St. Benedict School Newsletter
November, 2008
Principal’s
Message
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and reap
the harvest. One of the most plentiful gifts any of us have is the gift of
family. As we gather with our families and friends
this Thanksgiving, let’s ask God’s blessings on us that we may keep our lives
in perspective and take the time for the things that really matter. Our children are only children once. Let’s not miss the opportunity to make a difference
in their lives. I am very grateful for all the families, faculty, staff and
friends at St. Benedict School. Have
a blessed Thanksgiving!
God, our Father and Creator,
We thank you for
your many gifts.
We thank you for the world around us:
For birds that sing in the morning light,
For tall green trees, for blue sky overhead.
We thank you for the people who love us
and for all
people who make this
world a better place.
Hear our prayer of praise for all that you
have made
for love of us.
!
Discipline
With Purpose
The following Discipline With
Purpose skills will be covered in November.
The weeks of November 3 and 10 SOCIAL
SKILLS will be covered. Bullying is included in this skill. The weeks of November 17 and 24 COOPERATION
will be covered. Every two weeks,
a parent handout is sent in the Friday folder that is a guide for parents
to assist in the teaching of the Self-Discipline Skills. The guide coincides
with the skill being focused on in school.
We will have our Thanksgiving Prayer Service
on Monday, November 24 at 1:30 p.m. in Church.
Please join us. School will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday,
November 25. (PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE AFTER CARE
ON TUESDAY NOVEMBER 25 until 6 p.m.) Classes
will resume on Monday, December 1.
Dance-A-Thon
Our seventh annual Dance-A-Thon was held on Friday, October
10 A great time was had by all. Dance-A-Thon
Awards and prizes will be given out on November 25 at our Awards Assembly
in church. There was a $10 minimum to participate as was stated several times
on communications sent home.
Report Card Conferences
Report Card Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday,
November 25, from 12:30 p.m. until 7:45 p.m.
Report Cards will be sent home on November 21. We hope that they will
be beneficial for parents, teachers and students.
It is very important that everyone is on time for conferences. Notices will go home on November 14 with the
specific time of your conferences. Please
note that school will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. on November 25.
After care will be in session until 6:00 p.m. on November 25.
Awards Assembly November 25
On Tuesday, November 25 at 10:00 a.m.
in Church, we will have our first trimester Awards Assembly.
Awards will be given for academic honors in grades 3-8.
Accelerated Reading and Math awards will be given. Students in K-8 with no missing assignment
notices, behavior infractions or uniform referrals for the TRIMESTER will
be affirmed, as well as students who have given outstanding service to the
school. Dance-A-Thon Awards and Weekly Worship Awards will also be given.
Parents and relatives are invited to attend.
Red Ribbon Week Poster Winners
The Student Council sponsored a poster contest
for Grades 1-8. Preschool and Kindergarten students were involved in a coloring
contest. Students judged their “Buddy Grade’s” poster.
There are various times during the year when students pair up with
their “Buddy Grade” for such things as nature walks, art projects, holiday
fun, tutoring and so on. It is a great way to bring unity to the school
and promotes school spirit. Both the older and the younger students enjoy
the times shared. Congratulations
to all of the winners.
Celebration of Halloween
St.
Benedict School students celebrated Halloween on October 31.
The Student Council sponsored a Halloween Party for grades P-3 in the
morning. Student Council officers and classroom representatives
provided the students with games, prizes and even a spook house.
Students went Trick or Treating in classrooms after the games. Room
Moms provided special lunches, games and treats for the school. All lunches
and treats were planned within our wellness guidelines. Grades 4-8 enjoyed
music and dancing after lunch. Thank you Room Moms and Dads for the various
things you do throughout the year for the students. Thank you also for your efforts in providing lunches for the party.
Parent Volunteer Hours
It is nice to see so many parents/ guardians
volunteering in the school in various ways.
Please note that you need to track your own volunteer hours and fill
in the Volunteer Book in the office specifying the activity worked and the
number of hours worked. It’s up to you to make sure your required ten
hours are documented.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
The second grade children are
preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation during their religion classes. Reconciliation practice is scheduled for Saturday,
November 15 from 8:30-10:00 a.m. The students will make their First Reconciliation
on Monday, November 17, at 7:00 p.m. in Church. Please keep the students and their families
in your prayers.
Family and Homeroom Directories
Parents who chose to be part of the School Directory this year will receive
their Family Directories in the Weekly Folder sometime in November.
Service Projects
St. Benedict students participated in a school
wide service project that facilitates our call to serve the needy.
Children were asked to collect change from friends and neighbors while
trick or treating. Funds collected
will be donated to UNICEF.
Students
participated in the “Supply the Troops Drive.” Students wrote letters to the
soldiers in Iraq. They also collected
non-perishable items. Thank you to
all of you for your support. St. Benedict School children and staff are proud to participate
in this campaign that sends a heart-felt thank you to the men and women serving
in our Armed Forces so far from home.
Students Pledge to Make the Right Choice
Students of St. Benedict School attended a special
prayer service on Tuesday, October 21 in honor of Red Ribbon Week. Officer King,
our DARE Officer, was a guest speaker. He spoke about drug resistance and showed
a video demonstrating how choices we make every day affect our lives and ability
to achieve our goals and dreams. Students were involved in activities the week
of October 20-24 that focused on drug resistance and awareness. Students also
pledged never to play with guns, bring guns to school or use guns or violence
to settle disputes.
Scholastic Book Fair and Family Reading Night
This year the Book Fair will be held in November. The Book Fair will run from November 3-6.
The fair will be open all week and during Family Reading Night, scheduled
for Wednesday, November 5, from 6:00-8:30 in the gym.
Anna Stange, a well know folk singer from Blue Island, will be in the
gym for a special presentation including her singing storybooks. Other activities
are planned between 6:00-7:00. Come
join us. Please note you can earn volunteer hours for
attending.
Manna Credits
Manna
Credits for April through October will be posted on your November SMART statement.
Purchase of Manna certificates not only makes Christmas shopping easier, but
also gives you a great way to lower your tuition payment. Manna credits are
posted two times a year, in November and May.
Geckler Orders
Geckler Fundraising orders are due back on November
11. This is a great way for you to receive a substantial
discount on your March tuition statement. Look at the letter in the packets you received for details. The more you sell, the greater your tuition
credit. 25% of your order goes back to you in tuition credit. Please note
that this is not a fundraiser that can be used toward your fundraising commitment.
Only the Dance A Thon or March Raffle can be applied toward the $225
commitment per family.
Fruit Bar Sales / Pasta Lunches
We will have weekly fruit bar sales on Fridays. In December, we will have a pasta lunch day
in place of hot lunch. Both sales are
intended to raise funds for the school. Your
support is appreciated.
“Rockin’ With Santa”
Mark
you calendars for Saturday, December 13. Rockin’ With Santa is our second family event of the year. Like the Back To School Picnic, Rockin’ With
Santa’s main goal is to bring the school families together to build community.
It will be a family sock hop. The only cost is a food donation for our
parish pantry. A live DJ, dancing, pictures with Santa, food
and great company are on the agenda.
Please Note Correction to Calendar for March
Please note that there is a change
on the calendar for the month of March. There will be school on Friday, March
13. There will be no school on Monday, March 16. Teacher In-service has been changed to March
16. Please mark your calendar.
“The Gift”
In
the beginning of September, nine students from our Grades 4-8 TAG (Talented and Gifted) program were offered
the opportunity to take part in an after school writing class with Mr. Whitaker,
our music/drama director. The purpose
of the class was to write an original script that would become the play for
our annual Christmas Program. Students
blended stories from a few Christmas classics, added new ideas and wrote an
original play. “The Gift” will warm
your heart! Congratulations to the
following students on a job well done! Grade
4: Orlando, Grade 5: Alyson, Adrian, Grade 6: Angelica, Katie, Grade 7: Patrick,
Lauren, Regina, Grade 8: Taylor.
Afternoon Challenge Classes
As you know we have implemented
a Talented and Gifted Program. There
are eleven students in grades 3-8 in (TAG) There are an additional 14 students
in K-5 that are part of the CHALLENGE Group.
All students (TAG and CHALLENGE) have special plans that outline accommodations
that are in place in the classroom to provide differentiation, challenge and
higher level thinking. Please see
our web-site for a complete copy of the St. Benedict School Talented and Gifted
Plan. Mrs. Rys is working
with pull-out groups for the students in K-5. Groups meet for 90 minutes per week. Kindergarten meets for 30 minutes per week.
Groupings in 1-5 are multi-age and provide thematic learning. Language arts and math components are integrated with science and social studies.
Students are given opportunities to learn about a particular subject
or topic in depth by reading, doing research, and engaging in hands-on activities
that incorporate higher-level learning and critical thinking.