April Newsletter.pub - Austin

PACELLI Catholic Schools
Campus Connections
SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER
MISSION:
“We establish in our children a lifelong foundation grounded in Christ’s love, faith
in God, service to community, and academic achievement.”
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS
NEWS FROM THE A-TEAM
Dear Pacelli Families,
I love All School Masses. I had the opportunity
to sit with one of our Kindergarten classes today
at All School Mass and their excitement and
open hearts just renews my energy! One little
boy said, “Wow! Jesus’ house is pretty! These
are NICE floors!” Another whispered to me,
“Jesus is here, you know.” Not only is Jesus in
our school, but he is in everyone here, and it is
evident. Pacelli is so lucky to have such generous and supportive
staff and parents.
Special thanks to:
Crystal Steinbach and Peggy Drees, who are co-chairing the
PreK-12 PTCA, and for all the parents that signed up to chair all of
the PTCA events and activities this year.
Robyn, Ryan, Diane, and Gary Bickler, for all their work
refurbishing our Student Lounge. They tore out carpet, repaired
and refinished the original hardwood floor, painted, and
transformed the room into a place our students can grow, play,
build relationships, and make memories.
Charity Kilgore, for the amazing mural she painted in the
Student Lounge that highlights the interests and values of Pacelli’s
Middle & High School students.
The Booster Club for the amazing new sound system in the
gym! We are lucky to have such an active group continuing to
support our sports and activities.
Teri Pfeil, for her devotion to helping students attend Pacelli
by finding sponsors for the Adopt a Student program. Also, thank
you to our Adopt a Student sponsors, for giving a brighter future to
so many wonderful students.
Tim Brennan, for helping us clean out our drama set room
and provide us with a fall comedy that is sure to entertain.
Fred Schmidt, for repairing many of our windows and
screens this summer. You and the “Friends of Pacelli” always
come through for us.
Fast Signs and Fox Electric for donating new banners and
hanging them around our campus, and for the sidewalk graphics
in front of our buildings.
The Pacelli Trustees and School Board, who worked this
summer on strategic planning for the future success of Pacelli.
The Knights of Columbus and Pizza Ranch for donating and
serving food at our Back to School BBQ.
The Bicklers and Kings, and the Pacelli staff that helped paint
and update our MS/HS offices.
All the parents and staff that help build our float and walked in the
4th of July parade with us and all the parents and staff that
manned the Pacelli booth at the Mower County Fair!
That is just a few of the gifts of time and talent given to Pacelli this
summer, and we are so grateful for your generosity. I am excited
to see what we all can do together this school year!
Laura Marreel
Pacelli Middle & High School Principal
Greetings to our Pacelli families and WELCOME
BACK TO SCHOOL. Man, the summer flew by
and it is the first week of school already. I hope
everyone had a fun, relaxing summer and were
able to take a vacation or two and spend some
time with family and friends. I spent my summer
at baseball and basketball tournaments with my
children. I spent a lot of quality time with my
family and it was amazing.
I truly want to welcome all of you back for the 2016-17 school
year. It is going to be a wonderful year. We have two new
elementary teachers at Pacelli. Mrs. Neve will be our 2nd, first
grade teacher at Pacelli and Ms. Leif will be our second grade
teacher. We also have Mr. Gentle in the Middle School teaching
Social Studies, 6-12 Phy-Ed, and High School Health. Mr. Horgen
is teaching High School Social Studies. Katie Braaten is our new
paraprofessional for the Tiny Shamrocks and Little Shamrocks
pre-school. She will be working alongside Ms. Anderson. They all
are amazing and wonderful teachers. Please stop by and say hello
to them.
Breakfast will is now served from 7:20-7:55 am. When students
arrive to school, they may head straight down to eat. We made
this change so that we can start our instructional time with the
students right after they come in from morning recess.
Please make sure you stop in at the office when dropping off or
picking up your child and sign your child in/out so that we have
documentation and everyone is accounted for. This isn’t meant to
be an inconvenience for parents, but something that is
necessary. Thank you for your cooperation with this. Also, please
contact the office at 507-433-8859 and let us know if your child is
going to be late or absent from school. If we don’t hear from you
by 9:00am, we will be giving you a courtesy phone call. The safety
of your child is very important to us and that is why we will be
making that phone call to you.
If you have any concerns, questions or issues with your child’s
teacher, please do not hesitate to contact them. All that I ask is
that we are professional adults and cordial to one another. If you
do not feel that the issue is resolved with the teacher, please give
me a call or shoot me an email. Communication is so vitally
important and we need to work together.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact
me by email, [email protected] or by phone
507-433-8859.
Again, WELCOME BACK EVERYONE!!!!!!! :)
Mr. Kennedy
Shamrock Zone
Summer was a blast in Shamrock Zone!! Thank
you for sharing your children with us this summer,
where many memories were made. We took walks
to the Library, Mill Pond, Wescott Field, and the
SPAM museum. We had many pet visitors, our 3rd
Annual Car Wash, and an unforgettable Slip 'n
Slide and water balloon extravaganza!
Sara McMahon
Director of Childcare
[email protected]
Music Department
REMINDER!!
Monday, September 26th
Elementary School Picture Day
&
Middle and high school Retakes
I am incredibly excited for music at Pacelli Catholic Schools!
In elementary music, we are going to be exploring new and inventive
ways of making music and exploring who we are as young musicians.
In the choral classroom we will be singing a variety of
different genres of music. This will expand and broaden students musical
experiences. The choral literature that has been selected for this year will
hopefully be as exciting for audiences as it is for the students.
As with the previous year, students will have the option of
participating in different honor choir ensembles. This is a great
opportunity to work with and sing with like-minded students who also
have a profound appreciation for music.
This year a select group of students will audition to be part of
a pop music ensemble that will explore difficult acapella music. This
ensemble will be given every opportunity to perform and show the
community what Pacelli singers can do. The type of songs that these
students will be singing are incredibly challenging and will test their
abilities and their musicianship. I am really looking forward to seeing
what they will be able to accomplish this year.
This will be an amazing year for music with this Pacelli
family!
Mr. Ben Mahlke
“W hen words fail music speaks”
My name is Abby Leif, I will be teaching second grade this
year at Pacelli. I grew up in Austin, MN. I attended Pacelli
from Pre- K though 12th grade. I graduated from the
University of Minnesota Duluth with an education degree
that includes licensure in Early Childhood, Elementary, and
Special Education. Last year, I had the opportunity to teach
abroad in Slovenia, as well as long term substitute at Pacelli
in second grade. In my free time I enjoy cooking, spending
time at the gym, traveling, and spending time with family
and friends. I am very excited to be the second grade home
room teacher here at Pacelli. I hope to make it a great year.
My name is Kathy Neve. I have been married to my husband,
Jeff for 17 years and we have two children who attend Pacelli.
Gabe is 16 and a junior and Abbey is 14 and a freshman. We
also have 2 dogs, Kirby and Hank. I grew up in Brownsdale
and have 3 brothers, a sister, a stepbrother and 2 stepsisters.
In my spare time, I enjoy baking and spending time with my
family. I am so happy and excited to be teaching 1st grade
here at Pacelli. I graduated from Kendall College in Chicago,
IL in 2014. This is my second year teaching. I previously
taught at Austin Public Schools. A little fun fact is that my
dad and his 10 siblings all graduated from Pacelli and my
grandmother also taught elementary school at Queen of An-
gels.
My name is Greg Gentle. I am originally from Waseca, MN
so I am pretty familiar with Southern Minnesota. I first
went to college at the University of Minnesota in the Twin
Cities, where I received my degree in history. After that, I
attended Minnesota State University-Mankato where I
received my teaching license in Social Studies. I am a fan of
most sports and in my free time I like to follow a lot of the
local Minnesota teams, especially the Twins and the
Vikings. I also enjoy going to the movies and spending time
with my family. My dad is a graduate of Pacelli and I have
heard great stories from his time here, so I am excited to be
a part of this school.
I’m coming from St. Paul, but grew up in Arlington,
VA. I’m a dual citizen of New Zealand from my
mother. My dad, James Horgen, is from Albert Lea.
I have a BA from Victoria University of Wellington
and from the University of Minnesota. I have also
earned an M.Ed from the University of Minnesota.
I love cycling, hiking/camping, and talking about
history or politics.
Hi my name is Katie Braaten, I am 20yrs old and I am one of
the newest members at Pacelli Catholic Schools. I have
recently started as the paraprofessional in Miss Anderson’s
room, helping with the preschool Tiny Shamrocks and Little
Shamrocks and working in Shamrock Zone from 3-430 every
afternoon. I have been working with kids since I was sixteen,
and absolutely love what I do! I was born and raised in
Austin and still currently live here. Being at Pacelli again
brings back a lot of memories from when I went here as a
elementary school kid. I also graduated last December from
Riverland Community College here in Austin. I look forward
to getting to know all of the amazing staff, kids and families
here at Pacelli!
Maddie Bosshart is full of energy and eagerness! Maddie is a
natural visionary and she is passionate about creating
educational opportunity for our youth, our future leaders! As a
student, Maddie was very positively affected by the education
she received at the University of St. Thomas. It was in college
where Maddie grew in ways she did not expect. Not only was she
growing intellectually but also emotionally, socially, and
spiritually. These experiences began to develop a passion in
Maddie for not only education, but more specifically for
cultivating an educational environment where students have
opportunities to develop critical thinking, problem solving, and
leadership skills. Maddie greatly enjoys getting to know those in
the community she lives and serves. Maddie is feeling grateful
and excited as she begins her journey here at Pacelli alongside
others who share her same passions.
FUN FACT
Healthy kids have better grades in school, have better attendance, and behave better in class. Getting active is an important
step to good health! Learn more at heart.org/KidsActivityRecommendations
Research shows that active parents raise active children.
Join your child with these tips to work activity into your daily routine:
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Get outdoors! Hike a local nature trail or ride bicycles along a bike path.
Schedule a family playtime. Take a walk or play a family game of tag. Play catch or kick a ball around the yard.
Select toys that encourage movement, such as balls, kites, skates, sleds, and jump ropes.
Limit screen time to no more than two hours a day. Don’t put a television in your child’s bedroom, and limit
computer and tablet use to school projects.
Plant a garden. Caring for plants provides a reason to get outside, teaches kids where their food comes from,
and lets your child sample fresh grown foods to encourage healthy eating habits.
Do chores, such as raking leaves and shoveling snow, as a family. The work will be completed more quickly,
leaving more time for outdoor play!
Hello Pacelli FamiliesThe summer went by fast, speaking of warm weather... The gym is
now air conditioned!! This will be a great benefit for all Pacelli
activities —just to name a few: phy-ed
classes, sporting events, Auction, and Hall of
Fame Banquet. A BIG thank you goes out to
Mark Johnson & Dave Rysavy (Pacelli
Alumni) and their team at Johnson Heating &
Air Conditioning, Carter Wagner (Pacelli
Alumni) and his crew at the Joseph Company
and Scott Fox (Pacelli parent) and his team
at Fox Electric. They all did a GREAT job!
Parking at the Elementary in the morning will be on the East end
next to the church and playground. Please don’t park your vehicle in
the middle of the lane. This slows other parents
down to a halt and sometimes backs traffic out
into the street. There is also no room to turn
around. After school, almost the whole lot is
available to park. We will have just a few parking
spots coned off. Just please keep and eye out
for the little ones, their parents, grandparents
and any staff members walking through the
parking lot.
Did you know? We have four AED (Automated External
Defibrillators) units. They can be found in both the middle
school/high school and elementary buildings. We have had
to replace some of the pads and batteries that have expired.
We are looking for donations to help cover the $600 cost in
replacing these items. Your donation is greatly appreciated &
could very possibly save a life! Thank you.
Pat Felten,
Director of Facilities
Greetings from the Athletic Department!
Welcome back! I hope everyone is as excited about the new school year as I am because it means
sports are back!!! During the fall season, we have LP volleyball, LP football, Pacelli Cross Country, Austin
Area Cycling, Austin Swimming and Austin soccer.
The football team have their home opener on Friday, September 9th in Lyle. The team graduated
some key players last season and they are hoping to fill those positions with some young, new players. The
team has a record of 0-1.
The volleyball team kicked off their season in August and are looking strong. They have two seniors
who are leading a young team through the SEC. The volleyball team has a record of 3-1 in conference play.
The cross country team started their season last week and looked great! They have some returning
leaders who are showing the young ones how to be great runners and teammates. Their next meet is
Tuesday, September 13th in Blooming Prairie.
The soccer team is in full swing. Pacelli has one high school member of the JV team. Sunny MehtaMorgado is starting out great and had an assist in the team’s last game! We look forward to watching Sunny in
the coming weeks.
The cycling team is ready for their first race this Sunday the 11th here in Austin. The Pacelli cyclists
are Whitney Walkup and William Kahle. They are excited and working hard for this season. It is awesome to
see this growing sport represented here at Pacelli.
The swim team is looking strong and ready to go. Pacelli student Jaeda Bekaert is on the JV and
Varsity teams. We haven't had a swimmer in a few years so we are excited to see her swim!
Good luck to all of our student athletes!
Chelsea Brolsma
Athletic Director
[email protected]
Upcoming Events:
Sept. 23rd Wescott Football Game
Oct. 13th Volleyball Pink Out Game
Oct. 19th Football Pink Out Game
September
Sun
Mon
4
Tue
5
NO SCHOOL
11
12
Wed
6
Thu
Fri
1
2
3
7
8
9
10
14
15
16
17
1st Day of School
13
ACT
Registration
Date
(Oct. 22 Test)
PTCA Meeting
6:30 pm
Cafeteria
18
19
20
21
22
23
Wescott Field LP
Football game
MS/HS MAP
Testing
Begins
25
Sat
MS/HS MAP
Testing Ends
26
27
Elementary
School Picture
Day &
MS/HS Retakes
Diocese Pastor–
Principle Day
28
29
4th /5th Grade
Big Island
Rendezvous &
MS– Feed My
Starving
Children
30
Paint & Punch
Party
24
SEPTEMBER LUNCH MENU
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1
PBJ Uncrustable or
Cheese Sandwich is
available as option
B Lunch
All menus are
subject to change
5
LABOR DAY
12
Cheese Burgers
Peaches
Fresh Veggies
Corn
NO SCHOOL
2
NO SCHOOL
6
7
8
Corn Dogs
Mixed Fruit
Fresh Veggies
Green Beans
Chicken Nuggets
Mandarin Oranges
Fresh Veggies
Tater Tots
Sloppy Joes
Apple Sauce
Fresh Veggies
Baked Beans
13
14
15
Chicken Sandwich
Strawberries
Fresh Veggies
Diced Oven
Potatoes
Chili
Mixed Fruit
Fresh Veggies
Dinner Roll
16
Quesadillas
Fresh Fruit
Fresh Veggies
Black Beans
Romaine Salad
Spaghetti w/Meatballs
Pears
Fresh Veggies
Green Beans
BreadSticks
9
Nacho’s
Fresh Fruit
Fresh Veggies
Romaine Salad
Grahams/Frosting
19
Grilled Chicken w/
Rice Pilaf
Mandarin Oranges
Fresh Broccoli/
Cauliflower
20
21
22
23
Goulash
Apple Sauce
Fresh Veggies
Green Beans
Salisbury Steak
Peaches
Fresh Veggies
Corn
Dinner Roll
Meat Subs
Gold Fish
Pears
Fresh Veggies
Walking Taco’s
Fresh Fruit
Fresh Veggies
Refried Beans
26
27
28
29
Hot Dogs
Sun Chips
Strawberries
Fresh Veggies
Baked Beans
Mac & Cheese
Mixed Fruit
Fresh Veggies
Green Beans
Dinner Roll
Chicken Alfredo
Mandarin Oranges
Fresh Veggies
Peas
Dinner Roll
Pancakes/Sausage
Apple Slices
Fresh Veggies
Tri Taters
30
Crispitos
Spanish Rice
Fresh Fruit
Fresh Veggies
Romaine Salad