
and 8th graders. Please send a letter to Mrs.
Fitzpatrick if you are interested in applying. Classes start Thursday, February
14th.
RE-REGISTRATION: Re-registration for current students will be online again this year.
More information on how to re-register will be available mid-March.
Today you are receiving the February calendar of
events and hot lunch menu. Keep these handy as February proves to be a busy
month.
LET'S GO
49ERS...LET'S GO! This Friday, February 1st,
students have the opportunity to wear free
‘red and gold’ dress. Let's go NINERS! Let's go….and win the
Superbowl!!!
See you Sunday at Mass and Open House (the game doesn’t start
until 3:30pm)! Go 49ers!
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal
