November 2013 - St. Augustine School
Transcription
November 2013 - St. Augustine School
g{x fàA Tâzâáà|Çx `ÉÇà{Äç St. Augustine School † Founded in 1857 Come to Learn. Go to Serve † † www.staug-md.org November 2013 YÜÉÅ à{x cÜ|Çv|ÑtÄËá Wxá~‹ I am writing in the midst of the sounds and sights of autumn. The trees out the window are turning a brilliant red and gold, while the kindergarteners in their Halloween orange and black are bouncing back from the playground, laden with their loot from our second annual trunk or treat. The first and seventh grade students across the hall are making skeletons and eating all kinds of yummy food. Throughout the entire school there is most definitely excitement and laughter in the air. I love this season, made more beautiful by the knowledge that the cold, dark and barren time is soon to follow. November is the month the Catholic Church sets aside to remember all those who have passed from their earthly home to their eternal home. During our morning prayer we will pray for the children’s family members that have died. I really appreciate your response on the form located in this issue of The Monthly. On Tuesday, November 12, we will read the names of our deceased loved ones and continue to pray for the repose of their souls throughout the month. In addition, they will be remembered at our school Mass on November 22. This month we will also reflect on our numerous blessings and take time to give thanks for family, faith, health, freedom, and the bounty of our tables and our hearts. One of our blessings is being citizens of a nation that values freedom and allows its citizens to have a voice in the decisions made by our legislators. Our school community will have the opportunity to participate in this democratic political process on November 21 at 7 pm at St. Mark’s School in Catonsville. St. Augustine’s will be one of twenty private and parochial schools meeting with the legislators of districts 12 and 13. We would like to thank our state senators and delegates for providing 3.5 million dollars to non-public schools for infrastructure upgrades and 6 million dollars for funding to textbooks and technology. St. Augustine School has applied for funds from the Nonpublic Aging Schools Program to replace old exterior doors in the hall. We have also received approximately $14,000 that was used to purchase most of this year's new non-religious textbooks . Most importantly, your voice is needed on November 21 to encourage our legislators to support the proposed tax credit for business investment in nonpublic education, the Maryland Education Tax Credit. Please save the date and look for further information in the Friday Flier. One of the blessings I am most thankful for is that so many families have chosen St. Augustine School for their children’s elementary and middle school education. Our strong enrollment in these challenging economic times testifies to the faith of our families and the quality of our school. On November 11 we will open our doors to potential new families for preschool, kindergarten, and just a few openings in grades 1-6. Please keep the success of our Open House in your prayers. Amidst the hectic pace and numerous demands of daily living, it is so important that we take time to focus ourselves and our children on the many blessings we have and to offer thanks. The students will be having a special Thanksgiving celebration on Tuesday, November 26. Look for further details in the Friday Flier. I hope and pray that your family time will be richly blest this November and that your Thanksgiving celebration will be full of joy and gratitude. ~`ÜáA ctàÜ|v|t fv{Ütàé? cÜ|Çv|ÑtÄ November 2013 Issue The St. Augustine Monthly 1 deceased loved ones so they can be included in our prayers. On November 11 we honor our veterans with a special prayer at the opening of school. Toward the end of the month, of course, we celebrate the wonderful Feast of Thanksgiving. We will once again have a school wide feast and prayer service coupled with a food drive for the needy of our parish and local community. The Student Council will be planning and working on this wonderful By now all parents have received an Annual Fund appeal in the mail. school-wide celebration. Parents, alumni, and benefactors are being asked by St. Augustine School to support our mission through prayer and financial donations. It is important to note that the income received from tuition does not meet all of the expenses of educating each child. Funds raised by the Home and School Association, the Race for Education and the Annual Fund support the expenses associated with the per pupil cost of instruction for the 293 children We have a family referral in our school. Unlike tuition payments, donations to the program as a special incentive Annual Fund are tax-deductible. Agencies that award to our school families. For financial grants also look for 100% support for our school every new family that enrolls in efforts like the Annual Fund. These foundations ask, and remains at St. Augustine “If the stakeholders do not support the mission, why School for one whole school year, the referring family should we?” For this reason, even a small donation can will receive a $500 credit toward their next year’s tuition. make a big difference. Every family is asked to give Please take advantage of this program and share your something to the Annual Fund. Your prompt response is excitement about SAS with your family, friends, coalso appreciated in order to spare everyone multiple workers, and neighbors. reminders regarding support of this year’s Annual Fund. If you have any questions about the Annual Fund, please Our Fall Open House for prospective families will be held on Monday, November 11, 2013, from 10am-3pm. contact our principal, or our advancement director, Attendees will be have the opportunity to tour the school, Mrs. Sciullo meet the faculty, and see first hand how St. Augustine’s can benefit their students. P l e a s e Ta k e 5 Minutes to Support the Annual Fund. Yo u C o u l d E a r n $ 5 0 0 in our Family Referral Program November—A Month of Holidays The month begins with the Feast of All Saints. Although school is closed on November 1, all families are invited and encouraged to attend Mass at St. Augustine's or in their home parish. The Feast of All Saints is a holy day of obligation. The children will be learning about the saints through our daily prayer and religion lessons. The 4th graders will present their research on the saints in costume this Wednesday at 1 p.m. The Feast of All Souls follows on November 2. Throughout the month of November we will be remembering the deceased members of the St. Augustine School families. The names of these loved ones who have passed away will be included in our prayer throughout the month. Please share the names of your 2 Wellness Matters Being physically active is very important for everyone's health. Children need about 60 minutes of exercise a day. We would like to incorporate the Mileage Club Program as part of our healthy school initiative once again this year. The students will have the opportunity to walk/jog during recess on Wednesdays, beginning November 6th, as the weather permits. We will not be keeping track of miles this year, but instead, awards will be given for participation in the program. Any interested students can meet Mrs. Shouse behind the church, during recess, to sign in. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions please contact Mrs. Shouse at [email protected]. The St. Augustine Monthly November 2013 Issue Character Counts Week at SAS By: Eddie Madera, Rachel’s Friends During the week of October 21st, the St Augustine Community held “Character Counts Week.” During this special week centered around the six pillars of good character, we held numerous fun and enjoyable activities, including pink day, a very special fundraiser to help make this week unique. On Monday, the students were given the option to dress in the color of the pillar assigned to each classroom. For example, while the kindergarten dressed in red to symbolize the pillar of caring, the eighth grade dressed in purple to showcase the pillar of citizenship. Students were also treated to colorful cupcakes provided by the Borsh Family and Bakery Express. Tuesday was dedicated to cancer awareness, as October is national breast cancer awareness month. To show our support of Miss Ruth in her personal fight against the horrible disease, we asked for donations in exchange for students wearing pink. In addition, we held a “Wellness Walk” to recognize our family members who have been touched by cancer. We are extremely happy to report that we raised $2,000 which was given to Miss Ruth to help her with expenses related to her treatment. Thank you so much to all school families who so generously contributed to this wonderful cause! On Wednesday, we held an anti-bullying assembly for students in grades K-8 in order to foster a community of caring, thoughtful students. Students were shown practical ways to prevent bullying. Thursday was a fun day for students as they met with their “buddies” to create Character Counts skits and sign the Character Counts pledge. Finally, Character Counts Week ended with a presentation to Miss Ruth of flowers, balloons, and a $2,000 check, followed by a beautiful school mass. Throughout the week, students typed kindness letters to one another in computer class, and showed yet again what a wonderful, caring, compassionate school community we have at St. Augustine’s! November 2013 Issue The St. Augustine Monthly 3 Santa Claus is Congratulations, Math coming to SAS! Masters! SAVE THE DATE. The HSA Dinner with Santa will be held on Friday, December 6, 2013 . This popular event will include an all - you - can- eat buffet, cake contest, games, kid’s crafts, a raffle and more! Many volunteers are still needed. Please contact Jennifer Ross at [email protected] to volunteer. Boxtops Contest Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the Batty for Box Tops Contest. For the month of November we would like to treat the students with a FREE Homework Pass when they meet our Turkey Bucks Box Tops Challenge. Send in a zip log bag or on the collection sheet 20 box tops by November 22 to claim your prize. Congratulations to the following students who achieved “Math Master” status in the month of November: 3rd Grade: Diane Agbor-Enoh, Mia Benedetto, Megan Blackwell, Bettina Brotherton, Justina Burks, Jack Chapman, Stella Colantuno, Hilary Crouse, Martin Dedrick, Shannon Flynn, Jayden Graham, Bridget Munter Haleigh Orndorff, Kylie Patterson, Conrad Payne, Leo Ross, Ty Ross, Christian Thompson, Estelle Traynor, and Grant Winter 4th Grade: Derin Aderoju, and Trey Chapman 5th Grade: Lucas Benedetto, Katie Borsh, Aidan Donnelly, Maria Fair, Emma Hoffman, James Thompson, Megan Triplett Halloween Bingo Success This year’s Halloween Bingo was another success. A big thank you to Mrs. Carole Bailey, Mrs. Karen Munter, and the many parent volunteers who worked so hard on staging such a fun event. Thank you also to everyone who donated baked goods and bought tickets to the event. The HSA, and the entire school community appreciate your support. Remembrance Form Student’s Name (s):__________________________________________________________________ Family Name:______________________________________________________________________ We remember in prayer the souls of these departed loved ones of the _____________________Family: ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Please return this form to the office by Friday, Nov. 8. Thank you. 4 The St. Augustine Monthly November 2013 Issue ~ November 2013 ~ Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri 1 Sat 2 All Saints Day - Holy Day of Obligation 3 4 5 Election Day 6 Begin wearing winter uniform Band - section lessons during day 8a-9a Faculty Meeting Grade 8 Shadow Day 12:15p-12:35p Advanced Band Ensemble Rehearsal 12:35p-1p Beginning Band Ensemble rehearsal 7 11 Veterans' Day 12 13 14 15 Prospective Family Open House Band - section lessons during day First Reconciliation - SA 1:45p-2:45p Assembly - Stories from Around the World School portrait make up day and retakes 8:45a-1:45p Kindergarten Field Trip Sharps Farm 9:30a-1p Grade 1 Field Trip- Baltimore Museum of Industry 2:30p-3:30p Curley Classic Cross Country Meet 4p-7p Burger King Night benefitting Pre 12:15p-1p Chamber Singers K and the Art program 12:35p-1p Beginning Band Ensemble rehearsal 3:30p-4:30p Advanced Band Ensemble Rehearsal 17 9 First Reconciliation Retreat - Assenc. 3:30p-5p HSA Used Uniform Sale - Hall 12:15p-2:45p Rachel's Friends mtg 10 8 9:15a-12:15p Mrs. Sympson's 6th & 7th 9:10a-10:10a School Mass Math Class Field Trip 9:15a-10:15a Principal's Coffee 12:15p-1p Chamber Singers 10a-11a Assembly - Hunka Munka Book 12:40p-1:10p Chorale Practice 1:30p-3:30p Birthright Baby ShowerNook - PreK - 1st Burke Wing (Burk Wing (6th and 7th period)) 12:15p-1p Chamber Singers 12:40p-1:10p Chorale Practice 16 3:30p-4:30p Chamber Singers 6:30p-7:30p HSA Executive Meeting 18 19 20 21 22 First Reconciliation -SA Band - section lessons during day 9a-12p Indent-a-kid 12:40p-1:10p Chorale Practice T1 ends School Board Meeting 12:15p-2:45p Rachel's Friends mtg 12:35p-1p Beginning Band Ensemble rehearsal 3:30p-4:30p Chamber Singers 7p-9p Legislative Open House (St. Mark's School) 9a-2p Associate Superintendent Annual Visit 23 3:30p-4:30p Advanced Band Ensemble Rehearsal 24 25 26 27 28 Thanksgiving 29 12:30a-1:30a Faculty Appreciation Lunch - 8th grade Band - section lessons during day Online Registration deadline for HSPT School Closed - holiday School Closed - holiday 8:20a-8:40a Team Leaders School Closed - holiday 12:25p-1:25p Early Dismissal 9:15a-10:45a Turkey Trot Senior Lunch 11a-12:15p Thanksgiving Celebration 12:25p-1:25p Early Dismissal 30 ADVENT FAMILY FUN NIGHT Friday, November 22nd, 6 – 8 pm Ascension Brewer Hall Enjoy a pizza dinner & activities to prepare for Advent. This night is for all ages – families, singles, young & young at heart Cost: $2 per person (price includes 1 slice of pizza, veggies, drinks & craft supplies; additional slices of pizza can be ordered for $1.50 each) Dinner will be served at 6 pm with activities & dessert following. Dinner will not be available after 6:45 pm. Please plan accordingly to stay for activities after dinner. **Please bring a non-perishable (no nuts) dessert to share.** To order your tickets in advance, return the bottom portion of this form to School/PREP/Church, Attn: Children’s Ministry If you have any questions, contact Andrea Seurkamp, [email protected] or 443-543-0498 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yes! We will be attending Advent Family Fun Night. Family Name:______________________________________ # of adults:________ # of children:________ Children’s Ages:______________________________ Cost: $2 per person =____ + $1.50 per extra pizza slice =____ Total Amount Enclosed:______________________ Checks should be made payable to St. Augustine Church St. Augustine School 2013 Christmas Cake Contest Grades 4 – 8 Friday, December 6 PARTICIPATE IN THE CHRISTMAS CAKE CONTEST HAVE FUN AND WIN PRIZES! General Rules/Details: ・ Students in Grades 4 to 8 are eligible to enter the contest. ・ Cakes must be brought into the school hall Friday, December 6th by 8:40am. ・ Cakes must be brought in on a disposable cake platter and wrapped in Saran wrap. ・ Label only the bottom (underside) of the cake board/platter with your name and grade. ・ All cakes must have a Christmas holiday or religious theme. ・ Gingerbread houses are acceptable. ・ Prizes will be awarded to the 1st‐, 2nd, 3rd place winners in each grade. A pizza party prize will also be awarded for the class with the most participation. ・ Cakes will be used as prizes during the Cake Walk, later that night at the Christmas Dinner with Santa. Questions regarding the cake contest? ・ Please contact Cristina Hartka (410) 788 – 0538 / [email protected] Questions regarding Christmas Dinner w/ Santa? ・ Please contact Jennifer Ross (443) 829 – 5045 / [email protected] Helping our children grow in their Catholic faith. November 2013 Take time to teach thankfulness Venerable Fulton Sheen The last Year of Faith saint is Peter “Fulton” John Sheen whose dream was to become a priest. Each day during his priesthood he spent an hour in Eucharistic Adoration. Although born before television, he won an Emmy for “Most Outstanding Television Personality” for his TV series “Life is Worth Living,” the first by a Catholic priest. Pope John Paul II said, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus. You are a loyal son of the Church!” A golden rule “So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Children are self-centered by nature, so gratitude doesn’t come naturally. Yet grateful people have higher levels of happiness and lower levels of depression and stress. Fortunately, gratitude is a skill anyone can learn, especially at this thankful time of year. Say “no” often. The current barrage of Christmas commercials spur children to ask for endless toys, video games, and other goodies. Long lists to Santa make it tough to feel thankful if not everything is received. Saying “no” often to a child’s whims makes the rarer “yes” much sweeter. Flip the phrase. When you catch your youngster complaining, stop her What is Original Sin? Care in speech “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” means more than just not accusing others of false deeds. It means speaking the truth always. Teach children that our words are our greatest ally and sharpest weapon. © Copyright 2013 Success Publishing & Media, LLC immediately and ask her to name something for which she is grateful. For example, if she complains because her friend has a better video game, ask her to name her favorite doll or toy instead. Push thank-you notes. No matter how young, encourage children to write or draw thank-you notes. Deciding why the gift was appreciated will help him feel more grateful. Help children shop. Help them buy gifts for other family members. Give them chances to earn money and insist they spend it on gifts for others. Children love giving gifts and seeing others appreciate them. Let youngsters help. There’s no better way for children to realize how much effort adults around them put forth on their behalf. Original Sin is a loss of the original holiness and righteousness with which our first parents were created. When God made Adam and Eve, he gave them all the grace and virtue they would ever need, and they had a close relationship with God. When they turned from him, they lost those gifts. We inherit the sin of our first parents. Through Baptism, we are freed from Original Sin and are made members of God’s holy people, the Church. November 2013 Page 2 Encouraging children to care Empathy is the ability to feel concern for other people. As followers of Christ, we are called not only to feel empathy but to respond to others’ needs with concern. This can be challenging for children and adolescence whose social skills are still developing. Role play. Take advantage of difficult situations – bullying, for example – children encounter at school, either their own experiences or those they observe, and ask, “What would you have wanted your friends to do to help?” Switch roles. Encourage youngsters to see others’ perspectives by discussing current events with them. Talk about how the people involved must have felt. For example, how does the victim of a house fire feel when the home is lost? Ask, “If that had been you, what would you have wanted others to do for you?” Take action. Helping others is the best way to encourage empathy. Look for opportunities to be a good friend, to contribute to someone in need, or help the needy. Then ask children afterwards, “How did it feel?” Luke 23:35-42, Christ the King This Gospel reading, which portrays Jesus just moments from his death on the Cross, seems at first to contradict the solemnity on which it is read in Mass – the Solemnity of Christ the King. Jesus was deserted by his friends, condemned by the more powerful, and subjected to torture of the worst kind. That is not our traditional view of a king. Yet it is at that moment when Jesus is, in fact, at his strongest. It is at that moment when he is shouldering the sins of the entire human race and Nov. 1 – All Saints Day. In the early Church, saints and martyrs were each assigned a feast day. However, the extreme persecution of the Christians meant there weren’t enough days in the calendar for individual commemorations. Eventually Pope Gregory IV designated Nov.1 as All Saints Day. Nov. 2 – All Souls Day. On this day we pray for the dead, especially our loved ones and souls in Purgatory to help them get to Heaven faster. Nov. 12 – St. Josaphat (1623). Born in the Ukraine to Orthodox parents, St. Josaphat converted to restoring God’s grace to each one of us then and now. No king on earth could do that except Jesus. At that moment on Calvary, Jesus opens the gates of Heaven and grants forgiveness, beginning with the man beside him who led a life of sin but recognized the true King. What can a parent do? Place a crucifix in a prominent place in your home to remind your family of the great strength that came from the Cross. Make Jesus the true king of your hearts. Catholicism, became a Basilian monk, then a priest, and was named Bishop of Vitebsk (now in Russia). He worked for unity in the Church and was martyred for his efforts. Nov. 13 – St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (1917). Mother Cabrini started the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Italy and founded 67 institutions to care for the sick and forgotten in Europe and the Americas. She was the first U.S. citizen to be canonized. When Tessa moved from Catholic school to a public middle school, there was a change in her behavior. We started arguing about the clothes she wanted to wear to school and the language she was using. But the worst changes came around the holidays. All of a sudden, Tessa started asking for lots of expensive gifts which had never been her way. Apparently kids in school already had cell phones and iPods and she wanted to fit in. I spent evenings saying, “no.” Fortunately, my monthly soup kitchen duty came up the day before Thanksgiving, and I took Tessa to help. Lots of families streamed in, and Tessa even found herself serving kids from her school. It threw her to see kids her age sitting at the tables quietly eating the turkey we served them. The good news? We didn’t hear anything more about Christmas gifts from Tessa after that. To help parents raise faithful Catholic children Success Publishing & Media, LLC Publishers of Growing in Faith™ and Partners in Faith™ (540)662-7844 (540)662-7847 fax http://www.growinginfaith.com (Unless noted Bible quotes and references are from the Revised Standard Version and the New American Bible.) © Copyright 2013 Success Publishing & Media, LLC