September 26, 2012                                                               

Dear Parents,

            “Angel of God, my guardian dear…”

Surely many of us learned that prayer as a child and have seen the picture of the Angel watching over two little children crossing a small bridge. This week and early next week, the Church celebrates these angels and the three great archangels—Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. As grownups, we sometimes forget this invisible guard watching over us and carrying our messages, prayers, and requests to God. Again, we can recognize the goodness of God in giving us this special being to watch over us. Perhaps as this month of October dawns for all of us, we could take a lesson from our young children and pray this prayer each day or night and work on developing a better friendship with this special guardian who watches over us so well.

Once again this envelope is filled with many items so please read carefully:

1. Lunch Menu for October—Please be sure to turn over the menu for a letter from the Kitchen Cooks. They explain some changes and some of the new items. You, as parents, need to be aware that even though we are not on a federal lunch program, we are making an effort to follow the new lunch guidelines issued by the government, serving more veggies and salad and using more fiber rich items at times.

2. Helper Sheet for lunch—If you can give a little time, it would be greatly appreciated.

3. Flights of Taste Flyer-Consider coming to this event for an evening of fun without your children. You’re guaranteed a good time with great food, great wines and great friends!

4. Permission Slips for Grade 4—There are two-one for the Nursing Homes as Grade 4 will accompany Father for all the October Masses, and one for the Downtown Walk which is a very enriching experience for the students.

5. Box Tops Collection Sheet—Remember, our goal is 10,000 box tops this year!

6. Climbing Higher Flyer—If your child needs some study skills assistance, this is a good program to investigate.

   A FEW NEW SPINS:

Many thanks to all who ordered magazines from our recent drive. Every little bit helps. If you did not get your order in, please remember that you can order online at www.gaschoolstore.com and our User Name is 2634558 and the password is 770569.

As this cooler weather approaches, we are readying our sweatshirt/spirit wear order. All orders must be here by September 28^th so we can place the order before it gets any cooler!

Those who still need to pay their Room Fees and /or Project Discovery Fees will find a reminder in this Brown Envelope. Please try to get that in as soon as possible.

Remember our Drawdown is this Saturday evening. If you have not yet returned your ticket stubs and money, please do so as soon as possible. The success of this event is based on the selling of all the tickets, so please be sure yours are back BY THURSDAY.

This Friday is also the first of our cookouts. If you are willing to make a dessert, you can drop it off at Dixon Food Center early on Friday or Saturday Morning. These usually bring in a good offering and help with our totals.

Many thanks to all the families who have gone to the Diocesan Website to read the new Sexual Misconduct Norms, and sign and return the necessary form. If you have not done that yet, please do so by September 30^th and send your volunteer form to school.

One last reminder that the children of all the families who attended the Home and School Meeting do have a Dress Down Day on Friday, October 5^th. It is not limited to jeans, but please remember that torn clothing of any kind or clothing with inappropriate words, etc. is not acceptable in our school. Shoes and socks must be worn that day, though socks may be colored for that day.

In all that you do in this coming month, may you have a greater awareness that you are never alone, but that an angel is watching over you!

Sincerely,

Sister Marcianne, S.S.N.D.

September 19, 2012

Dear Parents,

The official start of the Fall Season will be here in just a few days. After this past hot summer, many will welcome the cool breezes and the changing of colors. Some trees have already changed due to the dry weather, and colors may not be as beautiful as they have been in past years. But change will happen, and it is good to note how God, in His wisdom, arranges for change to take place each day and each year. It works the same for us, too. God expects to see us change—for the better, of course. Sometimes it is good to just stop and think about whether one has changed in relating to God. As a person, perhaps there is a need to ask one self if one has grown closer to God over the years. As a family, it may be good to think about the many ways one might bring family members closer to God. In this coming autumn season, as nature changes around us, finding some quiet time to think about these changes may be a good thing.

Things are always changing around our school. Check out these coming events:

1. The Drawdown10 days away! See the flyer and if you can help on those last few tickets, just give the school a call.

2. Grade 3 Permission Form—These students will see changes as they spend a day at Outdoor Stewardship.

3. Asbestos Letter—Our Diocese requires that we inform you yearly about the status of the asbestos in our school.

4. Home and School Flyer on Bullying—Here are some hints on how to change a school environment through kinder, more respectful behavior.

5. Vaccination Flyer—Cooler weather sometimes brings flu germs around. This flyer lists dates and places for the flu vaccinations

A FEW NEW SPINS:

Many thanks to all who attended our First Home and School Meeting on Tuesday evening. It is important that we work together for the good of our school.

Please remember to turn in your Sweatshirt and /or Spirit Order Forms by Friday, September 28^th. An order will be placed once we are sure all forms are in.

Just gentle reminders to turn in your Room Fees so the Room Parents have resources when planning the parties for this year. Many thanks to the two volunteers who stepped forward to be Room parents for Grades 5 and 7.

Reminders are in the Envelopes of those who still owe for milk. Please have this paid as soon as possible.

Market Day Pickup is Monday, September 24^th.  Workers are reminded to be here to assist with the unloading of the truck and the boxing of orders.

Our Magazine Drive officially ends today, Wednesday, September 19^th. Hopefully, your orders have come in but please remember that you can always order magazines online through the Great American Program.

The Rockford Diocese has issued Revised Sexual Misconduct Norms. All employees and volunteers of our school are required to read these and sign a form stating that this has been done. There will be no paper version of the norms; therefore, families are asked to go to the website of the Diocese-www.rockforddiocesee.org- and scroll to the Resource Links on the left side of the home page. Click on Documents and Forms and you will find the Sexual Misconduct Norms. Enter the password- dmalloy! -to access these. Once they are read, please sign and return the enclosed forms to the school office. This needs to be done by October 1, 2012. Please take time to do this as soon as possible. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Please continue to keep our students in your prayers during these weeks of testing.

God bless your autumn days!

Sincerely,

Sister Marcianne, S.S.N.D.

September 12, 2012                                                                

Dear Parents,

One of the first things you are asked to do when you have your child baptized is to make the sign of the cross on their forehead. During the rite of Baptism itself, this act is repeated several times by the priest and members of the family. These are the first of many times that your child and you sign yourself with this special mark of the Christian. On Friday of this week, the Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a feast commemorating the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, mother of the Emperor, Constantine. Here at school, we begin and end our day with this important sign—sandwiching every action in the day between these two moments of prayer. The importance of this sign is that it recalls the love God has for us, choosing to die on the cross and reminding us of how much the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are a part of our daily lives. Perhaps at home on Friday night, you can gather near the crucifix in your home and pray together for God’s continued blessing on your family, and then sign one another with the sign of the cross as you did when your children were baptized. And then celebrate with a treat of some type to end the day!

Once again, this Brown Envelope is full so here is a rundown of what you will find:

1. Statements—One month of school is almost over and the bills are coming in, so please stay up to date with your tuition payments. It really is a great help to our budget.

2. Drawdown Flyer—Our Drawdown is quickly approaching. See the flyer for more details about this special event. Those who signed to work this event will also find a reminder in their Envelope.

3. Sweatshirt Orders—The cool weather is coming-really! The sweatshirt order includes the regular school sweatshirts as well as Spirit Wear. Please be aware that if ordering Spirit Wear, it can be worn TO SCHOOL, BUT NOT IN SCHOOL, unless it is a Spirit Day—and we do hope to have some of those throughout the year. Hooded sweatshirts cannot be worn in classrooms. Payment must accompany your order.

4. Electronic Recycling Flyer—Please note the date for this event and take the opportunity to recycle many outdated items in your home.

5. Box Top Flyer—As promised, here is news about this fall’s Box Top contest. Please read the flyer carefully and note the date all box tops are due. It would be great to reach a goal of 10,000 box tops by December. Also attached is a listing-both sides—of all items that carry box tops.

6. NED Show Flyer—This Thursday, our school is hosting a program for our students. After the program, items will be available for purchase for one week and this note to you tells what these are and the cost. You are welcome to attend this show, which will be on Thursday at 2:00 P.M. in the Father Callahan Room. Check out the program at www.theNEDshow.com for ideas you can use at home to incorporate the message. More information is on the flyer.

7. Minutes and Agenda for the Home and School Meeting--Our first Home and School Meeting is next Tuesday, September 18^th, at 6:00 PM in the Father Callahan Room. It is also our Back to School Night, which gives you an opportunity to visit your child’s classroom and meet the teachers again. Hope we see you there!

8. Y Flyer and Roller Skating Ticket—These are included for your information.

9. Permission Slip—Grade One, with Mrs. Overcash, will represent our school at the Newman Homecoming Parade this year. Drivers will be needed.

A FEW NEW SPINS:

ROOM PARENTS ARE NEEDED! Take pity on the 5^th and 7^th Grades, PLEASE! Should these children be deprived of parent help for their parties? Please parents, step forward and volunteer to help your child’s class!

All parents are reminded to please send in Room Fees for parties, etc.

Market Day Flyers went home in last week’s Brown Envelope. The  Pickup Date is September 24^th. Please think about ordering even one item. It makes such a difference in our totals.

Next week, our students in Grades Two through Eight will begin taking the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. These tests enable us to know where our students need work and how well they are progressing. Please be sure your child gets enough sleep and eats a good breakfast as this help them to do well—not just at testing time, but everyday. Results will be shared with families at conferences in early November.

Installation of Student Council Officers will take place after the 8:15 AM Mass this Friday. Parents are certainly welcome to attend the Mass and installation.

Please remember that our Magazine Drive is ongoing at this time. Please try to send your orders in or order online as soon as possible.  Many thanks to all who returned the postcard booklets. These can still be turned in also and students can still earn the Chocolate Calculator. Congratulations to Zachary DeForest who earned a Golden Ticket and MacDonald Gift Card! There are still 2 of those available!

In my many conversations with Sister Lorraine, she tells me that our school is always in her prayers, and we are surely experiencing the effects of those prayers as this year moves on! God bless your week!

Sincerely,

Sister Marcianne, S.S.N.D.

           

September 5, 2012

Dear Parents,

September is a month full of surprises. With this year’s weather, one cannot tell if fall is on its way or if summer is planning a longer stay.   Trees are beginning to change, but the hot weather wants to hang around a bit longer this year—or so it seems. The feasts of this month also offer a great deal of variety. Unlike some months, which focus on one special saint or theme, September brings feasts of Mary, the Cross, the angels, apostles and many others. Mary does seem to dominate, however, as the end of this week brings her birthday, and next week, her name day and the feast of her Seven Sorrows. Everybody likes a birthday, so maybe this coming Saturday, you might have a small Birthday Celebration for our Blessed Mother with your family. Perhaps as a family, you could gather and pray a decade of the Rosary, and then, top it off with cake and ice cream! It’s a great way to end the week and to remind yourself and your family of Mary’s importance in our lives as Catholic Christians.

September also brings a flurry of flyers for various activities, so here are this week’s inserts:

1.     Permission Slip for Mass—Each month a class accompanies Father Mike to the area nursing homes to celebrate Mass with the residents. Drivers are needed to bring the children so please offer your services if at all possible. This first month our 3^rd Grade Class will take on this important task.

2.     Scrip Flyer—As you know, this is one of our important fundraisers. Please take the time to purchase your Scrip Cards each week and watch for specials that will raise your percentage quickly.

3.     Turkey Trot Flyer—If you’re thinking it’s too early to sign up for this fundraiser, you are wrong. You need to start training so you can be in great shape to trot on Thanksgiving Morning. Flyers can be picked up in the office.

4.     Box Top Flyer—Keep on sending those box tops in. The flyer helps to make the counting easier. Be sure your name is on the form, too. Contest news will be coming in the near future.

5.     Magazine Packet and letter-- This is another fundraiser that is held at this time of the year. Remember, we don’t want your children going door to door. We just ask that you renew your family subscriptions through our drive. If you are connected to a doctor or dentist’s office, you might ask if they need to renew their subscriptions and could you help by doing it through our drive. We are using a new company, so be sure to look for the new account number on the flyer.

A FEW NEW SPINS:

Our Project Discovery Program begins on September 5^th. All students received their courses for the year. Please understand that every effort has been made to give students their first choice, but that is not always possible. All courses are enjoyable and hopefully, if they missed something this year, it will be available again.

Communication from teachers comes through the Teacher Ease Program. If you are a new family or if your email address has changed, please send your email address to school as soon as possible. You will then receive a message allowing you to access the Teacher Ease Program, which will enable you to get information on your child’s progress.

While the local stores are gearing up for Halloween, it is not yet on our agenda, but collecting money for parties does have to be done and soon. The Room Fees for this year are $8.00 per child and this money is given to those who have signed to be Room Parents. This money is used for the following:

            Halloween and Valentine Parties

            Small remembrance for the teacher’s birthday

            Class treat for Christmas on January 6^th or closest day of celebration

There is still a need for Room Parents for Grade 7 and Grade 5. Please offer your services for these classes.

The Next Picture Show is sponsoring a program for 4^th and 5^th graders who are interested in special art lessons. The program costs $175.00 per students and further information is available in the office for anyone interested.

For those who have called and asked, our Grandparents Day Celebration will be held on October 12^th this year. Be sure to mark that date and let your relatives know!

Our Drawdown is just 25 days away. Have you sold your tickets yet? Please turn in your tickets and money to the office as soon as possible and watch this envelope for some new information next week. The meal for the event will be Italian Beef, Potatoes, Apple Salad and of course, those great St. Anne Desserts! Is your mouth watering yet? There are extra tickets available in the office for those of you who are great sellers.

For those who use the Aftercare Program only once in a while, you are asked to send a note if your child is to go to Aftercare at the end of the day. That will insure that the person in charge is aware of who is to be present at the program that day. If your child stays everyday, your check at the beginning of the week will suffice.

In this new month, let us together pray for our children as they enter deeper into the tasks of this school year. Let us encourage them to pray often, to study hard, and to play fairly, just as Mary and Joseph must have encouraged their child, Jesus.

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Sister Marcianne, S.S.N.D.