Weekly Parent Newsletter
All Saints Academy, St. Cloud Campus
November 19, 2020
Thanksgiving Food Drive
As we prepare for Thanksgiving, All Saints Academy remembers those in our community who are less fortunate. Our Thanksgiving Food Drive will benefit Catholic Charities Food Shelf. Students will be coming home with bags to fill. Please fill this bag with dry goods to help us live out our mission to “Share generously.” Food bags can be dropped off in the front entryway of school by Tuesday, Nov. 22nd. Checks can be written out to ASA. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Opatz, Ms. Wick, Mrs. Orth or the 6 th grade Catholic Social Teaching Committee.
Distance Learning Begins Monday, November 30 th
All parents should have received the notification from CCS & Mrs. Leider that All Saints Academy is moving to distance learning beginning on Monday, November 30 th for K – 6 th grade. Preschool will remain open and dismissal is moving to 3 pm.
All day care will be available from 7:30 – 3 pm to Tier 1 employees (health care, law enforcement, first responders, public safety, food industry, agriculture, judicial branches, National Guard, educators in PreK -12, school staff caring for children and childcare providers.) Funzone is available to preschool and students attending all day care at the regular rates.
Hot lunch will be available to all students at regular rates. Parents of distance learners may order lunches and pick up daily at 11 am. All students ordering lunch must place their weekly lunch order using School Speak by 8 pm on Sunday evening to reserve a meal. To order meals in School Speak, click on “Lunch Order.” Then click on “Place Order.” Please click the box on the appropriate dates. Hot lunch always includes milk, it is not necessary to click on “Milk” too. You would need to check “Milk” if he/she is having cold lunch and needs a milk with it.
To help us plan, please complete the following google form indicating your need for childcare and lunch. https://forms.gle/Lh8w9GgFgx9RPc9Q6
We will have a material pick up day on Wednesday, November 25th from 8 am-5 pm, where you will receive all the materials necessary for distance learning for the next three weeks. We will also need to schedule an additional pick up date in late December. Schedules for the day will be sent out with distance learning materials next Wednesday.
There will undoubtedly be additional information forthcoming, and we appreciate your patience, understanding, and your dedication to keeping all our students healthy and growing. We are all working hard to get through this terribly difficult time, but if there is one bright spot, perhaps we can all spend some time with our extended families. Thank you for all you have been doing!
Please complete the google form above or click here: https://forms.gle/Lh8w9GgFgx9RPc9Q6 as soon as possible, and do not hesitate to reach out.
Workathon Slips Coming Home
Your child will be receiving the Workathon slips that contain the names and addresses of their sponsors. Thank you to everyone for the amazing letter writing campaign our students completed for the Workathon. Please remember to write thank you letters to all of these wonderful donors.
COVID Resource on School Speak
ASA has fielded a lot of questions on whether you should send their child to school if they have certain symptoms. A resource has been posted on School Speak that will clarify your decision making. There is a “Parent Morning Checklist” that parents can use when assessing how your child feels.
Please note that if your child has a cough or a fever or two of the less common symptoms (see the decision tree for details), they need to be evaluated by a medical professional before returning to school.
To maintain your child’s health while at school, please remind them of the following”
= Bring a water bottle everyday
= Bring hand sanitizer
= Wear a mask
= Bring spare masks
= Wash and sanitize hands frequently
= Keep physical distance with peers (6 feet+) when possible
School Day
A reminder to parents that PreK – 6 th grade students should be in the building by 7:50 am . This gives students time to unpack their backpacks and get ready for the day. Announcements over the PA and prayer are at 7:58 am. This time before 8:00 am provides social time for students, time for instructors to take attendance & lunch count and lets students touch base with their teachers. You may drop students off as early at 7:30 am.
ASA Parent Activity Committee (PAC) Corner
Hello ASA parents! Let's get to know each other! We encourage all interested parents to join PAC – especially if you are new to the community. It’s a GREAT way to meet other ASA families and get connected, and it’s a lot of fun, too!
PAC meets on the first Wednesday of every month, virtually this year through Zoom from 7 – 8 p.m.
NEXT MEETING: December 2, 2020 from 7-8 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/72331403025?pwd=aEQ0cmp0bnRMeU9iNU1VRGtSNjRtUT09
Meeting ID: 723 3140 3025
Passcode: km83w3
THANK YOU to all who helped feed our teachers with the PAC Potluck during conferences in October!
CALLS TO ACTION:
· Join the ASA PAC Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1078832182165102/
· Donate a silent auction item for the ASA Extravaganza event! Email Marit Ortega with your ideas a t ortega.marit@gmail.com .
· Purchase gift cards from Scrip , and a portion of your purchase will benefit PAC-funded activities! There are gift cards to 699 locations, including Amazon, Kwik Trip, Starbucks, Walmart, Home Depot, Target, Best Buy, Chipotle, and Subway, to name a few. You're bound to find something you can use!
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What is PAC?
PAC is made up of ASA parents, and it is an integral part of the ASA community. Our mission is to facilitate and support the development of a Christ-centered environment through connections between home and school. Our vision is to support the growth and development of our youth through fundraisers, volunteerism, and family activities. We also facilitate staff appreciation efforts, parent development opportunities and activities inside and outside of the classroom for our children.
What does PAC do?
This year, we plan to provide funding for in-school “field” trips, Saint Nick treats, and Catholic Schools Week, to name a few. PAC also typically hosts multiple community building events throughout the year. This year we will be taking extra precautions for the health and safety of our staff and families. We will NOT be hosting the annual ASA Halloween Fest this year. However, we remain hopeful that we will be able to celebrate together later in the school year with our annual outdoor Spring Family Picnic.
Where do PAC funds come from?
We ask families to make an annual suggested donation of $25 to support PAC’s efforts for the benefit of the entire ASA community. Please make checks payable to PAC. We will also be bringing Scrip gift card fundraising back to ASA! See the login info in the CALLS TO ACTION above.
Questions? Email us at pac@allsaintsmn.org .
Marit Ortega, ASA PAC President
Karin Loch, ASA PAC Vice President
Chloe Spann-Ford, ASA PAC Secretary
Mary Larson, ASA PAC Treasurer
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 10 am. It is difficult for us to make changes to the routine after 10 am 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.
Save the Date!
The All Saints Academy Extravaganza will be on January 30, 2021 ! Please mark your calendars for this exciting community event. Deuces Wild is back! Also, if you’d like to join the planning committee, please contact the office.
2020-2021 Playground Supervision Program
Playground Duty – Recess volunteering will be suspended until we return to in person learning.
BULLETIN BOARD
ASA would like to invite your child to pay in our Strings Program 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. 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
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.
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.
Keep Collecting!
It all adds up! Last year ASA received over $7,000 from labels and related rewards. Continue to save the following labels:
Country Hearth and Village Hearth Products (UPCs)
Pop and can tabs
Old cell phones
Empty ink and toner cartridges
(Campbell Soup has discontinued their program)
Upcoming Dates
Nov. 20: End of First Trimester
Nov. 23 & 24: No classes
Nov. 25: Material distribution for distance learning
Nov. 25 – 27: Thanksgiving Break, no school for students or staff
Nov. 29: First Sunday of Advent
Nov. 30: Distance learning begins
Dec. 8: Immaculate Conception
Dec. 11: Dist. 742 two-Hour Early Release, distance learning will end at 1:00 pm.
Dec. 18: Last day of distance learning before Christmas break
Dec. 23 – Jan. 1: Christmas Vacation, 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
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.
