Thursday, December 17, 2015

December 17, 2015 Weekly Parent Newsletter

           All Saints Academy, St. Cloud Campus
Weekly Parent Newsletter
December 17, 2015

Every Thursday school is in session we will provide this “Weekly Parent Newsletter”. Please read carefully. This will contain All Saints Academy, St. Cloud news for you and your family.

Please note, newly added information for this week will be under New News.   Information that has been previously published will be located under Bulletin Board at the end.

School will be closed Monday, December 21, 2015 – January 1, 2016 due to Christmas break.  Regular classes will begin on Monday, January 4, 2016.

NEW NEWS
1.  6th graders Volunteer at Place of Hope – Tomorrow, the 6th graders will be taking up a collection at mass for Place of Hope. Then, they will be walking to Place of Hope to volunteer for the day.  They will be taking the cash donation to Place of Hope as well as volunteer on Friday.  It would be greatly appreciated if students could bring some loose change, or a small amount of allowance (if they get allowance.)  Parents who want to write out a check can make it out to Place of Hope.  Anything will help.  Thank you. 

2.  Christmas Program is Tonight- The K-6th grade Christmas Program is tonight at 6:00 pm in St. Paul’s Church. There will be a short social in the cafeteria after the evening program.  Please mark your calendars.

3.  Lunch Volunteers Needed – Our lunch program is in need of consistent volunteers to help serve lunch to our students.  Lunch is served from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm.  You will also get a free lunch!  The school could use help on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.  If you able to volunteer on a weekly basis, please contact the office at 251-5295.

4.  Catholic Community School (CCS) NewsWhy do we need this new approach to Catholic schools?
Answer: Bishop Donald Kettler believes this initiative is the best solution for keeping Catholic school education in the St. Cloud area academically and spiritually strong, and financially viable in light of rising costs and ongoing enrollment challenges. Among the goals are to get more children into classrooms, strengthen and improve the programs offered, and ensure teachers and principals receive just salaries. CCS will enable schools to do more extensive marketing and fundraising together, leaving principals and teachers to focus on their primary job: the spiritual, academic and personal growth of their students.

Playground Duty – Month of January 2016.    Please contact Kris Haehn, 251-5295, to schedule yourself for recess duty.  All families are required to volunteer for 2 days or they may opt out by paying $50/family.

We are in need of volunteers the whole month of January.  You are welcome to sign up today!

Thank you
…to all the volunteers who have helped with sorting gifts for our Christmas Families.
…to Pam McBroom & Michele Hanson for assisting Kati Bauerly, our school nurse during hearing & vision testing last week.
… to the parents who helped transport the 2nd & 6th graders for bell ringing this week.

Bulletin Board
·      Spiritwear Christmas Gifts – If you need Christmas gift ideas for your children, you are welcome to purchase ASA Spirit wear for them.  We have many sizes and several styles available for purchase.  Spirit Wear Day is always on Wednesday.
·      Lost & Found - Are you missing any sweatshirts or jackets? How about a pair of mittens or a hat? Please come visit our Lost & Found shelves in the hallway on our bottom floor.  We have a lot of things that are unclaimed by our students which have been gathered in our lunchroom, playground, gym and hallway. Please take a minute and look through the items we have.
·      Funzone during Christmas Break – Funzone will be open during Christmas break.  Childcare is available on December 21st – 23rd and then again Dec. 28th – 31st.  If you need childcare on any of these days, please stop in the office or in the Funzone room to complete a form.  You can also email Funzone at sc.funzone@allsaintsmn.org.
·      Family Lunch Accounts - Family Lunch accounts need to be kept up to date. Notices are in Thursday folders this week if you owe $10 or more. If the balance owed is more than $30.00, students will receive a sandwich and milk during lunch until payment is received beginning Monday, October 26th. According to Federal Policy from the Department of Agriculture, “Schools may deny a meal to a student who pays reduced or full price and who does not provide the required payment for the meal.”  Your cooperation with this matter is most appreciated.
·      Safe Environment Training – Many of you have completed the required paperwork needed for background checks.  Part of the process is completing the Safe Environment Training that is found online.  If you are volunteering at the school, it is required that you complete this training every year. Thank you to those of you who have completed the online training.  Please go to http://stcdio.org/safeenvironmentinstructions/ to complete the training.  The video is approximately 11 minutes long.   Make sure to answer the questions and click “Submit.”
·      School Speak – ASA has implemented School Speak, a new online school management system.  It is a secure portal that allows us to store information and communicate with our families. Many of you have received the introductory email to log in to School Speak.  If you haven’t, please contact the office, 251-5295, so that we can provide the information for you.  We would like all parents to log in and update their profile.  This technology will allow us to provide more information, communicate with parents and offer useful tools for everyone who is a member of our school community.
·      Sign Up for REMIND: The St. Cloud Campus would like to invite parents/guardians to sign up for REMIND. REMIND is a safe, free and easy way we can connect with parents through texting. It allows us to communicate with all parents instantly. Signing up is done through a unique code to Mrs. Marissa Bristow. Please text to 612-260-4578 and in the message section enter @ef392. It is that easy. You will be added on to the parent list.  If you have signed up in the past, it is not necessary to sign up again.

Calendar Dates 
Dec. 17:  Christmas Program
Dec. 18:  Christmas Vacation Begins, regular dismissal
Jan. 4:  School resumes, full day of classes
Jan. 18:  Martin Luther King Day, Workshop/Retreat Day for Staff; No school for students
Jan. 19:  Staff Development, No School for Students
Jan. 28:  Open House for 2016-2017
Jan. 31:  Feb. 6:  Catholic Schools Week – Kick off mass at all parishes
Feb. 10:  Ash Wednesday
Feb. 15:  Presidents’ Day, No school for Students or Staff
Feb. 16:  SCAPA Workshop Day for staff, No school for Students
Feb. 22-24:  Deep Portage for 6th graders


Our Mission
… is to deliver an academically excellent, Catholic education that develops the whole person and inspires a Christ-centered life in a global community.

Our Vision
… creates and nurtures an environment, which supports students, educators and community in realizing their God-given gifts, reaching their full potential and developing their life-long relationship with Christ.
This parent weekly update is published each Thursday school is in session.  Anyone with questions, comments or articles they wish to be considered for inclusion should send an e-mail to Marissa Bristow at marissa.bristow@allsaintsmn.org no later than Monday, 3 PM for that week’s update or drop it off at school.


Thursday, December 10, 2015

December 10, 2015 Weekly Parent Newsletter

All Saints Academy, St. Cloud Campus
Weekly Parent Newsletter
December 10, 2015

Every Thursday school is in session we will provide this “Weekly Parent Newsletter”. Please read carefully. This will contain All Saints Academy, St. Cloud news for you and your family.

Please note, newly added information for this week will be under New News.   Information that has been previously published will be located under Bulletin Board at the end.


NEW NEWS
1.  6th graders at Place of Hope - At mass on Friday, December 18th, the 6th graders will be taking up a collection at mass for Place of Hope.  Right after mass, they will be walking to Place of Hope to volunteer for the day.  Place of Hope offers support for people in the St. Cloud area experiencing homelessness, poverty or who need help recovering from hard times.  We would like to bring along a cash donation from All Saints Academy when we visit Place of Hope Friday.  It would be greatly appreciated if students could bring some loose change, or a small amount of allowance (if they get allowance.)  Parents who want to write a out a check can make it out to Place of Hope.  Anything will help.  Thank you. 

2.  Giving Tree Gifts – The response to our Giving Tree in the entry way has been enormous.  Thank you to all our generous families. Please remember to attach the tag to the gift when you return it to school.  Gifts are needed at school by Wednesday, December 16th by 8:30 am.  This gives us time to sort the gifts and allow the families to pick them up in time for Christmas.

3.  Christmas Program - The K-6th grade Christmas Program will be held on Thursday, December 17th at 6:00 pm in St. Paul’s Church. There will be a full dress rehearsal at 1:30 pm.  Anyone is invited to this afternoon program.   There will be a short social in the cafeteria after the evening program.  Please mark your calendars.
4.  Spiritwear Christmas Gifts – If you need Christmas gift ideas for your children, you are welcome to purchase ASA Spirit wear for them.  We have many sizes and several styles available for purchase.  Spirit Wear Day is always on Wednesday.

5.  Lost & Found - Are you missing any sweatshirts or jackets? How about a pair of mittens or a hat? Please come visit our Lost & Found shelves in the hallway on our bottom floor.  We have a lot of things that are unclaimed by our students which have been gathered in our lunchroom, playground, gym and hallway. Please take a minute and look through the items we have.

6.  Catholic Community School (CCS) News
HOW WILL CCS BENEFIT MY FAMILY?
• CCS will ensure that a Catholic school education — from pre-K through high school — remains available and affordable for all families in the St. Cloud metro area and surrounding communities, whether or not they have a school building on their parish’s property. It will ensure excellence in academics and faith formation. It will enhance the collaboration already happening among the area’s Catholic school educators. It will strengthen marketing and development efforts to help ensure the future of Catholic education in this area.
HOW WILL CCS AFFECT MY PARISH FINANCIALLY?
• It’s too early to say. A finance subcommittee is studying possible financial structures for CCS. Its members will make a recommendation regarding the financial structure to the steering committee, which will then make a recommendation to the bishop. • The expectation, however, is that parishes will continue to provide strong financial support to their schools. The steering committee/finance subcommittee is striving for a model of support that is fair and equitable for all the parishes involved.
HOW WILL CCS AFFECT SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND STAFFING?
• It’s too early to know the answer. But closing school buildings is not the hope or goal of this process. The goal is to fill classrooms and revitalize Catholic education. • There is no intent to change the individual cultures of schools. Each school site will maintain its culture. Each school will maintain its own site advisory council.
Playground Duty – Week of Nov. 16th – 20th.    (Please contact Kris Haehn, 251-5295, to schedule yourself for recess duty.  All families are required to volunteer for 2 days or they may opt out by paying $50/family.)
12/14: Buckentine/Need one additional person
12/15:  Need two persons
12/16:  Baldwin/ Need one additional person
12/17:  Bauer/Need one additional person
12/18:  O’Hara/Swanson/Bauer

Bulletin Board
·      Funzone during Christmas Break – Funzone will be open during Christmas break.  Childcare is available on December 21st – 23rd and then again Dec. 28th – 31st.  If you need childcare on any of these days, please stop in the office or in the Funzone room to complete a form.  You can also email Funzone at sc.funzone@allsaintsmn.org.
·      Family Lunch Accounts - Family Lunch accounts need to be kept up to date. Notices are in Thursday folders this week if you owe $10 or more. If the balance owed is more than $30.00, students will receive a sandwich and milk during lunch until payment is received beginning Monday, October 26th. According to Federal Policy from the Department of Agriculture, “Schools may deny a meal to a student who pays reduced or full price and who does not provide the required payment for the meal.”  Your cooperation with this matter is most appreciated.
·      Safe Environment Training – Many of you have completed the required paperwork needed for background checks.  Part of the process is completing the Safe Environment Training that is found online.  If you are volunteering at the school, it is required that you complete this training every year. Thank you to those of you who have completed the online training.  Please go to http://stcdio.org/safeenvironmentinstructions/ to complete the training.  The video is approximately 11 minutes long.   Make sure to answer the questions and click “Submit.”
·      Spiritwear Day – Spiritwear Day is every Wednesday that school is in session.  We invite everyone (students, faculty, staff, parents) to wear some kind of Spiritwear to school every Wednesday.  We have some new zip up sweatshirts in student sizes as well as hooded sweatshirts. If you are interested in an ASA sweatshirt or t-shirt, you may check out our supply of Spiritwear!  Many of you may have seen our new items for adults as well.  Contact Marissa Bristow, marissa.bristow@allsaintsmn.org or stop in the office to try on something.
·      School Speak – ASA has implemented School Speak, a new online school management system.  It is a secure portal that allows us to store information and communicate with our families. Many of you have received the introductory email to log in to School Speak.  If you haven’t, please contact the office, 251-5295, so that we can provide the information for you.  We would like all parents to log in and update their profile.  This technology will allow us to provide more information, communicate with parents and offer useful tools for everyone who is a member of our school community.
·      Sign Up for REMIND: The St. Cloud Campus would like to invite parents/guardians to sign up for REMIND. REMIND is a safe, free and easy way we can connect with parents through texting. It allows us to communicate with all parents instantly. Signing up is done through a unique code to Mrs. Marissa Bristow. Please text to 612-260-4578 and in the message section enter @ef392. It is that easy. You will be added on to the parent list.  If you have signed up in the past, it is not necessary to sign up again.

Calendar Dates 
Dec. 17:  Christmas Program
Dec. 18:  Christmas Vacation Begins, regular dismissal
Jan. 4:  School resumes, full day of classes
Jan. 18:  Martin Luther Kind Day, Workshop/Retreat Day for Staff; No school for students
Jan. 19:  Staff Development, No School for Students
Jan. 28:  Open House for 2016-2017
Jan. 31:  Feb. 6:  Catholic Schools Week – Kick off mass at all parishes
Feb. 10:  Ash Wednesday
Feb. 15:  Presidents’ Day, No school for Students or Staff
Feb. 16:  SCAPA Workshop Day for staff, No school for Students
Feb. 22-24:  Deep Portage for 6th graders


Our Mission
… is to deliver an academically excellent, Catholic education that develops the whole person and inspires a Christ-centered life in a global community.

Our Vision
… creates and nurtures an environment, which supports students, educators and community in realizing their God-given gifts, reaching their full potential and developing their life-long relationship with Christ.
This parent weekly update is published each Thursday school is in session.  Anyone with questions, comments or articles they wish to be considered for inclusion should send an e-mail to Marissa Bristow at marissa.bristow@allsaintsmn.org no later than Monday, 3 PM for that week’s update or drop it off at school.