Summer 2016 Parent Newsletter

Summer Parent Newsletter

All Saints Academy, St. Cloud Campus

Summer 2016

We hope the summer is treating everyone well! School is still four weeks away, but there’s lots of news we want to share with you. Please be sure to read this summer newsletter and be all ready when school starts!

New Pre-School Teacher!

We welcome Staci Hennen, our second Pre-school Teacher at All Saints Academy, St. Cloud Campus.  Ms. Hennen comes to us from Cold Spring, attended St. Boniface Catholic school and has taught preschool, 3^rd grade and has subbed for all the elementary grades. 

Before choosing teaching as her profession, she worked in a childcare center and held other positions working with young children for 4 years.  She is looking forward to meeting her new students, getting to know their families and joining the All Saints Academy community!

What’s New at the St. Cloud Campus?

Lots of projects are currently completed or in progress:

·      New Fence: a new fence is around the playground and along the length of 12th Ave N.  

·      New Library: almost all moved in, new carpet, painted - great job to all who helped make this happen!

·      Pre-K rooms: work is progressing, ready for start of school!

·      New Work Room: formerly known as the Computer lab is almost ready - it will house all the paper, most supplies, several work tables – and Mr. Elliott's office

·      New Interior Doors: The parish has agreed to install all new classroom doors in the school, with new hardware. This is scheduled to be completed mid-August.

·      New PA System: A new PA system, with two-way connections in every room, cafeteria, Kitchen and Gym. Marco will begin installation before the end of July- we are told.

Paperwork Night/Ice Cream Social and New Family Meeting

Paperwork night will be held Tuesday, August 16th from 4:00 – 6:30 pm at the St. Cloud Campus. This will be the time for you to:

-       pick up all paperwork

-       meet with support staff to ask questions, pay any necessary fees.

-       put money in your child’s hot lunch account to start the new school year.

-       receive homeroom assignments. 

-       Parish faith formation will be here if you still need to sign up for Wednesday evening Faith Formation classes.

-       Learn how to log on to School Speak if you haven’t already.

-       We will have a cold treat for you and your family if you would like to stay and socialize. 

-       The New Family Meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Paper Work Night. We look forward to meeting all new families this evening

What is School Speak?

School Speak is an online school management system that ASA and most St. Cloud Catholic Elementary schools use.  It is a secure portal that allows us to provide more information, communicate with parents and offer useful tools for everyone who is a member of our school community.

If you are new to All Saints Academy or have never logged onto School Speak you will be receiving an introductory email.  The email will be sent out Monday, August 1^st.  Due to security issues, the email will only stay in your inbox for a few days.  If you need it resent, please call the office at 251-5295. 

Individuals who have used School Speak in the past, will not get an email.  The username & password you had last year is still the same.

We would like all parents to log in and update their profile, too. 

Open House will be Thursday, August 25th  

Open House is scheduled at the St. Cloud Campus for Thursday, Aug. 25th from 4:30 - 6:00 pm. Plan to meet your child’s teacher, renew old friendships, make new acquaintances and check out our shiny clean building. If you missed picking up paperwork on the 16^th, it will be available in your youngest child’s homeroom.

Start Dates 2016-2017 School Year  

The 2016-2017 school year for Preschoolers and 1^st – 6^th graders will begin Tuesday, August 30, 2016.  The first day for Kindergartners will be Monday, August 29^th from 8:00 am – 11:45 am, lunch will be served. FunZone, our aftercare program, will be available for Kindergartners that day.

As in the past, we ask that parents provide transportation for their children to and from school during this first week of school.

Fall Athletic (PAA) Activities  

Attached to this email you will find the 5th and 6th grade fall sports information for 2016-2017. These registrations should be returned at Paperwork Night or Open House. Students have the option of playing volleyball, soccer or football in the fall.

There will be a fall sports meeting the night of Open House, Aug. 25th from 6:15 - 7:15 pm in the building cafeteria. 

If your child will be playing football, we will be handing out the football equipment after the meeting as well.

If you would like to coach any sport that PAA offers or have questions, please contact PAA Director for ASA Mike Sand at MIKESAND@allstate.com.

2016-2017 Playground Supervision Program  

Our goal is to have two parents who have children in K – 6^th grade, on the playground every day to assist the school staff during the entire recess period. Recess will be 11:00 am – 12:25 pm. 

There will be a form in your packet at Paper Work Night that will need to be completed. A schedule will be available for families to sign up.

We ask all families to volunteer for recess supervision 2-3 times this year for the safety of the children.  If you find your schedule doesn’t allow you to volunteer for Recess Duty, you may opt out by paying $50. These funds are used to defray the cost of additional paid recess staff.

Volunteering at All Saints Academy

Volunteering at school is a wonderful opportunity to give back, share your gifts and allows you to see your children and other children in the school setting. It is also an important component to supporting the education delivered daily.

We request that each family volunteer 15 hours/year at school. This can include but not limited to the following:  serving lunch, recess supervision, classroom assistance, Picture Day, playing a musical instrument at mass, copying, Thursday folders, Spring Picnic, Junior Achievement (JA), Extravaganza planning, etc.

If your day/year does not allow you to volunteer the 15-hour requirement, we ask that you pay $50 per family. Hours are tracked in our office. These funds are used to defray the costs of additional staff in the building assisting teachers and staff daily.

Our talents and skills are meant to be cultivated and shared with others. Sharing our God-given gifts by actively participating in the life of our parish and school is an expression of stewardship. “As each one of us has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace,” 1 Peter 4:10.

Stay Informed! Be the first to know!

We encourage parents/guardians to sign up for REMIND - a safe, free and easy way we can communicate with parents instantly through texting.

To sign up text ASA Administrative Assistant Mrs. Marissa Bristow at 612-260-4578 and in the message 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.

ASA is Nut-free!

Please remember that we are a Nut-free building.  All snacks and lunches need to be peanut-free and nut-free. There is a safe-snack list on School Speak under Announcements.  NOTE: Since ingredients change this list may be updated from time to time – we ask that parents check this list before purchasing snacks throughout the year.

Did you know?  Childhood allergic reactions are most likely to happen at school and 50% of reactions were previously unknown to the parents or child.

Thank you for helping to keep our school safe for all of our students.

Keep Collecting!

It all adds up! Last year ASA received over $7,000 from labels and related rewards. Continue to save Labels For Learning, Labels for Education (Campbell's. Swansons, Post, and Prego) only the UPC with the point value is accepted, Box Tops for Education, UPC's from Country Hearth and Village Hearth Products as part of the Loaves4Learning Program, pop and can tabs, old cell phones and used ink cartridges.

Thank You!

…to our custodians and staff who have worked hard this summer to clean, update and get our school building ready for the coming year!

Upcoming Dates 

Aug. 16:     Paperwork Night, 4:00 – 6:30 pm. 5:30 pm

New Family meeting in St. Paul’s Community Room.

Aug. 25:     Open House, 4:30 – 6:00 pm

Aug. 29:     First Day for Kindergarten, 7:45 am – 11:45 am.

Aug. 30 – Sept 1:  First Day of School for Preschool & 1^st – 6^th grade students, no bussing available this week

Sept. 2:      No school for students or staff

Sept. 5:      Labor Day- no school

Sept. 6:      Regular classes begin, bussing begins

Sept. 13:    Picture Day, Preschool – 6^th grade

Sept. 13:    SC Campus Parent Meeting Night, Preschool – 6^th grade

Sept. 30:    SC Grandparents Day

Oct. 20 & 21:  Autumn Vacation – no school for students and staff

Welcome back to a new school year!

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

All Saints Academy 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.