Message from the Principal

Message from the Principal

Hello St. Al Families,

This week was again a busy one with camp, MAPs, Bike to School Day, and looking forward to the final musical performances this weekend.  We also took time this week to honor our teachers, and really all of our staff, for Teacher Appreciation Week.  I would like to extend a special thank you to all of the parents who volunteered their time and talent to provide lunch and other goodies for our staff.  All of the staff here at St. Alphonsus are so thankful for the ongoing support we receive from our parent community.

Jog-a-thon was a huge hit last week.  We all had a great time running/walking to support our school.  Thank you to all of the families and our school friends who donated.  Remember all donations are due May 10.  I would also like to extend a personal thank you to our Jog-a-thon Committee for all of their hard work putting this event together.  They reached out to companies, collected prizes, and, organized every detail of the event.

Finally, I have the unfortunate duty to announce Ruth Foisy will be leaving St. Alphonsus at the end of this year.  Ruth has been feeling the call to go back into administration and God has provided a wonderful opportunity for her.  I have been so thankful for Ruth this year as she served on both my leadership team and my GRACE teacher leader team.  She has been a huge help for all of us in the accreditation process and a strong support for our students.  The following is a statement from Ruth:

Note from Mrs. Foisy – “One of my long term plans was to return as a learning resource teacher. Here at St. Al’s, I truly valued that role and enjoyed contributing to the success of this special program. I’m answering the call back into administration near my home. Please know, it has been a blessing to work with so many wonderful students, parents and faculty. I wish all of the St. Alphonsus families and school the very best in the future.”

I will be posting her position before the end of the week.  If you know someone who may be interested feel free to direct them to the Office for Catholic Schools employment page.

May God bless and keep all of you.  Thank you for being a part of our community and thank you for all of your support with the work we do.

Thank you,

Kathleen Cifu
Principal, St Alphonsus Parish
(206)782-4363
www.stalseattle.org

Angel’s Angle:  May 9, 2019

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Hello St. Al Family and Friends,

This week we observed Holy Week.  School family time was spent discussing what “leave it at the cross” means to us and how we can leave our burdens and sins at the cross, becoming a new creation ready to do the will of God.  Students wrote on “nails” what they wanted to leave at the cross and these nails were placed on a cross outside the main office. In addition, several teachers read parts of a prayer this morning for Holy Thursday.  One of my favorite lines from that prayer was the following:

“Lord, when I face the crosses of my own life, give me Your divine courage and strength to say “Yes” to the Will of the Father.  Your love for me is abundant and is perfect in every way.  Help me to know that love, to embrace it and to allow it into my life.”

Students will also participate in living stations of the cross tomorrow at 11am and I would like to invite any parents who are available to join us for this annual activity.

I wish you all a wonderful Easter, full of celebration.  May God give you courage and strength to overcome your trials and may you feel the love of God as you gather with family and friends.

Thank you,

Kathleen Cifu

Angels’ Angle: April 18, 2019

 

Principal’s Corner

 

Hello St. Al Family and Friends,

The cherry blossoms are blooming and evidence of spring is everywhere.  We are blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the country and I hope everyone has been able to take a few moments to enjoy it this week.

As some of you know, I spent the past three days serving on a visiting committee for accreditation at another school in the Archdiocese.  This was a valuable experience as we will have a visiting committee at our school next year.  I walked away from this experience with a wealth of knowledge to apply to our own accreditation journey.  I also return this morning feeling so proud of our community.  Great things are happening here and I am so happy to show that to our visiting committee when the time comes.  I know I have said this before, thank you for everything each of you do for St. Alphonsus Parish School.  The school thrives because of the dedication of our loyal community.  Our students benefit academically, spiritually, and socially from the hard work of everyone associated with our school family.

Thank you,

Kathleen Cifu

Angels’ Angle:  March 28

Reminders

1.  Cold and Flu Season:  If your child has a fever or is feeling ill, please keep them home.  Remember that students should not return to school until they are fever and vomit free for at least 24 hours.  This will prevent the spread of germs and allow students who are sick a chance to rest and recover.
2. Drop-Off & Pick-Up:  Please make sure you are heading in the right direction during drop-off and pick-up times.  Need a refresher? A parking flow map is located in the Family Information Booklet and also here.
Angels’ Angle:  March 14

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER – FEBRUARY 28, 2019

Message from the Principal

Hello St. Al Family and Friends,

This has been a wonderful week, with a chill in the air but plenty of sunshine. We were so happy to be back to our normal schedule.  As we transition into another month and end another trimester, I wanted to share a few pieces of news.  First, I am very happy to announce we have officially hired a Development Director.  I am so pleased to welcome Kristen Ferguson to our staff here at St. Al’s.  She is the mother of two students here and brings a great deal of experience in bookkeeping, event coordination, and fundraising in the Catholic school arena.  She will start at the end of this week, continuing the fabulous work started earlier this year by Lena Anderson.

In far less happy news, it is my unfortunate duty to inform everyone that Krissy Altenhoffen will be leaving St. Al’s at the end of this school year.  Krissy loves our St. Al family but she and her husband, John, are about to start their own family.  As they move into this next phase of their lives, Krissy would like to step back to spend more time with her baby.  We are so sad to see her go but we wish her and her future little one all the best.

As we begin Lent next week, I would like to remind everyone that school mass is on Wednesday, March 6th next week.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  Lent is a time of reflection, sacrifice, and preparation.  As Pope Francis said, “Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy.” This is a time to slow down our day-to-day movement, to think longer and deeper about our God and our relationship with Him.  It is a time to reflect on the ultimate sacrifice Jesus will make on the cross.  Pope Francis encourages each of us to experience our own version of sacrifice in hopes that it will be for the ultimate good and benefit of others.  I would like to encourage every member of our community to think about what making this type of sacrifice might mean for them.  Perhaps you have already decided what your sacrifice will be this season or perhaps you are still considering a few choices.  I encourage us all to think about these decisions through the lens of Pope Francis so that we might “deny ourselves something every day to help others.”

Thank you,
Kathleen Cifu

Coffee & Conversation with Ms. Cifu

Thursday, March 7
8:45 am
In the Commons

Join Ms. Cifu in the Commons for coffee and refreshments. This is an opportunity to connect with the Principal, and discuss the State of the School (SoS) presentation.

Please note: The SoS presentation is available here.  For audio access, you will need to open the presentation in PowerPoint. Click the speaker icon to start the audio description for each individual slide.

CANCELLED: STATE OF THE SCHOOL

Please note:  The following State of the school presentations have been cancelled.  An updated presentation schedule will be posted soon.  Thank you for your patience.  

Updated:  02/06/2019 at 1:45 pm

State of the School Presentation

Join your fellow parents for the State of the School Presentation to learn school facts and figures as well as hear about curriculum and enrichment programs at the State of the School presentations.

  • Tuesday, February 5 at 10:00 am CANCELLED
  • Thursday, February 7 at 9:00 am CANCELLED
  • Thursday, February 7 at 7:00 pm CANCELLED

Every family is required to attend a State of the School session before re-enrolling.

Thank you,
Jenny Horstmann
Director of Admissions

Principal's Corner

Principal’s Corner – October 4, 2018

Hello St. Al Families,

Happy October to everyone!  I can’t believe we have been in school for a month already.  I wanted to remind everyone of some great items we have happening this month: Scrip Presto Pay contest, conferences, and Family Fun Night.  Remember to check your email for updates about these events and more.  I would also like to remind everyone that the cold weather is setting in.  Please make sure students come to school with a warm coat so they can continue to enjoy playing outside for as long as the weather holds.

In other news, you may have noticed our very large and very fabulous new planters in the courtyard area where students line up.  These planters will help keep this area clear of cars and provide some color.  This last weekend the planters were placed and this week rocks and soil were added in preparation for plants that will be coming soon.  We are so thankful to not only have something beautiful for our courtyard/outside meeting area but also a safe place for our students to gather before, during, and after school.

I hope everyone has a wonderful end to this first week of October.

Thank you,
Kathleen Cifu
Principal

Coffee and Conversation with Ms. Cifu

Join Ms. Cifu in the Commons every first Thursday of the month at 8:45 am for coffee and treats. The first meeting will be on October 4.

This is an opportunity for school families to connect with the principal, ask general questions, and get updates on all things St. Als. See you there!