Thursday, August 29, 2019

August 29, 2019 Weekly Parent Newsletter


Parent Newsletter
All Saints Academy, St. Cloud Campus
August 29, 2019

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!
No School or Funzone tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 30 & Monday, Sept. 2nd  due to the Labor Day weekend.


Strings Program
ARA would like to invite your child if they are in grades 3-6 to consider playing a stringed instrument.  ASA offers lessons at your child's school during the regular school day along with large group rehearsals and concerts.  The program is very quickly reaching full capacity for the year so please contact your school secretary or myself for a sign up sheet.  asteichen@cathedralcrusaders.org

Bussing Begins When?
District 742 will begin bussing next week, beginning Tuesday, September 3rd.  If you have questions regarding bussing, please contact District Bussing at 253-9370.

Reminder about arrival and dismissal times
Students in grades K-6 should report directly to the gym when they arrive between 7:30 – 7:45 am. They will be dismissed to their classrooms at the appropriate time. Feel free to drop your child off in the gym. All students in grade K-6 must arrive no later than 7:45 am on Morning Meeting days (first day of the school week.) Preschool students should report directly to their classrooms. Dismissal for the day occurs at 2:55pm. Students will not be released before 2:55 pm.

Dismissal Procedures at 2:55 pm
K – 6th without Preschool siblings – parents may meet their children in back of school. You may join the line of cars or park your car in the lot across 12th Ave. N. and wait near the doors. 
K – 6th with Preschool siblings – parents may meet their preschooler and their K-6th children by the preschool rooms.

What is School Speak?
School Speak is an online school management system.  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 welcome email was sent to new parents earlier in July.  Due to security issues, the email will only stay in your inbox for a few days.  If you need the email 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 by Sept. 15th. 

Student Absences or Late Students
Please call the office to report your child’s absence before 8 am . Also, transportation changes for your child should be made by calling the office before 1 pm. It is difficult for us to make changes to the routine after 1 pm and teachers do not have time to check email messages to make those changes throughout the day. If your child unexpectedly needs to attend FunZone, please call the office by 10 am.

Free/Reduced Hot Lunch Program
Parents, it is not too late to send in applications for free and/or reduced hot lunches. You can pick up an application at the office. If you have questions regarding this program, please contact Mrs. Bristow at 251-5295 or marissa.bristow@allsaintsmn.org.

Save the Date!
The All Saints Academy Extravaganza will be on Feb. 8, 2020! Please mark your calendars for this exciting community event. Also, if you’d like to join the planning committee, please contact the office.

Fall Athletic (PAA) Activities  
PAA registration forms were included in Paper Work folders this year.  They are also available on School Speak.  All PAA registration forms were due in the office last week.  Fall sports begin soon:

If you have questions, please contact PAA Director, Lena Coe at coefamily816@gmail.com.
2018-2019 Playground Supervision Program  
Our goal is to have one volunteer parent to act as crossing guard on the playground every day to assist the school staff during the entire recess period.  Recess will be 11:00 am – 12:40 pm.

Please contact the office to sign up for Playground Supervision. We need two parents (All-day Preschool - 6) everyday to assist the school staff during the entire recess/lunch period.  There is a calendar in the office for your convenience or you can call Mrs. Bristow to sign up 

All families need to volunteer for recess supervision 2-3 times this year for the safety of the children.  (Parents of half-day preschoolers are not required to volunteer as their children do not participate in lunch recess time.) If you find your schedule doesn’t allow you to volunteer for Recess Duty, you may opt out by paying $50. (Separate charge from Volunteer Requirement. Recess hours are applied to the 15-hours/year of volunteering.) These funds are used to defray the cost of additional paid recess staff.  At the end of the school year, families will be charged $50 if they haven’t volunteered for recess.

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, families pay $50 per family. Hours are tracked in our office. These funds are used to defray the costs of additional staff or overtime required of staff in the building assisting teachers and school 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.

REMIND!
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 to the parent list.  If you have signed up in the past, it is not necessary to sign up again.

ASA is Nut-Safe!
Please remember that we are a Nut-Safe 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.

Playground Duty – Week of Sept. 3rd  – 7th
9/2 – No School – Labor Day
9/3 – Loch/Baldwin
9/4 – Makarrall/Ortega
9/5 – Makarrall/Mathiowetz
9/6 – Lock/Krueger(Fish)

Keep Collecting!
It all adds up! Last year ASA received over $7,000 from labels and related rewards. Continue to save the following labels:
Labels for Education (UPCs from Campbell's. Swansons, Post, and Prego) Box Tops for Education
Country Hearth and Village Hearth Products (UPCs)
Pop and can tabs
Old cell phones
Empty ink and toner cartridges


Thank You!
… to all our parents for making Open House Conferences a successful evening.
…to St. Michael’s Social Concerns Committee for the generous donation of school supplies to ASA.

Upcoming Dates 
Aug. 30:     No school for students or staff
Sept. 2:      Labor Day- no school
Sept. 3:      Regular classes begin, bussing begins
Sept. 10:    Picture Day
Sept. 27:    SC Grandparents Day
Sept. 30:    Diocesan Ministry Day, No school for students
Oct. 10:      P/S/T Conferences, 3:45 – 7:00 pm
Oct. 14:      P/S/T Conferences, 3:45 – 7:00 pm
Oct. 18 & 19:  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.