February 18, 2016 Weekly Parent Newsletter

           All Saints Academy, St. Cloud Campus

Weekly Parent Newsletter

February 18, 2016

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.  Preschool Open House TONIGHT! – Tonight is our Open House featuring our new All-day preschool program from 4:00 – 7:00 pm. Mrs. Mary Lou Paul, our preschool teacher will be available for prospective parents to meet and talk about the program.  Principal Amanda Gjerde and President Chris Schellinger will be also be on hand to answer questions. Please spread the word to families looking for an all day option for their child.  All Saints Academy Preschool was voted “Best Preschool in Central Minnesota” by readers of the St. Cloud Times.

2.  Conferences & Simple Supper - 2nd trimester conferences will be held Thursday, February 25^th & Tuesday, March 1^st from 4 – 7 pm.  Sign up is on School Speak.  All parents are required to attend conferences.  (If you do not know your username & password, please contact the office and we will prompt the system to provide you with that information.) Instructions for scheduling conferences are:

         - Go to School Speak (link provided.) https://as5.schoolspeak.com/Secure/Login.aspx?Community=56303001&ReturnUrl=https%3a%2f%2fas5.schoolspeak.com%2fPublic%2fCommunityMain.aspx%3fgroup=All%26Community=56303001

         - Log on with your username & password.

You will need to verify your email address.  Click on “Edit My Profile” in the top right hand corner and make sure your email address is correct in the respective field. Then click on “Update” at the bottom.

         - Click on “Winter Conferences” in the left hand column for each homeroom that applies to your family and schedule your conference.

You will receive an email reminding you of your upcoming conferences.

         If you are in need of another Simple Supper reservation form, it is available on School Speak under Newsletter.

3.  Used Book Fair – PAC is sponsoring a used Book Fair Thursday, February 25^th.  They are looking for gently used children’s & adult books.  Each homeroom will have a box outside their classroom where book donations may be placed. Parents & families are welcome to shop for books from 3:45 – 7:00 pm on the first night of conferences Feb. 25^th in the cafeteria.  The Book Fair will be available for students & parents to shop Thursday, Feb. 25^th & Friday, Feb. 26 in the morning beginning at 7:15 – 8:00 am and also during the lunch hour, 11:00 am – 12:15 pm.  Students may bring money to purchase books, if they choose.  You may also shop right after Friday mass from 9:00 – 9:15 am. 

4.  Willow Sweeney at the Paramount – There are still tickets available for Willow Sweeney’s presentation on February 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Paramount Theater. The presentation is Top 20 Parents “Help Children Learn from Mistakes” and “Move Outside Their Comfort Zone.” Willow Sweeney is the co-founder of Top 20 Training. She has co-authored several books, including Top 20 Parents: Raising Happy, Responsible and Emotionally Healthy Children.  She is the most recent recipient of the St. Cloud Times 5 Under 40 recognition.  The link for free tickets is: https://paramountarts.secure.force.com/ticket/?acode=96911309f4a739e74c73f3a1e4c1bb0c#details_a0So0000002pxKfEAI  .  We hope more of you can join us for this wonderful opportunity!  Willow mixes humor and everyday experiences to help parents help their children.

Playground Duty – Week of Feb. 22^nd – 26^th .    (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.)

02/22:  Tetrault/ Need one additional person

02/23:  Need two volunteers

02/24:  Need two volunteers

02/25:  Smith/Need one additional person

02/26:  Need two volunteers

Bulletin Board

·      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 school management system.  It is a secure portal that allows us to store information and communicate with our families. Many of you received the introductory email to log in to School Speak but haven’t log on yet. Please contact the office, 251-5295, so that we can provide the information for you so you can log onto School Speak.  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 

Tonight:  Preschool Open House 2016-2017, 4 – 7 pm

Feb. 22:  Willow Sweeney speaking at the Paramount

Feb. 22-24:  Deep Portage for 6^th graders

Feb. 25:  Conferences 3:45 – 7:00 pm; Simple Supper and Used Book Fair

Feb. 26:  End of Quarter

Mar.  1:  Grades 2 & 3 to Mr. Popper’s Penguins at College of St. Benedict

Mar.  1:  Conferences 3:45 – 7:00 pm; Simple Supper

Mar.  3:  2/3/4 Reconciliation

Mar. 7 – 11:  Winter Break, no school for students or staff

Mar. 17:  5/6 Reconciliation

Mar. 23:  Stations of the Cross, reenacted by 5^th grade students

Mar. 25-28: Easter break, no school for students or staff

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.