Principal's Corner

Principal’s Corner – November 26, 2018

Hello St. Al Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break.  As we begin this last week before Advent, we will spend a few more days with our saints to round out Saints Month.  Stay tuned in the next few weeks for a special video of saint door decorations throughout the school.

In this last week of November, we are back and ready for a brand new trimester.  With the new term, comes some new information and I wanted to take a moment to make everyone aware of the following:

New preschool teacher

  • Edal Fernandez joins our team today. We are incredibly excited to have her joining the St. Al community.

Middle School Study Hall

  • A new trimester means a new start and a new chance to develop some new habits.  Study hall during lunch recess has been going strong and we still have room for more individuals to join. If you are looking for a quiet place to work on homework or would like to have just a little extra time to study before that afternoon test, this is the place for you.  Join others in Mrs. Foisy’s math room for a silent and independent work time before lunch.   A big thank you to Luke Uniack for proposing this idea and getting it started.

Change in Communication

  • I will no longer be publishing specific event information in my weekly emails but will instead announce general or one-time items of note.  For all other information I will be linking the school website.  The reason for this change is that we are trying to streamline our communication, creating a simpler way to receive electronic communication about our community.  The goal is fewer items to look through and more information shared.  Season Evans has done a wonderful job on the website and if you haven’t already done so, I encourage each of you to take a few moments to explore what is posted there.  The calendar will be updated with more events each month to incorporate my previous email information. The Angle will still be sent out as usual with no significant format changes.

Inclement Weather and Other Important Communication 

  • Heading into ice and snow season, we need updated information from everyone in case of school closures or late starts due to inclement.  We are continuing to receive a lot of bounced emails when sending out communication.  Incorrect information means you will not receive timely updates or information.  Please take a moment to check your email information on Renweb and your junk mail folder to make sure you are properly updated and informed.

Holiday Shopping and Giving 

  • It is cyber Monday.  For anyone looking to purchase items online, remember you can also help St. Al’s as you shop.  Use our [smile.amazon.com/ch/91-0577481]Amazon Smile code as well as Scrip through Presto Pay.  Scrip has a variety of businesses available and you can even receive email updates for special rebate promotions.  Traveling for the holidays?  Scrip has you covered with that too.  Get Scrip for airlines, hotels/house rentals, cruises, vacation packages, gas stations, and more.  Of course, you can also give directly to St. Al’s and even match with a corporate gift.

Finally, I encourage everyone to stop by our new display table outside the main office.  We have moved all school handouts and other items to this table to create more space on the counter for individuals signing-in/out.   The table also features items for those with questions about the Catholic faith or current Catholics simply wanting to learn more.  Pamphlets, books, pencils, and even rosaries are there for anyone to take home.

In our last week of Saint Month I would like to leave you with the words of St. Catherine of Sienna, “If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze.”  I pray that we each hear the call of God and in answering it, use the talents and gifts God has given us to truly set the world ablaze with His love.

Thank you,
Kathleen Cifu

Principal's Corner

Principal’s Corner – November 9, 2018

Hello St. Al Families,

I hope everyone had a wonderful week.  Since we do not have school on Monday, I am sending out my typical Monday email a bit early.  The following includes items that are a mix of group specific announcements/events and general info for everyone.

Announcements

Middle School Study Hall: middle school students now have the option of staying inside during lunch recess for study hall.  It is a silent, independent, and voluntary option for those who want to work on homework or classwork.  Extra teacher support is not offered during this time, so homework center is still recommended for those who may need teacher assistance with their work.  Thank you to Mrs. Foisy for hosting this in her math room.

Eighth Grade High School Applications: It is about that time.   Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need me to fill out an administrator recommendation form or you need a letter from the principal.  I am happy to work with all 8th grade families however I can with this process.

Auction Volunteer Hours:  Remember to get your auction volunteer hours in.  Opportunities for hours begin this week on Wednesday evening.   Additional opportunities include Thursday afternoon, all day Friday, and more.  Contact Lena Anderson for more information. Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to volunteer.  It takes a village to put on an event like this.  Our entire community benefits greatly from everyone’s hard work and we are so thankful for the efforts of everyone involved.

Events

Monday, November 12: No school in observance of Veteran’s Day

Tuesday, November 13: Picture Retakes & Mass as Normal

–picture forms are available in the office

–we will follow our normal Tuesday schedule with mass

Wednesday, November 14: Veteran’s Day Assembly & Non-uniform Day

–Students are allowed to wear red, white, and blue or military related clothing items for our November non-uniform day, celebrating our nation’s veterans

–At 1:45pm we will have a Veteran’s Day assembly in the gym

Thursday, November 15: Earthquake Drill

Saturday, November 17: AUCTION!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  We look forward to seeing all of our students back on Tuesday.

“God is entrusting to you the task, at once difficult and uplifting, of working with Him in the building of the civilization of love.

–Pope John Paul II