Dear Parents:
Tomorrow marks the first day of spring. Spring is a time for spring-cleaning, and Jesus gives us the tools for the job, tools that are part of the Lenten tradition of the church. We are to practice generosity. We are to pray – maybe open our prayer beyond our own needs and pray for those who suffer in places all over the world. And we are to fast—to remind ourselves that we do not live by bread alone. Jesus insists that any of these practices should be practices of the heart.
As part of our preparation for the Resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday, students in grades 3-8 will receive the sacrament of Reconciliation on Wednesday, April 2nd. Please prepare your children to receive this sacrament by helping them to decide how to make good choices in their lives and how to ask God's forgiveness for decisions they may have made that did not show love for God or one another.
Today in your Wednesday envelope you will find a copy of a letter detailing the issues raised by the proposed new ordinance on seismic retrofitting relating to San Francisco private and Catholic schools. This issue could potentially have a major impact on all of our schools. Take a few minutes to read the information given and please send this letter to the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors seeking the critical changes that are needed to this legislation. Please contact me should you have any questions.
Report Cards: This Friday marks the end of the third quarter. Report cards will be going home next Friday, March 28th. Please check with the office to make sure your accounts, both tuition and extended care, are up to date so that you may receive your child’s report card.
Re-registration: The deadline to complete re-registration online is next Friday, March 28th. If you still have not re-registered, please do so as soon as possible if you wish for us to save a spot for your child. We have had several families looking for available spots for next year, and we would like to let them know as soon as possible if there is room for them. Also don’t forget, the re-registration fee of $325 per child is also due no later than Friday, March 28th.
Paper donations in lieu of parent hours: As a reminder, we are now accepting paper donations IF you are only one or two hours short of the required amount of Parent Hours.
• One case of white paper (10 reams) = 1 hour
• 5 reams of colored paper = 1 hour
As always, we are still accepting donations of recycled paper and used ink cartridges.
Family Bingo ‘Off to the Ballgame’ Night is set for Saturday, April 12th. Reservation forms are included in your envelope today. We hope to see you there.
SANDWICHES-FOR-THE-NEEDY: Please don’t forget that this Friday, March 21st, is our next collection of sandwiches-for-the-needy. All are encouraged to participate and the 2nd and 3rd graders are charged with taking the lead that day. The Martin De Porres House of Hospitality asked us to pass on their thanks for the blankets and toiletries that you donated so generously. We will continue to collect these items through the end of the week and deliver them with the sandwiches on Friday.
Outdoor Ed Parent Meeting: The Outdoor Ed Parent Meeting for 5th and 6th grade parents is tomorrow night (3/20) at 6:30pm in the fifth grade classroom. (This meeting is for parents only, as students will be given information during a different meeting on a later date) At this meeting, Ms. Bryan and Ms. Stamatis will offer parents an opportunity to learn about our trip to CYO Camp in Occidental, as well as find out who will be our chaperones this year. They welcome your questions and look forward to seeing you tomorrow night!
See's Candies: A reminder that the deadline for ordering is Monday, March 31st. Candy orders will be available on April 11th just in time for Easter. Complete and return the form you previously received. Extra forms are available from the office.
Field Trips: More field trips are under way! Our 5th-8th graders will be receiving a permission slip for an upcoming field trip to see ‘You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown’ at Riordan High School on April 1st. Please pay attention to the due date on those forms. Late permission slips will NOT be accepted.
Pizza/Hotdog: Check your envelopes for the April/May/June pizza sale slip and the hotdog sale slip. Please read them and follow the directions on the forms. The due date for those to be returned is next Friday, March 28th. Remember, this is the only opportunity you have to order these special lunch and late orders will not be accepted.
Scrip Requirement: As a reminder, all families are required to generate at least $100 profit by participating in the electronic scrip programs authorized by the school. Scrip purchases through April 30th will continue to be credited to your account. At the end of this period, families who have not reached the $100 profit will receive a statement with their balance still owed. Families who have not participated in the scrip program and did not buyout by the deadline will incur the late buyout fee of $150.
Finally, congratulations to our 8th graders who are heading off to high school next year. Students have been lucky enough to be accepted into several schools to which they applied. Keeping in mind that this class only has 31 students, the following are the schools to which students were accepted: Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (8), St. Ignatius Preparatory (4), Mercy San Francisco (3), Stuart Hall (2), Archbishop Riordan High School (8), Junipero Serra High School (2), Immaculate Conception Academy (2), University High (1), Lowell (2) and several other local public and private schools. We are all so proud of our soon-to-be graduates! Many of these students were accepted with honors and distinction and/or received scholarships.
Sincerely,
Marie Fitzpatrick
Principal
